The British Residence is one of the main attractions at every Heritage Day event. Hundreds of people come to see firsthand not only part of the interior of the current British ambassador’s residence, but above all the impressive garden, one of the largest in the country’s capital.
The property covers an area of 6,800square meters and is located across from Batlle Park. Much of this area is taken up by the garden, which was originally slightly smaller than it is today but was expanded thanks to a donation of the land by Sir Eugen Millington-Drake (British ambassador from 1934 to 1941) to the British government.
Today, the expansive garden has both native and exotic has and is maintained by just two people: the gardener René López and an assistant. Between the two of them, they also manage a 100% organic vegetable garden, the produce from which often ends up on the table of the current ambassador, Faye O’Connor, and her guests.
Paula Rial, Architect, Academic Coordinator of Landscape Design Technician at Universidad ORT Uruguay, toured the garden of the British Residence with the ambassador, López, and architect Gabriela Pallares (director of the Ministry of Design) to learn about its features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjzMqKrxNpA