Greenway garden winter ramble
This one mile circular walk leads you through some of the more secluded areas of the garden, including the North Walled Garden and the Bird Pond. It brings you to the best place in the whole garden to see the views of the River Dart all the way down to Dartmouth. In winter it's a good route for a relatively sheltered walk, taking in woodland, winter flowering plants and viewpoints.
Map
Start:
Greenway visitor reception, grid ref: SX876548
1
From the car park follow the driveway down to Visitor Reception. During winter months, while the leaves have fallen from the trees, along the driveway you'll see great views of the River Dart and the village of Dittisham.
Winter colour
Along the driveway you'll see camellias in bud; these flower in early spring, so are well worth coming back to see in February and March. Flowering under the trees are cyclamen, and nyssa sylvatica and acers have a colourful leaf display.
2
From Visitor Reception, walk through the courtyard and turn left just past the shop. After a short distance, turn through the second archway on the right into the North Walled Garden. Walk through the peach house and leave the North Walled Garden via the arched doorway in the top left corner of the wall.
3
Follow the path with a wall running along the left side of it, until you reach an archway on the left; go through the archway and turn right up the lane which has two concrete tracks. Walk up the lane to a house marked South Lodge Holiday Cottage.
4
At the junction before South Lodge, follow the right which takes you into the Top Garden. From here you can see the best views of the River Dart down towards Kingswear. From the Top Garden walk downhill along the hedge line, along a serpentine path, passing a clump of black bamboo on the left. Carry on round the bend in the path and take a right turn which is marked towards the house.
Top Garden
At this time of year you can see camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ in flower in the Top Garden, as well as geraniums and berberis.
5
A little further along this path is the Bird Pond, with a seat next to it where you can enjoy the tranquility of this spot and the Impatiens tinctoria which flowers here in winter. The sculpture beside the pond - known as the Greenway Bird - was created by Bridget McCrumm. From the pond, walk along the main path towards the house.
6
As you walk towards the house, the gardens open up into parkland. In a month or two this area will be filled with brilliant spring colours of primroses and bluebells. During winter the views of the river open up as the leaves fall from the trees. To finish your walk, continue past the house (keeping it on your left) towards the courtyard and Visitor Reception where your walk began.
End:
Greenway visitor reception, grid ref: SX876548
