Oliver Messel's sister Anne, Countess of Rosse (1902 - 1992), with Michael, 6th Earl of Rosse and Mr Cecil Nice, Head Gardener at Nymans, the Messel family country house, Sussex.
Photo credit: John Hardy, from the National Trust Guide to Nymans, 1983

The gardens of Nymans were left to the National Trust by Oliver and Anne's father, Colonel Messel, upon his death in the Coronation Year (1953).  "Nymans was an exceptionally hideous house," according to Oliver, "Its only redeeming feature was the garden."  Moving to Nymans after the death of Oliver's grandfather in 1915, Oliver's parents commenced extensive alterations after the FIrst World War which transformed the structure into an idealized Gothic mansion.

Addy,¹ lady's maid to Oliver's mother Maud, described life in the country with the Messel family:  

"At Nymans we always had three housemaids and a housekeeper, three kitchen maids and four in the pantry; the butler, two footmen and an old man, and me, I never had to do any cooking.  There were about fourteen gardeners in those days.  There was a chauffeur, and there was Beech with the horses and there was a groom... At weekends I used to go down to Nymans in the car with Mrs Messel, but the staff went by train.  A big brake would meet them because we used to take the silver chests down for the weekend."

The gardens at Nymans are open to the public all year; the house from March to the end of October.  Petworth, one of my great favorites, is nearby.

"Anybody can be good in the country."  Oscar Wilde

¹ cited p. 21 Oliver Messel A Biography by Charles Castle, Thames and Hudson, 1986