Route: Hampton Court Castle Gardens
Area: Herefordshire
Date of walk: 28th July 2022
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.0 miles
Weather: Grey skies
Hampton Court Castle (not to be confused with Hampton Court Palace in Surrey) dates back to 1427 and is nearly 100 years older than the latter. The estate is privately owned and the castle has been the subect of a major restoration program. We were here to visit the gardens today. On arrival visitors are given a useful plan of the grounds and gardens, so I’ve not added the usual route map
We wandered around the beautifully maintained gardens which were full of interest. The Wisteria Arch was no longer in flower, but the South Garden with its island pavilions and the Dutch Garden with its canal lined with pots of agapanthus were looking superb. We entered the maze, consisting of 1,000 yew trees and managed (eventually) to find our way to the entrance to the Gothic Tower. Having admired the view from the top of the tower we descended down a staircase to a tunnel which leads out to a pond and waterfall, a magical area where it’s possible to follow a narrow path behind the falls
Lastly we visited the South Lawns where there are some ancient trees in the surrounding parkland. A River Walk leads from here but we had insufficient time as we’d booked an appointment to see another nearby and well known garden, The Laskett, developed by Sir Roy Strong. We’ve read many positive reviews about this garden and were full of anticipation but in truth it was a disappointment. A hotch potch of extravagant ornaments and other jarring features, a claustrophobic design and the use of cheap modern building materials all detracted from the experience. I’ve since discovered a review which echoes my thoughts, read here if of interest
Not to worry, the visit to Hampton Court Castle had greatly exceeded our anticipation and more than compensated for the disappointment which followed. The gardens here are wonderful and are well worth seeing at any time during the gardening season
Click on the icon below for a general location map
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We enter into Hampton Court Castle Garden
The South Garden
The twin Island Pavilions in the South Garden which can be admired from all angles...
The Dutch Garden, with pots of agapanthus at their peak
Herbaceous borders in the South Garden...
Having entered The Maze we manage to locate the entrance to the Gothic Tower at its centre
View of Hampton Court Castle from the top of the tower
Looking down to the maze, consisting of 1,000 yew trees...
We descend the stairs in the Gothic Tower and follow a tunnel...
...which emerges into the Sunken Garden
It's possible to walk behind the waterfall
We re-enter the South Garden via the wisteria arch, which is now past its flowering time
We make our way back to the entrance
The end of a wonderful garden visit, and the end of our short stay in Herefordshire
