Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens

About the garden

Owned by

The Hasell family

The family home to the Hasells since 1679, Dalemain is a beautiful mixture of Mediaeval, Tudor and Georgian, situated in a landscape of rolling parkland, lakes and rugged Cumbrian hills; forming part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First and foremost this is a plantsman’s garden with a national-standard collection of plants, including the breadth and depth of the herbaceous border, over 200 old-fashioned roses (June to July), the magnificent silver fir with the largest girth in the UK, the beautiful Himalayan blue poppies Meconopsis ‘Dalemain’ (May to June) and a carpet of snowdrops, aconites then daffodils (from February to April).

Secondly, different fashions and architectural styles in horticulture echo around the space, from the Elizabethan Knot Garden, to the herbaceous border, the vistas from the walled gardens, and the wild garden drawing from the work of William Robinson. The setting looks out to the high Lake District fells.

Thirdly, Dalemain is a garden of imagination and magic. A topiary dragon stands guard over the lower garden, while an earth giant is lulled to sleep by Dacre Beck. Through a door from the brightness of the formal garden is Lobb’s Wood, a leafy, green wild woodland. It is also the home of the Stumpery, made from 200-year-old oak trees. There is also the Animal Garden, with animal-themed plants such as hedgehog holly, foxgloves, snake bark maple, hare’s ear and many more.

The garden is well known for having won the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award in 2013. Gardening Which? has also placed Dalemain’s Historic Garden in the top ten gardens of Northern Britain. Those who visit will find a place of peace, tranquillity and an unparalleled beauty, leaving you wanting to visit again.