************* Garden Owners, Please copy this information and paste it into an email to: wb [at] armchair-travel [dot] com Please make any changes in BRIGHT RED in your email back to us. Regards, Armchair Travel Co Ltd http://www.armchair-travel.com ************* Garden Name: Cragside House, Garden and Estate Last Modified: 24/03/2011 Garden ID: 0263 pic: 0263_Cragside.jpg Owner: National Trust Address: Rothbury Morpeth Postcode: NE65 7PX County: Northumberland tel: 01669 620333 fax: 01669 620 066 website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-cragsidehousegardenandestate email: cragside {at} nationaltrust.org.uk Features: Extraordinary Victorian house, gardens and estate - the wonder of its age; Home of Lord Armstrong - one of the North East's great Victorians; The first house in the world lit by hydro-electricity; Possibly the largest man made rock garden in Europe. The Iron Bridge offers fantastic views of the house, rock garden and Debdon Valley. Fantastic woodland estate; one of the red squirrel's last strongholds; a tricky rhododendron maze and adventure playground. English Heritage Grade: I Opening Times: 12th Mar - 30th Oct; Tues - Sun; 10:00am - 7pm, or sunset if earlier, last admission at 5pm 2nd Nov - 18th Dec; Wed - Sun; 11am - 4pm Open BH Mons. On BHol weekends the property can be crowded. Best Times of Year to Visit: August-September To see: Summer bedding and tender perennials National Collection: National Garden Scheme days: Yes Comments: 16th july Parties / Coaches: Yes Comments: Viewing by Appointment: No Comments: House Open for Viewing: Yes Comments: Tues - Sun; 12th Mar - 15th Apr, 1pm - 5pm 16th Apr - 1st May, 11am - 5pm 3rd May - 27th May, 1pm - 5pm 28th May - 5th June, 11am - 5pm 7th June - 22nd July, 1pm - 5pm 23rd July - 11th Sept, 11am - 5pm 13th Sept - 21st Oct, 1pm - 5pm 22nd Oct - 30th Oct, 11am - 5pm Last admission 1 hour before closing House open 11 to 5 on Saturdays, Sundays and local school holidays. Also open Bank Holiday Mondays. Open 19 to 27 February (except Mondays): house (ground floor only) 12 to 4; grounds, 11 to 4. Also open 5 to 6 March: house ground floor only, 12 to 4, grounds 11 to 4. Admission Prices: Gift Aid Admission (Standard Admission prices in brackets) House, gardens and estate: adult £14.60 (£13.20), child £7.35 (£6.60), family £36.50 (£33).Party rate (15 or more) £11.00 Gardens and estate: adult £9.45 (£8.55), child £4.80 (£4.30), family £22.70 (£20.60).Party Rate (15 or more) £7.15 Winter: adult £4.60 (£4.15), child £2.10 (£1.90), family £10.90 (£9.90). Payment by cash only at the admission point (to maintain speed of entry). Credit/debit cards can be used for purchases in the restaurant and shop Parking: Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: Yes Shop: Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes Teas: Yes Refreshments: Yes Picnics: Yes Dogs allowed: Yes Only on Lead: Yes Events: Yes Other Facilities: Limited access for the disabled, please ring to discuss. Designer: Description of Garden: The National Trust owns 1,000 acres of this estate and has completed the immense task of restoring the vast rock garden installed by Lord Armstrong, exposing the enormous boulders and planting shrubs, alpine and moorland plants in the crevices. A range of rhododendrons, azaleas, berberis and rowans add variety and colour to the scene as the visitor progresses down the Debdon Valley. In the valley is an open pinetum of huge specimen North American conifers, some of which were provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, and which, in the favourable damp conditions, have attained enormous heights and girths. The Trust acquired the formal garden in 1991 and has restored the Orchard House with its extraordinary system of pots that can be rotated towards the light to provide balanced growth and ripening of fruit, as well as the Display House and Palm House, (formerly glazed) housing unusual hardy plants. But the glory of the formal gardens is the display of Victorian seasonal bedding including carpet bedding. Almost literally 'carpet' in this case as the beds often feature patterns from carpets or textiles in the house. History: The 1st Lord Armstrong, the famous Victorian inventor and armsmanufacturer began building this enormous house in 1863. In 1880, the house became the first in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity and also had hot and cold running water, central heating, telephones, a hydraulic passenger lift and a Turkish bath suite. He employed almost all the local population to create one of the finest Victorian landscapes to match it out of the unpromising empty moorland. He laid over 40 miles of carriage drives and footpaths, dug out four lakes and planted 7 million trees and shrubs. Armstrong also used his inventiveness and engineering skill to install hydraulic engines to pump spring water to the house and laid miles of underground pipes to transport water to supply cascades, pools and to operate machinery. Described as the 'Palace of a Modern Magician', Royalty and the aristocracy came to stay to see this wonder of the world for themselves. Local Inns: Cook and Barker Inn, Newton-on-the-Moor Accomodation: Cook and Barker Inn, Newton-on-the-Moor Saddle Hotel, Alnmouth Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury Queen's Head, Rothbury Restaurants: Village/Town/Sightseeing: Rothbury