Gardens-Guide.com is the premiere open gardens directory in Britain today.
Please check with garden owners or their website to confirm current dates open 5th Jan - 22nd Dec; Every day; 10am - 5.30pm/dusk
Contribution made annually.
Mid-May - Oct
Penstemons and Salvias.
Adult £6.00; Over 60's £5.50; Child £4.00; Group (10 or more) £5.50 pp;
Group guided tour £9.00 (booked in advance)
Family Day Ticket £21.00; Season Ticket Single £20, Double £35;
Season ticket for Family £47.
Animal Park and Children's Play area. Spring Lambing weekends in March, Open Day in June, see owners' website for details of this and many other events.
Ornamental Lake, Tree Trails, Nature Trail, Animal Park.
Penstemons and Salvias.
Birkin House Hotel, Kingston Maurward
Yarlbury Cottage, Lower Bockhampton
The Black Dog, West Knighton
The parkland and pleasure gardens were originally laid out in the Jardin Anglais style popularised by 'Capability' Brown. Simplicity was the hallmark of the gardens, which consisted of rolling turf, carefully placed groups of trees, a lake and a lakeside temple. These and the lovely formal gardens have been carefully and sympathetically restored using 1930s photographs retaining the best features, but also introducing new ones. They now consist of a matrix of small gardens each with its own theme, tree trails, lakeside walks and a delightful walled garden.
The gardens were formally opened in 1991 and have since undergone an extensive programme of new plantings rich in interest and variety. New plantings and features are added annually.
The Animal Park is a firm favourite with children and home to an interesting collection of animals, some of which they can help feed. There is a large picnic and play area.
Kingston Maurward House was built in 1720 for George Pitt in the classic Palladian style that so characterised the period. It was designed by Thomas Archer and John James. The original gardens date from that period also. The 35 acre formal gardens were created between 1915 and 1922 within the framework of the existing parkland setting in the Arts and Crafts style of the Edwardian period. These gardens consist of a series of garden rooms designed by Sir Cecil and Lady Hanbury, a well known horticultural family, who also owned the gardens at La Mortola in Italy and who had generously endowed Wisley Gardens to the Royal Horticultural Society..