Gardens at Castle Durrow

History of the Garden at Castle Durrow

300 years ago the garden was started by the Flower family. The garden at Castle Durrow has been designed to stroll in, have picnics and enjoy the beautiful flowers. The pleasure garden area was planted with specimen trees that are now in their full glory.

A very large box plant, nearly 12 feet high, a monkey puzzle tree, the height of fashion when planted and many more beautiful trees.

Behind the walled garden was the Dutch border, filled with narcissi and tulips, especially in the spring time it was a colourful border.

Castle Durrow in its Current Form

After the Ashbrook Family left, the garden fell into a period of neglect until the Castle was opened as a hotel and restaurant in 2000 by the Stokes family. The gardens are a work in progress, years of renovations and restoration with the end nowhere in sight. In its present form Castle Durrow’s garden is a mature, charming and very beautiful garden. With 50 acres of lush lawns, colourful borders, green parkland, wild forest, meandering river and plentiful orchards. With each season, the gardens change and grow, giving each visit a unique feel.

Masses of bulbs in springtime, going up the tree lined avenue and in the walled garden.

A Haven for Connoisseurs and Amateurs, our Gardens are, like the Hotel they surround, divided into Rooms each with their own Identity, Feel and Character. At the Back of the House, Follow Your Nose and Walk up the Steps into our Courtyard room, filled with hundreds of fragrant David Austin Roses. From Here Step into the Walled Garden, where Some of the areas are Decorated Picturesque ,like the Orchard, Filled with Old Fruit Trees and Inhabited by Our Duck Family and the Chickens. Others areas are very grand, like our Sunken Garden with the canal and its Ornamental Pots and Statues.

Via the Main Corridor with its Majestic Blue and Pink Hued Borders, you step into the Foodie Room, our Kitchen Garden, it's Produce handpicked daily by our Award Winning Head Chef, Graham Gallagher. Follow the meandering path by the recently Restored Ha-Ha flanked by spring, summer and autumn bulbs, towards the Victorian Grotto. The pleasure garden is where historically the gardeners would have planted the specimen trees. We have started to plant oak here again after many years.