The first fountain we come to as we walk through the valley was actually the third to be constructed. It is a round pool with a small jet, in the centre of a circular space, surrounded by four beds filled with bog plants.
The valley is traversed by a rivulet which creates a visual link between this fountain, the second octagonal pool and beyond.
The octagonal pool was designed in 1982 as a present from Russell Page for Sir William’s eightieth birthday, with a form based on the (lucky) number eight: an octagon in the centre of an octagonal terrace. The collections of Magnolias and Hydrangeas are also here in the valley garden, as well as the great Chorisia speciosa and part of the collection of Cycadaceae.
