Exploring the garden at Tatton Park

Visitors walking in the Walled Garden in autumn at Tatton Park, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Wander through the garden at Tatton Park and you'll discover a number of distinct areas within its 50 acres, including the Japanese Garden, Fernery, Kitchen Garden and Tower Garden. Since 1725, each successive owner of the Egerton family estate has played a part in the evolution of the garden and sought the expertise of the leading landscape architects of the time.

Autumn highlights in the garden

Autumn is nature's greatest show. At Tatton Park you can see trees as they change to dramatic shades of red, orange and yellow, feel the crunch of a fallen leaf below your feet, listen to rutting deer bellowing outside of the garden walls and taste seasonal delicacies of the Kitchen Garden inside the restaurant. Here's just some of what to look out for on your next visit.

See the contrasting colours of the acers and maples in the Japanese Garden.
Head into the Stables Restaurant to taste seasonal dishes made from fruit and vegetables grown in the Kitchen Garden. Historically the garden kept the Egerton family’s kitchen well stocked and today is no different.
Stroll through the White Walk and spot the eye-catching yellow leaves and pale bark of the Betula Ermanii.
Enjoy the spicy scent of the Hamamelis Virginiana in the American Garden.
Find one of the forest bathing sites in the gardens. As the leaves flutter to the ground indulge in some shinrin-yoku (the Japanese word for forest bathing) scientifically proven to make you happy!

The bottom portion of an autumn tree to the left with other autumn trees beyond and autumn leaves covering the ground — A swamp Cypress tree in autumn at Tatton Park | © National Trust Images/Clive Boursnell

The Japanese Garden

The Japanese Garden was almost certainly the result of Alan de Tatton’s visit to the Anglo-Japanese exhibition at White City in London in 1910. He got together a team of Japanese workmen to create what is now said to be ‘the finest example of a Japanese garden in Europe'.

Today you can see the Shinto Shrine, an arched footbridge and other Japanese artefacts. Each of the plants, stones and rocks are carefully placed to produce a natural balance. With blossoming cherry trees in spring, red and orange hues in autumn, and snow topped mounds in winter, theres something new for you to see every time you visit.

Slider with before and after images

A summer image of a wooden Shinto Shrine at Tatton Park. An arched footbridge spans a body of water full of lilypads. — The Shinto Shrine in summer and winter | © National Trust Images/Andy Tryner

A snowy scene of the Shinto Shrine at Tatton Park. An arched footbridge covered in snow spans the icy water.

Glasshouses

The Fernery, Conservatory and Pinery are impressive examples of glasshouses built in the 1800s and remain intact. The Egertons imported tropical plants from their travels to New Zealand and Australia, some of which are still part of the collection today.

The Pleasure Grounds

Designed specifically for enjoyment, the Pleasure Grounds are a collection of distinct areas within Tatton's gardens. These include the Maze, Charlotte's Garden, Topiary, Italian Garden, Rose Garden, Tower Garden, Arboretum, Choragic Monument and African Hut.

Within the newly refurbished Italian Garden you can see Thuja ‘Brabant’s which have been planted for their resilience to climate. The secluded Rose Garden is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet moment in the summer months – it was a favourite of Lady Anna Egerton's too.

The Kitchen Garden

The walled Kitchen Garden reflects an almost forgotten era and demonstrates the importance of traditional skills and procedures. From mushroom sheds and onion stores to barns and glasshouses, all have been restored to their former use.

Tatton’s Head Gardener Simon Tetlow makes sure that all the plants in the walled Kitchen Garden are grown free of chemicals. Additionally, only plants that would have been grown up until 1900 feature here, making the garden a piece of living history.

Here you'll find historical scarlet emperor runner beans, local British queen potatoes and quirky fat lay blonde lettuces. Other typically Edwardian types of fruit and vegetables grow here, and you can buy or eat them on the estate when they're in season.

For more information visit the Tatton Park website.