Lambeth Palace Garden: The Archbishop's Backyard | 蘭柏宮花園：大主教的後院
Many of London's most iconic views can be found along the south bank of the River Thames. Sandwiched between Tower Bridge and the Palace of Westminster is a narrow strip of riverside land dotted with museums, galleries, restaurants and seasonal events -- and let's not forget the London Eye -- to keep visitors and locals entertained throughout the year. However once the obligatory pictures with Big Ben are taken, most of us don't often venture westward past the Westminster Bridge, where lies the historic Lambeth Palace.
Sitting opposite the House of Parliament next to a busy round-about, this Grade I listed building has been the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for almost 800 years, and houses one of the oldest and largest cultivated gardens in the capital.
The garden occupies over 10 of the 13 acres of the Palace ground. It's generally not open to the public except for pre-booked tours or special events, but at the request of the current Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Lambeth Palace Garden is opening its doors for all to visit from 12-3pm on the first Wednesday of the month between March to October.
The path to the garden is a stunning prelude to the beauty in store. Entering through the red brick Morton's Tower gatehouse, we stroll to the main courtyard where a famous fig tree stands -- planted in 1556 by the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Pole. (Then came Henry VIII and the reformation and separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church... etc.)
Around the corner of the main palace building is where you'll find a small gate leading to the garden.
前往花園之路，出發點是中古世紀的莫頓塔門樓，也就是蘭柏宮的正門，接著漫步到正殿外的庭院。這兒有一棵大名鼎鼎的無花果樹，是1556年由羅馬天主教坎特伯雷大主教所種植的。（接下來的歷史大家耳熟能詳，就是亨利八世發起的宗教改革，讓英格蘭國教會與羅馬天主教會分道揚鑣...等等。）
正殿庭院的邊緣有扇小門，就是花園的入口。
The palace garden is loosely divided into three sections: the terrace, the main lawn, and the orchard. Benches and roses line the terrace, allowing visitors to admire the honey-color stone building it's facing. The main lawn is a parkland style space filled with mature trees and colorful plants (including a black walnut planted by Queen Mary), with a solitary rotunda sitting on a mount covered in spring bulbs of narcissus.
The orchard contains apples, plum, cobnut and quince, and behind it is the plant nursery area and a greenhouse that supplies the vegetables consumed by palace staff.
The entire area is maintained by three full-time gardeners along with part-time volunteers, using organic principles wherever possible.
花園大致分三區：露台，大草坪和果園。露台邊緣種滿了玫瑰，遊客可以坐在長凳上曬太陽，欣賞正對面色如蜂蜜的宮殿建築。
大草坪是個公園風格的開放空間，處處可見百年老樹與五顏六色的植物，還有一個小涼亭，坐落在種滿水仙花的小丘陵上，依偎着瑪麗皇后十六世紀時所種植的黑核桃樹。
果園提供了多蘭柏宮廚房使用的食材，包括蘋果，梅子，榛果，還有類似梨子的榲桲。
整個花園都是由三名全職園丁管理，義工助理，原則上是盡可能使用有機產品，勤勞又環保。
Lambeth Palace has a special place in United Kingdom's history, as it brings to life the relationship between Church and State in Britain. Its garden holds fascinating stories of its own, waiting for us to explore.
*For more photos of the garden, please check out my Lambeth Palace Garden Gallery.
蘭柏宮在英國歷史上擁有特殊的地位，反映了歷年來英格蘭國教會與國家之間的關係。蘭柏宮的後花園擁有自己獨特，引人入勝的故事，等待著我們去探索。
＊想看更多 Lambeth Palace Garden的照片嗎？請前往我的 Lambeth Palace Garden 相簿。
LAMBETH PALACE 蘭柏宮
Lambeth Palace Rd, London SE1 7JU map
花園開放時間：12-3pm，3月～10月每月的第一個星期五
門票：£4.00 成人 / 小孩免費入場
Garden Opening Time: 12-3pm, first Friday of the month between March and October
Cost：£4.00 adult / children free