Winter at Powis

Once the leaves have fallen and shrubs are lying dormant waiting for spring, it's time to appreciate the beauty in the structure of the garden, an element overlooked when the borders are in full bloom.

Traverse the terraces

Explore the 17th century Italianate Terraces with their Orangery, ornate balustrading and elegant staircases leading down to the Great Lawn and Formal Garden.

See lead statues of shepherds and shepherdesses sparkling in the frost as they dance on the Aviary Terrace and admire ancient yew hedges that will fire your imagination as you spot the shapes of faces and animals, just as you would when looking up at clouds on a summer’s day. 

As you stroll along the Top Terrace enjoy spectacular aerial views across the deer park, Long Mountain and the pointed profiles of the Breidden Hills, a breath-taking sight especially with a fine dusting of winter frost or a sea of mist filling the valley.

Edwardian elegance

Descend into the Edwardian Formal Garden and stroll between intricately trained 100-year-old apple trees decorated with fragile lichens or pause for a moment of quiet reflection on one of the benches hidden in great arches of box hedge.

 
In the Fountain Garden admire topiary casting their long shadows in the low afternoon light and the opulent wrought-iron gate with the vibrant Herbert family crest of an Elephant and Griffin overlooking the garden. 

The winter wilderness

A walk through our formal woodland, the Wilderness, is a totally different experience in winter. The bare branches of trees lend different shapes and textures to the canopies above whilst revealing beautiful vistas of the castle and terraces that are hidden away during the rest of the year.

If you’re lucky you may even spot a delicate carpet of snowdrops or cyclamen beneath the trees,  indicating that spring is already just around the corner.

The garden is open daily from 10am (closed 24-26 and 31 December) so wrap up warm and enjoy!