The formal garden areas form a small part of the mosaic of garden and estate land at Barrington Court. A bridge leads you over the moat and through a carved and weathered oak door to the beautiful walled garden. The spaces here are arranged as a series of connected individual garden 'rooms', each with its own theme or focus. The famous garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll, was consulted on the layout and best planting schemes for these areas.
The garden in spring
The welcoming warm hues of crocuses, irises, and daffodils bring bursts of purple, pinks, blues, yellow and white in early spring. Thousands of tulips will follow bringing energy and more colours to the garden. Tulip varieties include the scented Tulipa ‘Ballerina’, the stately Tulipa ‘Hakuun’ in the White Garden, and the striking Tulipa ‘Beauty of Apeldoorn’ in the Lily Garden. The Wisteria in the White Garden, filling the air with sweet scents during April and May, is a spectacular event for everyone to enjoy.
The Rose and Iris Garden
The Rose Garden was replanted in the 1990s following Jekyll's original scheme. Renovation of the rose beds took place during 2017 and they are now firmly established, with the fantastic floral displays of Rosa 'Felicia', 'Cornelia' and 'Penelope' (to name but a few) at their height in the summer. These were originally bred in the early 1900s by rosarian and clergyman, the Rev. Joseph Pemberton.
The White Garden
This garden originally featured colourful roses and paeonies but in the 1980s the planting scheme was redesigned by Andrew Lyle and the head gardener into what you see today. Set off by tall, beautiful stone walls this is a garden that unashamedly celebrates the colour white in all its understated and quiet perfection.
The largest of the gardens and the first to be planted, the Lily Garden remains closest of all to Gertude Jekyll’s designs for Barrington Court, with planting that is rich and changing through the seasons. The planting follows Jekyll’s rainbow spectrum, with an intricate combination of fine detail and bold sweeps of colour.
The South Lawn
The lawn that extends out from the south side of Court and Strode House to the ha-ha is not part of the walled garden. The Lyles' intention was to keep it as a simple, sweeping lawn with views out over the parkland, making it an ideal spot for a picnic.
The Kitchen Garden
Traditionally the kitchen garden was the larder of any country house and this one, created in 1921, was an integral part of the estate feeding generations of the Lyle family. Today the walls are still covered in beautifully trained fruit of all shapes and sizes including apples, pears, nectarines and cherries.
The herbaceous borders that run down the orchard side of the Kitchen Garden are full of colour starting with blossoms and tulips in the spring, all through summer and heading into autumn when the asters and michaelmas daisies look especially joyful.
Discover more at Barrington Court
Find out when Barrington Court is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Barrington Court is a two pawprint rated place. Find out where to walk your dog through the country estate and parkland at Barrington Court Walk and where the dog bins are located.
Fuel up at Barrington Court’s café, find a souvenir at the shop, browse pre-loved page turners at the Book Barn, and discover local artists at the craft studios.
Barrington Court is an ideal place to visit as a group as there’s something for every to enjoy and discover. Find out how to organise a group visit and the available perks.
Barrington Court developed from Roman times until the 20th century when the grand Tudor mansion was restored with a remarkable collection of antique panelling.
