We all love a good love story. It is one thing that transcends the passage of time. From the Greek’s famous love stories of Eros and Psyche and to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, love is one theme that never fails to excite a person. We can see it through the movies we watch, the music we hear, and the books we read.
There are different kinds of love, but there is something special about meeting the love of your life. Anyone wants to find love and live the rest of their lives with their soulmates. They make plans to build a home, travel, explore, and many more.
One of the greatest love stories in the 2oth century is that of Winston and Janet Howe.
Winston and Janet met in the late ‘1950s. They dated for a couple while before they decided to get married in 1962. For years, they lived happily on their farm.
Winston owns a 112-acre farm near Wickwar, Gloucestershire where he cultivated the land. Janet, on the other hand, was responsible for keeping their home clean and in order. The couple was very happy on their farm.
They may not have a lot of children or grandchildren, but they were happy and contented in each other’s family. For Winston, he thought nothing could go wrong on the small family farm. But, tragedy struck.
Janet died of heart failure in 1995, aged 50.
They did rush her to the hospital, yet all was lost. Winston was heartbroken for losing the love of his life. he was alone on his farm and house. He tried to distract himself by going out to cultivate the land, yet sadness never left him.
One day, an idea popped into his mind.
Thrilled at the thought, he began gathering his materials. Driving at the center of the farm with his house, he began working. He created the wood next to his farmhouse in the months after her death and marked out the shape with a large hedge.
Winston planted 6000 oak trees for Jane.
It wasn’t just a simple oak tree, but a huge heart-shaped oak tree in the middle of the farm.
“I came up with the idea of creating a heart in the clearing of the field after Janet died. I thought it was a great idea – it was a flash of inspiration – and I planted several thousand oak trees. Once it was completed we put a seat in the field, overlooking the hill near where she used to live.” Winston said in an interview with DailyMail.
The heart points towards Janet’s childhood home which is Wotton Hill.
The entrance to the secret heart is accessible only from a track leading up to its tip. They also planted daffodils in the middle that come up in the spring. Sometimes Winston goes to the area to sit in the seat he created and admire his work.
“I sometimes go down there, just to sit and think about things. It is a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years.” Winston said.
For years, it was the family’s secret until a passing hot air balloonist found it.
The meadow cannot be seen from the road and remained a family secret until a passing hot air balloonist. Andy Collon, fount it and took a photograph.
“I have my own balloon and am quite a regular flyer, but this was the most amazing sight I have ever seen from the sky. It was a perfect heart hidden away from view – you would not know it was there. You can just imagine the love story.” Andy photograh.
Every time you see the heart-shaped meadow, you’ll be reminded of Winston and Jane’s endless love for each other.
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