Somerleyton Hall Garden

About the garden

Owned by

Lord and Lady Somerleyton

The gardens at Somerleyton Hall are renowned for their wide variety of splendid specimen trees, combined with sweeping lawns, formal gardens, majestic statuary and original Victorian features, including an aviary and 229ft-long pergola covered in wisteria, roses and vines.

Within the walled gardens are two ridge and furrow glasshouses designed by Joseph Paxton and just beyond are two working Paxton Peach Cases, which still have peaches and nectarines growing in them. The main walled garden contains new borders filled with collections of botanically interesting and rare plants and a 229ft border filled with more than 150 large/giant Hosta cultivars. New hedging has been added to create ‘rooms’ and the paths redone. It also contains a double herbaceous border designed by Xa Tollemache,  providing colour throughout the season and plants that attract bees and butterflies.

The walled kitchen garden has been remodelled and now features a central herb garden surrounded by parterre with new individual cut flower beds on both sides.

The gardens are home to one of the finest yew hedge mazes, planted in 1846. The formal garden to the west of the hall was originally laid out in 1846 by William Nesfield. It was redesigned in 2012 by garden historian George Carter, who reinterpreted Nesfield's original plan to design the current box parterre and central fountain. The sunken garden, designed by Verity Hanson-Smith, is now a beautiful white garden.

The gardens also host a jungle garden,and rose garden with more than 1,000 roses. Plants are available to buy as well.