Elton Hall

About the garden

Owned by

Meredyth & Alexandra Proby

Owned by the Proby family, for centuries Elton Hall has sat in extensive parkland leading down to the River Nene. The gardens have expanded from moated grounds to formal gardens and in the early 19th century, they were enlarged to include picturesque views of the park and surrounding woodland. The current layout reflects a combination of modern planting and an Edwardian design. This has produced a stunning flower garden, an orangery, lily pond and immaculate hedging and topiary.   

Winner of the Judges' Choice Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award in 2021, this restoration – which followed several years of neglect – has been overseen by Meredyth Proby. As visitors enter the garden under the late 15th century medieval tower, the lily pond can be glimpsed through waves of generous planting. A wide expanse of lawn, leading past 19th century parterres, takes the visitor to the Box Walk and a series of three different spaces.     

The luxuriant flower garden contains towering clumps of Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. alba, Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’, Thalictrum ‘Elin’ and climbing roses on metal obelisks. These are surrounded by a mass of smaller herbaceous plants. The clipped pinnacles of yew and stunning fountain, designed by Giles Rayner, reflect the crockets on the south façade of the house.       

Small paths lead the visitor to the Orangery, built to celebrate the millennium and home to six fastigate Mediterranean Cypress, citrus trees, many salvias and a wide variety of plants. The path continues to the shrub garden, with its wide array of spring-flowering plants such as Paulownia tomentosa, Amelanchier, Deutzia longifolia ‘Veitchii’ and Philadelphus. The visitor then returns to the house by the Box Walk and main lawn, passing eight large topiary shapes including one of the dog astride a huge yew drum.