Things to see in the gardens at Nostell

Looking down the long spring flower borders with the back of the fountain statue in the foreground — The joyful spring borders at Nostell | © Paul C Dunn

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.

The gardens in spring

Enjoy a spectacle of cheerful spring daffodils, vibrant tulips and bright magenta cyclamen as the gardens burst into colour.

Fill your lungs and enjoy some aromatherapy on a breezy day, courtesy of the swathes of hyacinths which give off a sweet scent and paint the long straight borders a deep shade of purple.

Take a peek in the pond under the statue in the rose garden from mid-March to spot signs of new frog life before heading down to the bottom of the kitchen garden to see new shoots, including the bright green leaves of the first rhubarb.

Stretch your legs with a walk to through the enchanting menagerie garden at the other side of the lake and prepare yourself for a springtime spectacle of pink-and-white magnolia blooms overhead and underfoot. Find a bench and wait a while to enjoy the spring bird song.

Blossom watch

As the days slowly extend, blossom opens, and pollinators get busy. Different types of blossom appear over spring, starting in early March with our sweet almond tree ‘Robijn’ leading the way. As the season progresses, watch out for the beautiful spring-time blooms of cherry, pear and apple blossom.

Join in with the excitement of the season and share your photographs using #BlossomWatch

Blossom in the gardens at Nostell in the foreground and Orangery in the background — The blossom trees are alive with the buzz of pollinators | © Paul Harris

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 and colourful birds.

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.