Secret gardens

Visitors enjoy Seaton Delaval Hall's laburnum arch | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Follow a winding path to a concealed doorway and step through it into a secret garden. Find out which of the places we care for have hidden treasures, quirky hideaways and rediscovered trails to explore.

Blickling Estate, Norfolk: You're going to have to look hard to find the secret garden among Blickling's 55 acres. We'll give you some clues though – it's in the wilderness area, surrounded on three sides by a beech hedge. You'll know you've found it when you see the little summer house.Visit Blickling's garden
Bodnant Garden, Conwy: Bodnant's peaceful setting was used as a location for the filming of The Secret Garden (2020), so if you're looking for tucked-away treasures to discover, this may be the ideal place for you.Visit Bodnant Garden
Croft Castle, Herefordshire: Step through a brick archway and discover the walled garden and working vineyard within it at Croft Castle. Follow the paths and take in the sweeping borders packed with vegetables, fruit and salad. Look out for the restored 1914 glasshouse too.Visit Croft Castle's garden
Crook Hall Gardens, Durham: Explore the interconnected plots at Crook Hall, each with their own unique charm. Discover formal areas, cottage gardens with roses, a moat pool with water lilies and a maze. Find a quiet bench to enjoy it all from.Visit Crook Hall's garden

Visitors exploring the Formal garden at Bodnant Garden, Conwy, Wales | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Killerton, Devon: The garden at Killerton is full of hidden gems. There’s a secret rock garden, a hut that was once home to a real bear cub and an old ice house. Follow the winding paths to historic ruins and test your den-building skills beneath the canopy of Park Wood.Visit Killerton's garden
Mottistone Gardens and Estate, Isle of Wight: Pass through the old stone archway at Mottistone and follow winding paths down to Oak Corner where you'll find a weeping lime tree and pruned archways. There are also hidden benches for soaking up the views down to the sea, and a tiny 1930s ‘shack’ filled with delights.Visit Mottistone's garden
Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, County Londonderry: Created in the 18th century for the ‘Earl Bishop’ Frederick Hervey, Downhill’s Bishop's Gate Gardens has only been unearthed in recent years. The semi-woodland glade with its mini walled garden is a fun hideaway for curious explorers.Visit the garden at Mussenden Temple
Nymans, West Sussex: With its walled gardens, hidden statues and colourful planting, Nymans is just how you would imagine a secret garden to look. Search for the giant redwood tree, play hide and seek in the topiary or test your balancing skills on the wooden stepping stones.Visit Nymans's garden
Overbeck's Garden, Devon: Built on terraces, the secret space at Overbeck's Garden is full of twists, turns and unexpected views. It includes a maze-like parterre you can view from above and will appeal to the explorers in your party.Visit the garden at Overbeck's

Visitors in the garden at Speke Hall, Liverpool | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland: Seaton Delaval Hall features formal parterre gardens with manicured lawns, topiary and seasonal flowers. Within them are the historic Vanbrugh landscape and the peaceful privy garden if you need a quiet moment to yourself.Visit Seaton Delaval Hall's garden
Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent: Sissinghurst is a garden of secrets, with hidden spaces and clever design that encourages you to explore further. Garden rooms open onto one another through gaps in hedges and doorways in old stone walls. See if you can find fountains, statues, urns and ponds hidden amongst the plants and trees.Visit Sissinghurst's garden
Speke Hall, Liverpool: This garden is a hidden oasis in the north-west corner of Speke Hall's grounds. It's accessed via a narrow tunnel at one end and a winding path at the other. The stream running through it makes the secret garden a haven for wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled for birds and frogs in particular. One of the highlights is a rare Wollemi pine or 'dinosaur tree', which was previously thought to be extinct.Visit Speke Hall's garden
Stowe Gardens, Buckinghamshire: The Lamport Garden at Stowe had been untouched for almost 200 years until it was reopened in 2013. It’s more like an overgrown woodland or a wilderness than a garden, with huge gnarled trees, mossy areas, cascades and rock pools. Enter through an old wooden door in a wall and imagine you’ve walked into a fairy tale.Visit Stowe's garden
Wallington, Northumberland: The walled garden at Wallington is hidden at the edge of the woods, behind Neptune’s Gate. This unexpected gem often surprises visitors. Surrounded by a high wall, it's a very unusual size and shape for a walled garden. You can't see it all in one go and it seems to unfold as you walk through it.Visit Wallington's garden

View of the lake with Palladian bridge and Pantheon in the distance in spring at Stourhead, Wiltshire

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