The Topiary Garden

A large topiary snail guards the entrance to the car-park. Visitors approach the house along a pleached lime-walk and pass through a wicket-gate set in a zig-zag hedge of yew, which suggests the old idea of a maze.

Animal Topiary

Here can be seen a variety of box and yew shrubs trimmed into shapes of amusing animals and birds, some forming part of a 'topiary theatre'. In the summer months, colouful parterres and a brilliant display of hollyhocks complete the picturesque scene, painted by many artists.

The Terrace Garden

Hidden behind the high 'rampart' hedge of yew, and glimpsed through a wide stone arch, is the Terrace Garden, with its herbaceous borders and rose-beds. A mysterious ivy-clad pergola known as the 'Monks' Walk' can be entered through a tunnel of yew. This garden is occasionally used for open-air performances and private functions.

The 'Secret Garden'

Crossing a wooden bridge, visitors immediately see the massive 140 ft fruit wall, which borders the original Victorian vegetable garden with its potting shed, now our Rural Museum. A door in the wall leads to the former heated 'pineapple' pits and herbaceous borders.

The Jubilee Rose Garden

On guided tours, visitors can wander through the Jubilee Rose Garden and the Terracotta Garden to the rare Victorian Circular Orchard and Woodland Walk.