Discover a park and garden that have changed over time but remain true to their roots, with landscaped pleasure grounds seamlessly surrounded by idyllic parkland.

Whet your appetite with these five highlights from the park & Pleasure Ground:

A revolutionary landscape

© NTPL / Matthew Antrobus

Enjoying Kedleston's outdoors is effortlessly easy. Wander through naturalistic shrubberies, sweeping lawns and meadows, all created by Robert Adam in the mid-18th century when the natural look was all the rage.

The Pleasure Ground that he laid out at the rear of the Hall merges seamlessly with the surrounding parkland thanks to the ha-ha (sunken ditch). It kept livestock out of the garden while allowing uninterrupted views across the parkland.

Flaming June

© National Trust / A Tryner

The best things come in small packets. In 1763, John Sandys, the Kedleston gardener, received a packet of seeds from Sir Nathaniel Curzon containing ‘a scarce Italian Shrub called Rodo Dendrone’.

Kedleston was ahead of its time, this rhododendron was not widely planted in England until Victorian times. You can still admire spectacular displays of rhododendrons and azaleas in the garden in June.

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Designs on nature

© NTPL / Matthew Antrobus

Looks can deceive. Despite its natural appearance, the 820-acre park is largely man-made. Robert Adam dotted it with Neo-classical features including the Fishing Pavilion, the Bridge and a spectacular series of lakes and cascades.

The park is a haven for wildlife. Walk through it looking and listening for water birds, woodpeckers, birds of prey and insects. The park is also home to the endangered White Claw Crayfish.

Walk this way...

© National Trust / A Tryner	You can appreciate fully how smoothly Robert Adam blended the garden into the park on the Long Walk. Here, Adam created a winding path along a 3-mile elevated circuit with spectacular views of the Hall and park.

Stretch your legs on one of our four walks. We recommend the Short Walk in April and May when the bluebells look amazing.

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Sole survivor

© NTPL / Matthew Antrobus

All Saints Church is all that remains of the medieval village of Kedleston. Sir Nathaniel Curzon demolished it to provide a site for his new house. Proud of his lineage, he didn't want to disturb the burial place of his ancestors.

The Curzon monuments inside the church date from the middle ages to the early 20th century. The church is now in the ownership of the Churches Conservation Trust.