Haddon Hall’s Elizabethan walled gardens are a rare survival of the 16th century. Renowned for their beauty, structure and views, the gardens are arranged in a series of terraces, retained by enormous buttresses, that cascade down to the River Wye with seemingly endless views over the ancient parkland and Peak District National Park beyond.
The Gardens, originally designed by the celebrated Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson, have an ancient feeling to them. Beautifully carved edging stones are softened by colour-filled herbaceous planting and interlaced with walkways, lawns and topiary.
Arne Maynard, an internationally celebrated garden designer, was commissioned to redesign the Fountain and Bowling Green Terraces. Taking inspiration from Haddon’s tapestries, as well as the Elizabethans’ love of plants, Arne has created a deeply romantic garden experience that captures the spirit of the Hall and breathes new life into its unique gardens. He has created a paradise of wildflower meadow borders punctuated with hornbeam and beech topiary; a knot garden that frames jewel-like plants introduced by Elizabethan explorers; and has broadened and updated the borders, incorporating a wonderful palette of roses as well as plants used by the Elizabethans for natural dyes, remedies and tinctures.
Below you can read, in Arne’s own words, about his collaboration with Haddon Hall and his reimagining of the gardens here. The extract is taken from The Gardens of Arne Maynard, published by Merrell, London & New York merrellpublishers.com