My family and I visited Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich on a picture perfect day last week. The Estate is a the former summer home of the Crane family and is a fantastic example of the architecture and gardens of the American Country Place Era.
The back of the house from the great lawn
A view down the allee with rolling hills, and the ocean in the distance
The landscape draws from both French and Italian garden styles. At the back of the house a long allee extends down rolling hills toward the water. Strictly framed by an evergreen hedge and punctuated with statuary, the allee offers focus and rhythm. It also disguises, by nature of the rolling hills, a Casino and former pool set into the lawn about 1/3 of the way toward the water. This would have been a guest suite, changing room and bathing area at the turn of the century. From the house you can simply see the top railing, but looking back up to the house from the water the view of the Casino is revealed.
One side of the Casino (or outbuilding) the other side is a mirror image. The center grass area would have been a pool. I love the brick work and pattern here and how they use Juniper trees to punctuate the space.
View from the house of Ipswich Bay
A side perennial garden and rose garden continue in the European style with pergolas, fountains, and colorful borders. The crumbling concrete of the rose garden pillars makes that garden feel almost ancient.
The perennial garden is enclosed by a walkway, much of which is covered by a pergola
An Italianate fountain at one end of the perennial garden
The pergola casts great shadows on the paving
The former rose garden across the street, with its relic like posts and peak through views to the marsh
A great place to visit and worth the trip to explore the house, landscape and area beaches.
