Painting Description

Although the buildings at Mottisfont Abbey are beautiful, it was the roses, massed together, tangled in profusion that stays with me. This old Abbey near Romsey in Hampshire, now owned by the National Trust, offered comfort to visiting pilgrims as far back as 800 years ago. I could find no record of the history of the gardens but it is clear to anyone fortunate enough to step into the shower of colour that this walled garden has been loved and tended a very long time. I deliberately centered my attention in this painting on a tiny private view, close, but spectacular.