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Garden Name: Bradenham Hall
Last Modified: 13/01/2011
Garden ID: 0064

pic: 0064_bradenhamhall.jpg

Owner: Mr & Mrs Christian Alhusen.
Address:
Bradenham
Thetford

Postcode: IP25 7QP
County: Norfolk

tel: 01362 687243
fax: 01362 687669
website: www.bradenhamhall.co.uk
email: info {at} bradenhamhall.co.uk

Features: 
Amazing arboretum of over 800 different trees, all labelled.

English Heritage Grade:


Opening Times:
3rd Sun in April
2nd and 4th Sundays between June - Sept; 2pm - 5.30pm.

Best Times of Year to Visit: 
April
June, July

To see: 
Daffodils / Trees
Roses / Herbaceous

National Collection: 


National Garden Scheme days: Yes
Comments: 3rd Sunday in April, 4th Sundays in July & Sept

Parties / Coaches: Yes 
Comments: 

Viewing by Appointment: Yes
Comments:  

House Open for Viewing: No
Comments: 

Admission Prices:
Adult £4; Child free

Parking: Yes
Lavatories: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Shop: No
Plants for Sale: No
Lunches: No
Teas: Yes
Refreshments: Yes
Picnics: No
Dogs allowed: No
Only on Lead: No
Events: No

Other Facilities:



Designer: The owners
Description of Garden:
The 27-acre gardens are situated on one of Norfolk's few high points and although the position affords a lovely view to the south over surrounding farmland, the site is consequently very windy. Therefore the owners have protected the long herbaceous borders, the shrubs and the Philosophers' Walk by stout yew hedges. These also shelter the paved garden, a large old fashioned rose garden and other borders containing a plantsman's collection. On the house and garden walls are grown a wide range of shrubs, climbers and fruit. There is a walled kitchen garden, an attractive old barn and the millennium aviary. The arboretum, which was only started in 1955, has many rare and interesting specimens, underplanted with many types of naturalised daffodils.


History: 
Bradenham Hall is an early Georgian house, more in the Queen Anne Style, facing almost due south. Built in about 1740, it had been owned principally by the Smyth, Haggard and Penrose families until 1951, when the Allhusens bought it, together with 1500 acres of surrounding land and woods.

In the 1940's it was occupied by various army units, one of which left a legacy of numerous heaps of empty tins and literally thousands of broken glass medicine bottles in many parts of the garden, particularly on the west side. Several dozen concrete Nissen hut foundations were an unwanted additional burden. A number of local people thought that the house could never be properly renovated and lived in again. A start was made by taking practically the whole roof off. Other than the disused and weed-ridden walled garden and courtyard, there was no garden extant. There were also about 200 wasp and hornet nests to be removed.

Local Inns: 
Ostrich Inn, Castle Acre
George & Dragon, Newton

Accomodation: 
The George, Dereham

Restaurants: 


Village/Town/Sightseeing: