| Welcome, everybody, to the lovely house and gardens of Rosewood, |
| once the home of the famous writer, Sebastian George. |
| He bought the house in 1902 |
| although he had first seen it two years earlier. |
| At that time, the owners let it out to a tenant |
| because George was too slow making up his mind to buy it. |
| When it came back on the market, there was no hesitation |
| and he bought it immediately, for £9,300, |
| even though the house had no bathroom, no running water upstairs, and no electricity. |
| When he came here, he'd been married for ten years. |
| During that time, he'd become one of the most famous writers in the English-speaking world. |
| His professional success was enormous, |
| but his personal life wasn't as successful. |
| He was no longer on speaking terms with his brother |
| and had been devastated by the death at the age of seven of his elder daughter, Josephine. |
| Moving to Rosewood allowed the family to start a new life. |
| George regarded Rosewood as a pure example of a traditional country house of this part of England |
| and did some of his most successful writing here. |
| The house and its grounds became the family haven |
| and their escape to privacy and quiet. |
| The walls, and the mullioned windows were built of the local sandstone, |
| the tiles on the roofs and the bricks of the chimney stack were baked from local clay, |
| and the wooden structures inside came from oak trees which grow around here. |
| Now, please look at the map I've given you of the house and gardens. |
| We're here at the Information Centre. |
| Follow the path marked with the arrow |
| and the first area you come to is the orchard on your left. |
| As you go further down the path, there's the kitchen garden on the right |
| and as you go round the first sharp corner |
| you will find, to your left, an area where different types of pear tree have been planted |
| as well as some lovely flowers, |
| and this is known as Pear Alley - designed by George himself. |
| Next to this is the greenhouse |
| where some exotic plants and fruits are grown. |
| Follow the path round the second corner |
| and on your right you will see the entrance to the Mulberry Garden |
| with its 500-year-old tree. |
| Past the Mulberry Garden, follow the path until you reach the front of the house. |
| I suggest you spend a good hour wandering around this lovely building. |
| A guide takes visitor groups round every two hours. |
| If you would like to purchase any of George's books or other souvenirs, |
| then leave the house by the side entrance, |
| where you will find our shop, which is situated between the house and the garage |
| which contains the magnificent old Rolls-Royce car |
| which used to belong to George. |
| I expect by this time you may also be in need of a rest and some refreshment. |
| Most visitors are, so why don't you visit the tea room on the far side of the garage? |
| If you have time, there is a lovely walk down towards the River Dudwell. |
| For me, this is the best part of the estate. |
| This isn't on the map but it is all clearly signposted. |
| You cross the field which spreads along the banks of the river. |
| In spring, this area is well worth a visit. |
| Spend a minute or two watching the water pass by underneath as you cross the footbridge, |
| and then continue along the River Walk through the woodland. |
| On a hot summer's day the trees along this path provide welcome shade. |
| Eventually, you come to the water mill |
| which used to provide the electricity for the house - |
| only about four hours every evening - in George's time. |
| And, finally, for those of you who would like to see stunning views of the surrounding countryside |
| and who are a little bit more energetic, |
| when you return from the mill, take the first turning on your left |
| and climb up to the viewpoint. |
| You won't regret it. |
| Enjoy your visit! |