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Things to see in the gardens at Nostell

Looking over towards Druids bridge in the gardens at Nostell
Late summer colour at Druid's Bridge | © Tanya Hepplewhite

Pause for a while and enjoy the sound of birdsong and the seasonal blooms in the gardens at Nostell. Take a stroll by the lake, explore the woodland play area or see what's growing in the kitchen garden.

Experience nature's epic seasonal display of gold, amber and crimson across the woodlands and gardens this autumn.

Visit the kitchen garden as we harvest more than 100 different herbs, vegetables and fruits including apples and pumpkins. Some of the autumn bounty is destined for the cafe and some will be put out on the stand in the courtyard for you to take home for a small donation.

See the last flurry of summer alongside the beginnings of autumn with the crisp, fallen leaves in the ancient woodland. As well as the stunning tree colour, there are treasures to be found on the ground as conkers, acorns and beechnuts ripen and fall.

Autumn is prime time to spot woodland fungi – as natural recyclers they benefit the trees and the soil. As you venture through the woodland, watch out for yellow brain fungus, scarlet elf cups, bracket fungus and chicken of the woods.

Family walking through the orchard in the gardens at Nostell
Winding through the orchard on a Summer's day | © Annapurna Mellor

Rose garden and orangery

Beside the cool white walls of the orangery, you'll find plenty of places to pause and enjoy this tranquil space. Look out for the spectacular climbing 'Iceberg' rose which spans the entire length of the 100-metre red-brick wall leading along to the orchard and Rhubarb Row.

You'll also find the rose garden fountain, a witness to tales from generations past and a vessel for coins cast in search of wishes, now catching the light on bright sunny days.

Kitchen garden and orchard

Nostell’s working kitchen garden is lovingly tended to by the garden team who look after more than 100 crops in the peaceful walled garden.

The growing espalier of rare heritage pear trees bordering the orchard's wildflower paths and peaceful benches are inspired by the original Georgian grand plans by garden designer and author of The Practical Fruit Gardener, Stephen Switzer.

It realises part of Switzer's 1731 blueprint never previously liberated from the drawing board, in part due to a change in fashion towards a more natural landscaping approach. The team now use carefully sourced rare plants nurtured in the national Plant Conservation Centre.

children playing in the woodland play area at Nostell
Bouncing and wobbling in the woodland play area | © Annapurna Mellor

Woodland adventure play area

Turn left as you enter the gardens and head on past the kitchen garden to discover the woodland adventure play area which is great for a wide range of ages. Little ones will enjoy the slide, swings and spinning cups. The wobble bridges, and zip-wire and Queen swing are loved by children of all ages.

Menagerie garden

Through the gothic archway lies the historic menagerie garden, within stone walls and beneath a woodland canopy. The garden was created in 1743 and is still home to flora and fauna nurtured by past residents.

It bears traces of the animals who once lived within yards of humans in the now abandoned menagerie house, designed by Robert Adam, and on a quiet morning you can almost hear the distant chatter of monkeys, colourful birds and the roar of the famous lioness.

Pleasure Gardens

Sweet chestnuts and oaks form a natural guard of honour for those enjoying a leisurely stroll along the pleasure ground’s circular pathway in the footsteps of the Victorians and Georgians, who would have also seen the Lower Lake sparkling like a jewel on the near horizon.

Behind the Walls - Apothecary Trail

Sabine Winn (1734-1798) was the daughter of a French-Swiss family, who married Rowland Winn, later 5th Baronet and master of Nostell.

Sabine had a keen interest in herbal remedies, medicinal foodstuffs, and cosmetics. In her time at Nostell, she is likely to have used the gardens as a source for natural ingredients for her own recipes and those inherited from her predecessors. She also used the gardens as a place for escape and solace and for her own mental wellbeing.

Designs were in place for a drug room in the stables and an apothecary garden but, unfortunately for Sabine, this work was never completed.

As you meander through the gardens, look out for labels next to some of the herbal plants and discover their medicinal uses.

The exterior of the mansion at Nostell Priory and Parkland on a damp day in winter

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