Aces of spades: Six splendid British gardens to visit this summer
With the sun well and truly shining, there’s nowhere better to be than one of Britain’s lush horticultural gems. From pristinely manicured palace grounds to rambling wildflower meadows, I’ve rounded up the loveliest green spaces for you to explore on your next day out or long weekend getaway.
Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire
This 105-acre garden is the product of nearly 500 years of careful cultivation, by 17 generations of the Devonshire family. The landscape features sweeping lawns, grand waterworks, and historic sculptures, alongside a fragrant rose garden, dramatic rock garden, and a winding hedge maze. A must-see for bibliophiles – it is believed that Jane Austen based her idea of Pemberley, the home of Mr Darcy, on Chatsworth House. As such, Chatsworth served as a backdrop for the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Ashridge House, Hertfordshire
Originally the site of a monastery, then a royal residence for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and now a fairytale wedding venue, Ashridge House is home to 190 acres of grade II registered historic gardens. Humphry Repton, the greatest landscape artist of his day, was commissioned to design the formal gardens, and they remain intact today as the finest surviving example of his work.
The grounds include Italian gardens, the Rosary and Fernery, an herb garden, Lady Bridgewater’s vibrant flower garden, and the Monk’s Garden – which features an armorial design representing the four notable families who have been associated with the property. This summer, from 4 August – 15 September, the creators behind Europe’s largest street art festival, Upfest, will transform these regal gardens into an urban canvas – highlighting the beauty in contrasting old and new.
Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
Distinguished writers Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle in 1930, determined to revitalise the estate (circa 1500s) from its then ruinous state. In the process, they created a series of walled gardens which are now regarded as “the epitome of the English garden”.
Perfect for a summertime visit, in June the fragrant Rose Garden comes into full bloom. Then, in July and August, the Cottage Garden, which is known for its fiery sunset hues, stands in stark contrast to the ethereal White Garden, which shimmers with moonlit planting. Finally, towards the very end of summer, the sunflowers and herbaceous blossoms surge skyward.
RHS Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire
Sitting on the edge of Harrogate, Harlow Carr boasts an impressive 58 acres of gardens and 15 acres of park and woodland. First, visit Streamside, one of the oldest and most iconic areas of the garden, lush with vibrant moisture-loving plants.
Next, stop by the Kitchen Garden, which is packed with local varieties of fruit, vegetables, and herbs, alongside unusual crops used for traditional weaving and dyeing. Then, explore the Sub-Tropicana Garden where winding pathways are surrounded by flowering plants more typically found in the tropics of Asia and South America. This reaches its peak in late summer when exotic salvias, dahlias, gingers, and cannas are in full bloom.
The Topiary Gardens at Levens Hall, Cumbria
The Topiary Garden is probably the best-known feature of this stately home. Dating back to 1694, it holds a Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest topiary garden. Today, visitors can revel in a variety of eccentric geometric shapes and varying hues of greenery.
The garden features giant chess pieces, mushrooms, lopsided lollipops, a toppling wedding cake, four peacocks, an arch named after Queen Elizabeth and her maids of honour – and even amusing contemporary pieces such as Darth Vader and Homer Simpson.
Kew Gardens, Richmond
Housing the world’s most diverse collection of living plants, Kew Gardens is London’s largest Unesco world heritage site. Here you’ll find a massive Victorian glasshouse, showcasing rare tender plants, situated next to a Rose Garden (boasting over 170 different species of the flower).
There’s a Mediterranean Garden bursting with plants from the sun-kissed shores of Southern Europe, as well as a tranquil Japanese Landscape, with an entrance that’s reminiscent of a traditional tea garden. With such a vast botanical collection, spread across 300 acres of land, expect to spend at least three to four hours at Kew Gardens.
