The garden at Hinton Ampner

Small trees with white blossom stand over a swathe of daffodils, with a flint tower in the background — Spring in the garden at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire | © National Trust Images/Hugh Mothersole

Discover the ever-changing garden at Hinton Ampner. No matter what season you visit, there will be something to delight and inspire. With exceptional views over the South Downs from the south lawn, the Sunken Garden with its lily pond and the productive walled garden, there is always something beautiful to enjoy.

Spring in the garden

Tulips in all different colours and shapes put on a show-stopping display across the walled and sunken gardens, nearly 5000 in fact, in 12 eye-catching varieties. Wander into our picturesque walled kitchen garden to find ‘potager’ beds packed with blooms, peachy petals of Apricot Beauty are tinged with pink and complement tulip newcomer Orange Marmalade with its orange and red tinted petals and smart green stripe.

Hundreds of lemon-yellow daffodils delight in the orchard, whilst Japanese quince ‘Mooerloosie’ comes alive with the hum of busy honeybees in the south border. Frogspawn appears in the lily pond amidst a chorus of spring birdsong.

Pink magnolia perfumes the air on the terrace, whilst magnificent cream blooms of Magnolia denudata ‘Yulan’ flower in the Philadelphus walk to the east in the garden. Delicate chequered snakeshead fritillary rise under frothy white and pink cascades of cherry blossom trees. Look out for rose ‘Bengal Beauty’, a beautiful, ancient China rose which begins flowering early in May right through the season.

Long border of tulips with mushroom shaped topiary and hedging in the background — Spring displays in the garden at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire | © National Trust/Hugh Mothersole

The Walled Garden

A conventional country estate walled kitchen garden, it is laid out traditionally with cruciform pathways, vegetable beds, herbaceous and shrub borders. Look out for the modest glasshouses, used for growing soft fruits and exotic house plants.

Dating back to the original Tudor house, it is thought that the Walled Garden could have originally been the hop garden. At approximately one-and-a-half acres in size, it lies to the north of the house and greets visitors as they come in the main entrance.

Lined with heritage espalier apple and pear trees, the garden is once again being used to grow a rich variety of fruits and vegetables, with a flower-cutting border at its heart. This productive garden supplies the café with homegrown produce throughout the growing season.

The orchard

The orchard is located on the site of the old Tudor house. Edged by low, clipped box hedges it is home to several varieties of flowering cherries and fruit trees. Cleverly designed with a symmetrical layout, it’s carpeted with hundreds of bright yellow daffodils in the spring.

The grass in the orchard is left to grow naturally throughout the spring and summer to provide a habitat for wildlife. The pathways align with the gateway to the kitchen garden. Discover a corner of peace and seclusion on the bench set obliquely against the backdrop of the church tower.

Vegetables growing in the Walled Garden in July at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire. All Saints Church (Not National Trust) can be seen in the distance. — Vegetables growing in the Walled Garden at Hinton Ampner | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

The lily pond

To the east of the house, the rectangular lily pond sits flanked by a pair of recumbent sphinxes leading up to the drawing room windows, framed by pink cherry blossom in the spring and fragrant pale pink rose borders in the summer. At the opposite end, a bench provides the perfect retreat for quiet contemplation throughout the seasons.

The formal garden

The formal parterres to the south of the house comprise a beautifully maintained lawn and several attractive borders edging the pathway in front of the house. They bloom with many different varieties of flowers throughout the year, from heavenly scented pink lilac and unusual tulip varieties in the spring, to huge red poppies and diverse herbaceous borders in the summer. Benches along the stone walkway provide the perfect vantage point to admire the breathtaking views out across the South Downs.

A stone balustrade adorned with climbing roses and honeysuckle separates the formal garden and the elegant stone steps down to the Sunken Garden. To the western end of the terrace lawn a stone nymph is framed by a branch of a large horse chestnut and set against a background of parkland and wide-open sky.

The Sunken Garden

The Sunken Garden sits below the front lawn to the south of the house, with far-reaching views over the South Downs. Created in 1934, the centre is laid out with four rectangular beds that change with the seasons.

The long walk

The long walk, over 200 yards in length, is a grass path running below the south terrace, passing through the centre of the sunken garden and through to the old tennis courts. This formal walkway features masterfully shaped and maintained Irish yew hedges on either side of the path.

Tennis court and temple

One of the oldest features of the garden, the tennis court is one of the more remote areas of the garden, providing a large tranquil expanse of lawn.

The elegant temple, built around 1939, features a porphyry bust of Poppaea (wife of Nero) on a column. Tucked away in skilfully planted shrubberies, it provides the perfect place to sit and admire the view south onto to the parkland and lime avenue.

The Dell

Originally an old chalk pit, the Dell is a hidden and unexpected feature of the garden. Planted with evergreen shrubs around the top and enclosed with box hedges to create a serpentine walk down to its centre, the Dell has a wonderfully luxuriant, tropical feel to it. Sheltered by a canopy of ash and lime trees, it provides a quiet and meditative space for moments of reflection.

The North Drive

Comprising a variety of evergreen trees and shrubs, the North Drive creates a strong contrast to the open pasture and scattered trees of the parkland beyond with a magnificent yew hedge artfully clipped into a lively abstract pattern.

At the north end of the vista, a stone urn sits regally overlooking the site of the Battle of Cheriton, framing the old brick ha-ha and views of the parkland. The southern half of the drive curves elegantly round to reveal the view towards the front of the house.

Silent Space

Silent Space is a charity that encourages gardens open to the public to reserve an area where visitors can take time to reflect quietly and to enjoy the beauty of the garden and the sounds of nature without distractions.

Hinton Ampner’s garden is all about tranquillity but we also have a dedicated area in The Dell for quiet contemplation. The area is marked on our visitor maps or do ask a member of the team for directions.

For more information on Silent Space, visit the website:
https://silentspace.org.uk