Just after the longest day of the year, this year the 20th, the long awaited visit by the Sampson Society to Glen Goyle took place.
There had been much planning involved by Sylvia Brownlee ( the founder of the Sampson Society), not least because she had arranged with the Belmont Hotel to continue the walk down into the southern part of the Glen which is now owned by them. The Bemont grounds are south of Manor Road. This gave the opportunity to see just how wonderful the Glen Goyle microclimate could be for semi-tropical plants, when the area is actively maintained by more than occasional grass cutting. FOGG also did a lot of preparation in advance of the visitation, including preparing their talks, and the Belmont provided both groups with refreshments in their grounds.
The upper Glen, north of Manor Road and owned by EDDC, is where the Friends of Glen Goyle pursue their efforts while the lower Glen is maintained by the Belmont gardening team. The contrast between the areas is striking and the chance to get inside the Belmont area will be sure to spur on the efforts of FOGG in a spirit of friendly rivalry.
Members of the FOGG team met the Sampson group at the north end of the Glen where there is an entrance marked by one of our new signs. This area has received a lot of attention and the beds have been cleared of most of the unwanted plants and brambles; planting in of new climbers and bulbs has started. From here the path drops sharply to the level of the stream with a newly established Fernery on the right (west) side. Beyond that you can find the lawn where John McGregor spoke to the group about the work that had been done and what was intended to be done in future.
Leaving the lawn the path becomes very uneven with tree roots, a repair we have been trying to get done by EDDC for ages, and then crosses the stream by means of a bridge. Further on is the footpath from Seafield Road, joining from the left (east) after which is the area with a lot of new plantings. All the way through are well established, mature, ornamental trees providing shade and shelter which makes a lovely walk. One of the photos below shows the interesting patterns on the bark of a mature Plane tree.
The two groups had a lovely time together discussing the history of Glen Goyle and the nearby buildings created by Sampson. The photos below document the occasion and are courtesy of Stephen Jellyman, Chairman of the Sampson Society.
Moving on to the Belmont grounds
Addition photos courtesy of FOGG member John Hopkins
Reflecting on the visit, Phil Lee a member of the FOGG team wrote:
‘On Friday 21st June 2024 The Friends of Glen Goyle hosted members of The Sampson Society at Glen Goyle. The Sampson Society is a local organisation with has the aim of appreciating and promoting the architectural and artistic accomplishments of RW Samson LRIBA, who added so much to the built environment of the Sid Valley. A visit to the society’s website is recommended.
Around thirty members of the society joined ten Friends of Glen Goyle, on a lovely sunny Friday morning. A characteristic of Glen Goyle is the shade and partial shade that can be found all through it. This was shown off to great effect during the visit. Once down by the lawn, we paused for a while and chatted about our aims and goals, and about the progress that we have made in the previous two years of volunteering, and about how it all started. We chatted about the flora and fauna, and how we are striving to enhance both. And about our plans to enhance the infrastructure to enable greater and easier access to all parts of the goyle. John McGregor talked about the history of the lawn area, and about our wonderful connection with Pat and David Bassett, who used to visit their grandfather in Asherton House (now the site of the small housing development of the east of the brook), and recall the gardens as their massive adventure park. Throughout the visit, we tried to answer questions, sometimes more successfully than others.
The walk continued into the southern section of Glen Goyle, which is privately owned by the Belmont Hotel. The hotel maintains their section very well, in a slightly more formal style. Again, mature trees offer shade on hot and sunny days. Tea was taken at the Belmont Hotel, and the informal chat continued.
We would like to thank The Sampson Society for their interest in our project. They are welcome to visit again whenever they wish.’