Cholmondeley Castle Gardens

Cholmondeley Castle Garden is said by many to be among the most romantically beautiful gardens they have ever seen. Even the wild orchids, daisies and buttercups take on an aura of glamour in this beautifully landscaped setting.

Visitors enter by the deer park mere - one of two strips of water which are home to many types of water fowl and freshwater fish. Those who take advantage of the picnic site can walk round the lake and enjoy the splendid view of the Gothic Castle which stands so dramatically on the hill surrounded by sweeping lawns and magnificent trees; two enormous cedars of lebanon and great spreading oaks among sweet chestnut, lime, beech and plane.

Whatever the season there is always a wealth of plants and shrubs in flower from the earliest bulbs through many varieties of magnolia, camellia, azalea, rhododendrons, followed by a golden canopied laburnum grove, a very fine davidia involucrata in the glade, and varieties of cornus. There is also a very pretty rose garden surrounded by mixed borders, containing a large variety of herbaceous plants and shrubs.

A gravel path from the double herbaceous border leads to a small gate house and thence into the Temple Garden, a delight to wander round, watching the giant Koi carp swimming lazily in the small lake, with access via two rustic bridges to the small islands in the centre.

This garden is enclosed by some fine specimen trees and many varieties of shrubs. It changes dramatically with the seasons. The brilliant spring colours of azaleas rhododendrons being superseded in the summer by the architectural masses of gunnera, peltiphyllum, Royal fern, pampas grasses and great flotillas of waterlilies - some of these groups taking on brilliant autumn colours in September and October.

There is some restrained but interesting planting round the Terrace walls below the Castle and on the Terrace itself, which was laid out in the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. This leads on to the paved terrace above the lily pond which leads to the private loggia and swimming pool.

The gift shop leads of this terrace and is sited in the basement of the Castle. A short walk from the very popular tea-room (producing a variety of home-made fare) takes you to the paddocks where you will see rare breeds of farm animals.

Young and old alike are entertained by African pygmy goats climbing up and down the circular steps of the goat tower - inquisitive llamas, shetland ponies with foals and varieties of sheep, pigs and cattle.