Things to do in Crook Hall Gardens

Exploring Crook Hall Gardens

The gardens complement each other, while differing in age and personality. Formal areas with neat lines and topiary hedges border traditional English cottage gardens, boasting a colourful medley of roses, wisteria, perennials, trees and shrubs.

The serene moat pool is planted with water lilies, hosta and iris. The gentle sound of running water and views towards fields and woodlands beyond the gardens enhance its peaceful appeal. 

The gardens are a haven for wildlife, alive with bees and butterflies collecting nectar from flowers, ducks and moorhens on the pond and songbirds in the trees.

Summer holiday activities

Join us for a Summer of Play, sponsored by Starling Bank and supported by Sport England. Get active and challenge your family with self-led outdoor games and activities all summer long. If you need a break after all that fun, enjoy an ice cream in the café or relax at a shady picnic spot in the gardens. You're invited to get to know local wildlife on a moth night on 8 August too. For details of all these events and more, head to our what's on page.

Seasonal highlights in the gardens

Watching the seasons change at Crook Hall Gardens is reason to return again and again.

Summer in the gardens

Roses come into their own each summer, filling the gardens with their beauty and scent. From June, phlox, oriental poppies and ox-eye daisies vie for attention in the walled gardens. The moat pool teems with life, including frogs, newts and dragonflies. 

Autumn in the gardens

Keep an eye on the maze in the autumn. A living puzzle planted mainly of cotoneaster, at the beginning of September it sports dark green leaves; red berries soon appear, then develop over the coming weeks in a fascinating transformation. 

Several shrubs have an autumnal ‘wow’ moment. Look out for beautyberry with its vivid purple berries. Autumn crocuses also provide unexpected pops of colour.

Winter in the gardens

Winter is the season to see things in the gardens differently. Without leaves, the bark of trees and shrubs is revealed; the twisted, contorted stems of corkscrew hazel, the winged and cork-like bark of winged spindle, while the distinctive silver trunks of silver birch remind us what inspires their name.

Look out for rich dark berries on ivy, cheerful red berries on holly bushes, and the spiny variegated leaves of hedgehog holly. The evergreen shrub sweet box fills the air with its unmistakeable winter perfume.

Spring in the gardens

Spring grows into a riot of colour. Hellebores ease us out of winter, with snowdrops and winter aconites joining them as an early sign of spring. Bright splashes of anemones, cyclamen and crocus soon appear. The vibrant yellows of daffodils, forsythia and kerria bring sunshine on even the dullest day. Tulips, grape hyacinth and fritillaria add variety to the palette.

A large magnolia, benefiting from spring warmth in the shelter of the walled garden, puts on a magnificent display of flowers. And a frothy mass of blossom makes the orchard an unmissable sight.

Weekly garden tours

Keen to dig a little deeper? Each Friday, expert garden volunteers share their knowledge about flowers, plants, shrubs and nature-friendly, sustainable gardening. On Wednesdays, you can step into the gardens' past on a guided tour exploring history and literary links. Both tours are free with admission to the gardens and there's no need to book ahead. Head to our what's on page to find out more.

Family fun in the gardens

• During school holidays, you'll find events and self-led activties for the whole family. Head to our what's on page to see what's coming up.
• There are benches dotted around the gardens which make an ideal picnic spot. 
• Adventurous visitors can explore the maze next to the café.
• Head to our wildlife hub to discover what creatures you might see. You're welcome to borrow a pair of binoculars to watch the birds.
• We’re sorry but, for the safety of all our visitors and to protect the gardens, bicycles are not permitted in the gardens.
• We welcome under 5s on trikes or balance bikes (no pedals, but please be aware that there are limited hard paths and that these often have a loose (gravel) surface, and few are flat.