English country garden enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that the Lake District plays host to some spectacular horticulture.
Country gardens in the Lake District call to mind images of Wordsworth’s daffodils or the area’s renowned landscape architects. There are numerous classic English gardens to explore here. On a glorious day out in the Lake District, there can be no better pastime than wandering through their delights. And Cumbria has some of the finest examples of garden design in the country.
With landscape architects of the calibre of Thomas Mawson, Guillaume Beaumont and even William Wordsworth himself, you will find yourself spoilt for choice. Here’s a selection of the best English gardens in the Lake District.
Run by the Lakeland Horticultural Society, Holehird Gardens is a fellside English garden spread across 10 acres. It’s a beautiful spot for a picnic and walk around the grounds. Holehird is one of the most popular gardens in the Lake District because it overlooks Windermere and is an excellent viewpoint to take in the surrounding fells. It features specimen trees and shrubs, a colourful walled garden, a lake, extensive rock and heather gardens, alpine houses and several national collections of plant species.
Originally a commission of garden designer Thomas Mawson, the restoration of this Lake District garden to its former glory is down to the expert hands of the society and its volunteers. It was a Royal Horticultural Society Garden of the year finalist in 2022.
Open throughout the year from dawn until dusk, visitor entry is by donations and children have free admission. From May to September, every Wednesday morning at 11:00am there is a guided walk through this famous Lake District garden. There are some great English garden trails for children to follow too.
The classic English garden at Brockhole is another Thomas Mawson exemplar, on which he collaborated with Dan Gibson. This Lake District garden features a series of terraces down to the lakeside with pretty flowerbeds, herbaceous borders, woodland and wildflower meadows. And the flower beds benefit from their own irrigation system via Victorian era tanks which collect rain water from the Orangery. From the top terrace of this English country garden, you can take in the sweeping views of the Langdales and surrounding fells.
Brockhole garden plays host to an array of plant species from across the globe. And there’s nothing quite like a seasonal walk, whether it’s to see the first spring snowdrops and bluebells or the changing light of an autumnal evening.
With a games lawn, kitchen garden and jetty on to Windermere, there's plenty to see and do. There's a pay and display car park, or you can get to the gardens by bus or better still by boat with Windermere Lake Cruises.
Rydal Mount was Wordsworth’s home and he often said the grounds were his office. Indeed, tucked away from the house and overlooking Windermere and Rydal Water, he built his ‘writing hut’ for inspiration.
The Wordsworth family were all keen gardeners. They created a large lawn bordered with flowering shrubs west of the house with four terraces, including Dora’s Terrace, above the lawn. There are rare shrubs and, in season, the daffodils, bluebells and rhododendrons produce a spectacular display of colour. Dora’s Terrace was named after Wordsworth’s daughter, as was Dora’s Field. When Wordsworth fell out with his landlady, Lady Anne le Fleming of Rydal Hall, he anticipated having to leave Rydal. So he bought land next to the house, intending to build on it. However, he patched up his differences and scrapped his building plans. When Dora died, he and his wife Mary, planted Dora’s Field with daffodils in remembrance.
Rydal Mount garden is open daily from 30 March to 30 September from 9:30am to 5pm. From 1 October to 30 March, opening times are shorter: 10:30am to 4pm except on Fridays when it is closed.
If you love topiary gardens, this is the place to visit for a Lake District day trip. With over 100 pieces clipped in unusual designs, Levens Hall has the oldest and most extensive topiary garden in the world. The French designer Guillaume Beaumont established the garden. It was essentially as a late-Renaissance (Baroque) parterre featuring mainly hedges and small topiary pieces. But there is so much more to see in the garden which retains many 17th century features whilst also embracing contemporary plantings.
Early in the season, beneath the topiary and the orchard trees, tulips, daisies and pansies feature in abundance and vibrancy. In summer a further 20,000 home-grown season flowers burst forth in glorious, co-ordinated hues. From mid-summer the rose garden is a spectacle not to be missed.
This English country garden is open from late March to early October, Sunday to Friday 10am to 5pm.
Some of Thomas Mawson’s finest work is found in the Lake District where he was commissioned to lay out 20 major gardens in the Victorian and Edwardian era.
Graythwaite Hall garden was one of his first designs. Designed in the arts and crafts style, it remains true to Mawson’s vision – a mix of formal and informal areas across twelve acres.The formal gardens have yew hedges in good company with sundials and gates designed by local architect Dan Gibson. The daffodil field has maple trees and an arboretum planted to commemorate family births and marriages. In spring the rhododendrons, azaleas and shrubs are described as a ‘riot of colour’.
Another Lake District day trip for garden lovers is a visit to Rydal Hall. Just a stone’s throw from Wordsworth’s former abode, the grand 19th century Rydal Hall gardens cover 34 acres. The grounds include the elegant Thomas Mawson-designed formal Italianate gardens to the front of the hall.
The surrounding woodland has a sculpture path, ponds, a waterfall and a restored grade II listed ‘Grot’ dating back to the mid-1600s. An early 19th century woodland path leads to the Community Vegetable Garden set in the Old Walled Kitchen Garden. The orchard boasts 30 northern varieties of apple dating back to the 1850s and a plethora of flowers and vegetables. The gardens are open throughout the year with free entry or via donations towards maintenance.
Another famous Lake District garden lies within the 23 acres of Holker Hall. Springtime displays in particular bring a spectrum of colours. The rhododendrons, magnolias, tulips and daffodils are a sight to see in full bloom.
The Elliptical Gardens with neat hedges and layout follow the vogue of the 1700s, in contrast to the Cascade which was built in the 1980s. You can take your time to explore this beautiful English country garden and a Lake District day trip here is well worth the time. Walk down between the topiary Sphinxes into the summer garden with its well-kept lawns and herbaceous borders. Discover the sunken garden too, with its terracing and semi-circular stone structure. The Holker Hall gardens include some rare plant species too, plus a nationally renowned collection of Styracaceae. There is also a labyrinth and wildflower meadow to explore.
And when you’ve spent the day exploring some of the best English country gardens in the Lake District, why not book in for a traditional afternoon tea at Low Wood Bay?
With wonderful views over Windermere to the Lakeland fells, it serves several varieties of tea and a delicious selection of sandwiches and cakes. There’s also the resort’s ever popular savoury alternative afternoon tea. Champagne can be added for the perfect end to a day on the lawns of an English country garden.
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