Judi Dench’s insights came to light during a touching chat with BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley, in which she reflected on the poignant mementoes she keeps in her garden
Judi Dench has made a heartbreaking admission about the home she bought four decades ago with her late husband. Her comments came to light during a touching chat with BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley, in which she reflected on the poignant mementoes she keeps in her garden.
Jo sat beside Judi on a bench in her “beautiful”, sprawling garden, overlooking a pond where the Bond actress revealed she has water voles and ducks, adding that deer and rabbits also visit the garden.
Jo later turned the conversation to how Judi had trees “for people”, before the camera cut to one example: a tree with a small rectangular slate hanging from it, bearing the name of the late actress Maggie Smith.
Other mementoes bore the names Donald Sinden, Bernard Culshaw, and John Stride, among others. Judi spoke about the trees in a recent instalment of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)’ Roots show on YouTube.
Judi said: “No, we’ve just had them planted. Joe, who works for me now, and his father, Nick, worked for me before, and they know that I just love trees and so…
“Well, as friends die, I plant a tree to them. So this tree here is John Stride, who played Romeo at the Vic.”
Jo questioned who else was in the garden, to which Judi asked if there was a magnolia behind her. Jo confirmed there indeed was, and that it was “beautiful” and in flower.
Judi continued: “Yes. Dingo. That was a friend of my brother’s who was at school with him, and he was always in our house”, adding: “So many people here, Jo, and all down in the orchard.”
She then revealed that she’d been given one of the Sycamore Gap trees and had been offered an oak from Sherwood Forest, something that Jo described as “special” and “amazing”.
Jo asked if there was a tree for her late husband, Michael Williams, who sadly died in 2001. She replied: “Yes, there is. There’s a tree that wasn’t planted for Mikey, but it’s a tree that he loved. And that’s down there.”
Later in the video, Jo asked whether Judi’s home and garden had brought her comfort after Michael passed away. Judi said it had, because she could still see “things he’d done” around her.
Her idyllic farmhouse home is located near the village of Outwood, Surrey. It was reportedly built in 1497 and is worth about £8 million; it’s also believed to include a barn, an additional cottage, workshops, and a swimming pool.
Speaking previously in 2022, Judi shared: “The mice have moved in since lockdown, and I’m battling the mice. They have moved in and taken over a bit.”
She added: “My house is falling down a bit here and there.”
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