“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
The lure of a secret garden is as strong now as it was when Frances Hodgson Burnett first published The Secret Garden over a century ago.
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s fictional garden at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire was inspired by Great Maytham Hall in Kent, which she rented from 1898 to 1907, restoring its early-18th-century walled garden by planting hundreds of roses.
Over my five years in England, what I’ve discovered is there are more gardens to explore than even know where to begin. I have an entirely new appreciation for what it means to tend to and care for a garden.
So if your passion is simply for the beauty of nature assembled in an orderly fashion – and the peace and tranquility that you would normally expect to find therein – there are plenty of beautiful country gardens to be found across the UK that don’t cost the earth, won't involve you dusting off your Sunday best, or require hours of queueing. Here are some of my favorite secret gardens.
Easton Walled Garden, Lincolnshire
I only learned of this garden recently. To my surprise, it wasn’t far from me. At the time of my first visit, lockdown restrictions were just being eased after months of being confined to our homes. I welcomed a road trip to explore a new place. The history behind this garden is worth learning about.
July is the best month to view the sweet peas, of which they have a wide variety growing. I also loved their kitchen garden as well as their cut flower garden.
The second time I visited, it was wet, misty, and moody. The flowers were heavy with water which made for wonderful photographs. Though they’re now closed for the season, I look forward to my return in the spring.
“a dream of Nirvana...almost too good to be true.” - President Franklin D Roosevelt
SITE INFORMATION
Easton Walled Gardens
Easton
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG33 5AP
01476 530063
The Courtyard Shop at Easton will be opening Wednesday to Sunday from 14th October to 20th December, 10 am - 4 pm for Christmas shopping & gardening gifts.
Rousham Garden, Cotswolds
Tucked away on the edge of The Cotswolds sits the elegant yet understated Rousham House & Gardens. Rousham is one of the purest examples of an Augustan landscape garden, designed by William Kent in the 1720s. As you make your way along narrow single-track lanes winding through sleepy villages, it’s easy to miss the turn into this unassuming estate. Slowly driving up the tree-lined road, rare long-horn cattle graze in the nearby pasture.
First, you’re not sure if you’re permitted to enter through the stately archway where chickens free-range like they own the place. There’s no one to see you to the car park or usher you to a ticket counter.
Ready to explore you set off in search of a path or signs to point you in a direction. The impressive house stands at attention; it has a presence of its own. Watchful. Passive. It can’t be bothered.
So far, nothing holds your attention beyond the occupying statues. As you round the backside of the house, the path stops. A tunnel through the hedge appears. Of course, you’re drawn to this space. At first, you are captivated by the twisted limb in the hedge.
And then.. a towering brick ivy-covered wall and an ornate faded iron gate come into view. Is it unlocked? Pushing open the gate you’ve transformed into Mary Lennox discovering her Secret Garden. Pushing past the gate, summer’s bounty reveals herself in splendid glory. Welcoming you into her fold.
“Rousham is restful, spacious, time-worn, and beautifully paced. Whatever season you visit, the garden always reveals something afresh. It is a magical landscape, an exercise in restraint and classical narrative, where anything seems possible. It has been hugely influential.” - Dan Pearson, garden and landscape designer
SITE INFORMATION
Rousham Gardens is open to visitors every day of the year from 10 am with the last entrance at 4:30 pm. The cost is £8 per person via a ticket machine by the car park. Children under 15 are not allowed, but picnicking is. There is no gift shop or tea room. There are public toilets available.
Children under 15 will not be admitted unless by prior arrangement. No dogs are allowed in the gardens.
Rousham House and Garden
Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 4QU
Tel 01869 347110
Belvoir Castle Duchess Rose Garden, Rutland
Belvoir Castle is located in the county of Rutland; the castle is home to a lovely 19th century rose garden known as the Duchess Garden. In the Victorian days, it was known as the Spring Gardens due to the natural springs in the hills surrounding the castle. The roses seen today were planted by Emma, the current Duchess of Rutland.
On the day we visited, there was hardly a soul around. It left us to imagine we lived in the castle and were roaming the garden as if it were our own. We happened to visit when the roses were at their best. The scent was intoxicating as we wandered the footpaths that led us around the garden. Had we more time, we’d spent time exploring the expansive grounds.
The original garden plans drawn up by Harold Peto have only recently been rediscovered in the Castle archives. These reveal that the Rose Garden is shaped like a boat, with the Chinese horse at the bow, and the circular seat at the stern – classic hallmarks of Peto.
The roses you’ll see in the garden today were planted by Emma, the current Duchess of Rutland. And if you look over the low yew hedge, you’ll see two box parterres with the initials ‘D’ and ‘E’ in the middle, for ‘David’ (the 11th and current Duke) and ‘Emma’.
SITE INFORMATION
Castle Open – 11am – 4pm, Last Entry 3pm. Book your ticket before arrival to guarantee entry into the grounds.
Grantham, Leicestershire, England, NG32 1PD
Entrance fee Adult Castle and Gardens £15.00, Gardens only £8.00
Castle Abbey Garden, Northamptonshire
The roads leading the Castle Ashby wind you over rivers, across open fields until soon you see the stately home perched on the hillside hidden behind the trees. You continue through the little village until you find yourself flanked by hedgerows guiding you towards the home. Castle Ashby is the home to the son of the 7th Marquess of Northamptonshire.
Crossing the cattle gate, a sweeping panorama of the grand estate dotted with sheep beckons you to stop and take in the view. A long avenue lined with shady oak trees brings you to a car park outside the tall brick garden walls.
A simple tea room greets you at the garden entrance, complete with a patio for picnicking in the sun. Following a winding gravel path, you come to a wooden gate. Approaching the landing, you catch your first glimpse of this enchanting space. Like Cinderella cascading down the grand staircase to join a fancy party, you are transformed at this moment, like you’ve entered another story. You’ve left your old life for another.
The extensive gardens are a combination of several styles including the romantic Italian gardens, and an impressive arboretum. A menagerie filled with rascally meerkats provides entertainment for restless children and a butterfly house, where in the summer months, bursts with vibrant hues of pink, red, and purple fuchsia.
The crown jewel of the garden is the ornate Italian Orangery. Built in 1872, the Orangery is the centerpiece of this enchanting landscape. One step inside, warm air envelops you, and your gaze lifts with the towering trees and decorative architecture. Your senses aroused with the sound of the pond and the scent of damp earth. At the heart, the orangery houses a large central pond, stocked with fish and water lilies. It is best experienced when no one else is around. You can linger and dream to your heart’s content.
You could spend endless hours wandering the enchanting grounds and garden of Castle Ashby. With each turn, a new scene to step into. No matter the season, there is always a reason to return.
SITE INFORMATION
You can find up-to-date ticket prices and prebook your tickets here. There is a tea room where you can purchase food and drinks. Or pack a picnic to enjoy somewhere on the grounds. Directions here.
Evenley Wood Garden, Northamptonshire
Set amongst the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside, this 60-acre privately owned woodland garden is truly one of the most enchanting places I’ve visited.
The garden's unusual band of acid soil, in this otherwise predominantly alkaline area, provides the opportunity to cultivate plants such as rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias, which would not ordinarily thrive in this location.
Carpets of named snowdrops in February run into wonderful spring bulbs and the garden's 800m long Scilla 'stream', as the garden jumps into life. Some 100 magnolias follow and are later joined by the first flush of new leaves, rhododendrons, and azaleas. In the summer, over 300 roses and 150 lilies emerge, including Lilium 'Evenley Jane', which was developed and propagated on site. As the season slows down, a wonderful display of autumn colors can be seen in the leaf, bark, seeds, and berries of the garden's plant collection, ranging from beautiful rustic oranges and fiery reds to greens, gold, and brown. Collections of particular notes in the garden include oak, pear, apple, maple, and what is possibly the largest collection of euonymus in Europe. These sit alongside hardy bulb collections including lilies, spanning all hybrid types, scillas, and snowdrops.
SITE INFORMATION
Evenley
Northamptonshire
NN13 5SH
garden@evenleywoodgarden.co.uk
Open daily from 1st February to 22nd December 2022
Everyday 10 am – 4 pm
Admission: Adults £7.50 / Child 4-16 £1
Iford Manor Garden, Wiltshire
Tucked away at the bottom of a tranquil valley, just 15 minutes from Bath, a visit to the romantic, award-winning, Grade I listed Iford Manor Garden is like no other. Famed Edwardian landscape designer Harold Peto designed the unique, Italianate gardens when Iford Manor was his home, from 1899 to 1933. Drawing inspiration from his travels all around the world, the garden blends Italian, Byzantine, Ancient Roman, and Oriental garden designs together with architecture and classical sculpture.
Over the past 50 years today’s owners, the Cartwright-Hignett family, have lovingly restored the garden and continued to develop it, finishing the Oriental Garden area, extending the woodland walks, and redesigning areas of the garden as they age, 100 years after Peto’s original plantings. Head Gardener Troy Scott Smith (previously Head Gardener at Sissinghurst) has been working closely with the family to achieve this.
Paths twist and turn around ancient statues, columns, terraces, and architecture which, combined with ebullient planting schemes, draw you on in anticipation of the next delight. After each step a new view is revealed, allowing visitors to marvel at the clever nature and beauty of the design. Steeped in history and located on the last hill of the Cotswolds, with the Wiltshire/ Somerset border running through the garden itself, visitors often say a visit to Iford Manor Garden is like stepping into another, timeless world.
Regularly providing design inspiration to many, the garden was recently featured in the film, The Secret Garden (2020). A visit to Iford Manor Gardens should leave you feeling refreshed, uplifted, and inspired.
SITE INFORMATION
Iford Manor
nr. Bradford on Avon
Wiltshire, BA15 2BA
info@ifordmanor.co.uk
1st April to 30th September
Weds-Sun & Bank Hol Mons:
11:00 - 16:00 (Last entry at 15:30)
Adult: £7.50; Concession: £6.50
Advance booking of entry tickets is recommended to guarantee entry. Tickets will be available to book online from early 2022. 2022 Membership - £40
David Austin Rose Center, Wolverhampton
Visiting David Austin Rose Center is a dream. The rose-scented air is sweet and heady. We missed not visiting last year due to the lockdown.. welcomed the return. Each year I discover new roses like Teasing Georgia which smells of ripe peaches. My son liked Poets Wife. My daughter discovered a rose that smells of honeysuckle after the rain. I love the one named after my favorite poem, The Lady of Shallot.
When you visit, make sure to prebook. The entrance is free. Go first thing in the morning before the crowds in order to wander the gardens to yourself. I adore the tea room with the roses wallpapering the garden wall .. you feel embraced by them. Plus love the lovely rose-patterned china they serve your tea in.
When you are in the area, you need to make sure to add a visit to the National Trust Victorian House: Wightwick Manor. A Pre-Raphaelite meets William Morris’s dream home! I could easily spend hours wandering this stunning space.. a true feast for the eyes.
SITE INFORMATION
David Austin Roses, Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton, Shropshire, WV7 3HB
OPEN DAILY 9am - 5pm
Free to visit
Phone: 0800 111 4699
Email: plantcentre@davidaustinroses.co.uk
Coton Manor Garden, Northamptonshire
Bluebells, a wildflower meadow, a great cafe, and the most surprising birds (I won’t spoil it for you) are among the highlights of this garden. The 16th-century manor (house not open) rests in a quiet village between Northampton and Rugby. May’s highlights include the wisteria-draped manor house and the wood garden, a five-acre bluebell walk from the end of the garden, but a visit is worthwhile in any month.
In August, roses were still blooming in the orchard, where fruit trees provided shade for the sun-drowsy kunekune pigs. Follow the sound of water from a natural spring to find the water garden and its woodland plantings. Besides pigs and birds, there are long-horned cattle and wonderful views to the hills beyond, while the tea room and extensive nursery are destinations in themselves.
Coton Manor Garden, near Guilsborough, Northamptonshire NN6 8RQ
Friday 1st April – Saturday 1st October
TUESDAY to SATURDAY: 11.30 am – 5.00 pm
Closed on Sundays and Mondays – except Bank Holiday weekends
ADMISSION
Adults: £9.00
Children: £3.50 (ages 5–17; under 5’s have free entry)
Group Bookings: groups comprising 15 or more visitors, £8.00 per person
