Why see it?

The beautiful Sunken garden was planted in 1908, transforming part of the gardens occupied by potting sheds into a tranquil ornamental garden of classical proportions.

It was modelled on a similar garden at Hampton Court Palace and celebrated a style of gardening seen in the 18th century.

About the garden?

The garden is terraced with paving and ornamental flower beds, surrounding an ornamental pond with fountains formed from reused 18th century water cisterns retrieved from the palace.

Today, the garden continues the tradition of rotational flower displays in the spring and summer. Vibrant colours and exotic planting are on display from April to October when the garden is looking its best.

In the spring, tulips, wallflowers and pansies bloom, while in the summer months, geraniums, cannas, begonias and much more provide the colour.

The garden was originally surrounded by an arched arbour of red-twigged lime known as the Cradle Walk, with arched viewpoints from which to gaze upon the central sunken garden.

The Cradle Walk flourished until 1987 when it was cut back after the Great Storm of 16th October, then eventually cut down in 1988.

Restoration of Cradle Walk

Work is now completed to refurbish the Cradle Walk and recreate the covered walkway, to return the garden to its original glory.
The trees have been coppiced or stooled, meaning that they have been cut back to the ground. This preserves the original tree stock and allows new stems to be trained over the new framework of the bower.
The walkway has also been re-surfaced with a new type of resin bonded surface in a brown shade. In addition, the steps have been preserved but covered over to allow wheelchair access around the garden.