Things to see and do in the gardens and parkland

Hanbury Hall is the very essence of a countryside retreat; impressive yet intimate and welcoming. It owes much of that feeling to its beautiful, recreated eighteenth-century garden, and 400 acres of Grade II listed parkland. With three way-marked routes to choose from, there’s plenty of opportunity to find the perfect walk for you to stretch your legs and admire the surrounding Worcestershire countryside.

The Parterre

The gardening team dedicates many hours of work to keep the Parterre looking weed-free and flowering. In summer you'll see vibrant colours and experience an air filled with glorious scents.

Hundreds of bulbs and bedding plants are planted each year with the goal of providing bright colours and you’ll find sweet williams, calendulas, carnations, french marigolds, african marigolds, alyssum and snapdragons working their magic.

Clipping the topiary hedging

Throughout the summer our gardeners are kept busy pruning the topiary and box hedging in the formal gardens. Grown from Buxus sempervirens, they need to be pruned back into shape twice a year, usually in June and then again in September.

The sharp lines of the freshly clipped hedges really set off the bursts of colour within them and make the Parterre a must-see experience for visitors.

Summer highlights

There’s so much to see in our gardens this summer, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites:

Early on in the summer, look out for the dazzling purple delphiniums and pretty peonies growing in the cutting border over in Kyte's Orchard. These are picked by volunteers to go on display inside the Hall.
You can’t miss the display of wild flowers surrounding the Hall in the parkland. They attract an abundance of wildlife throughout the summer months, including bees and butterflies.
Apples are already starting to appear on the trees in the formal fruit garden and orchard. These will be picked in mid-late September.
Look out for the friendly ducklings, they’re growing up fast but they’re still happy to meet visitors.
In the height of summer the walled garden is filled with brightly coloured dahlias, some as big as dinner plates!

Dahlia flower border with brick wall behind — Dahlias in the Walled Garden at Hanbury Hall | © ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Explore the parkland

Explore Hanbury Hall’s historic parkland on an winter walk and admire the beautiful Worcestershire countryside. Enjoy routes that lead you through the remains of an ancient forest, past impressive early eighteenth-century design features including the Semi-Circle, Long Walk and Lime Tree Walk designed by George London.

Download our parkland walks map here.

Avenue of trees with bare branches lining a path, with open ground to either side — Church Avenue at Hanbury Hall | © National Trust

Guided Parkland Walks

Join us for a walk around our parkland with one of our experienced garden guides. Find out about the history of the park and the ongoing work to restore some of the original features.

Every Saturday from January the 10th to March the 28th at 11am.

Walk length: 1.5 hours

Meeting point: In front of the forecourt gates

Please note, this route has steep terrain in places and is not accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. We advise you to wear suitable footwear. All walks are weather dependent.

Normal admission charges apply, free for National Trust members.

Branches of bare trees with greenery in the background. — Tree 4: Megaliths | © Paul Ligas

Ghost Tree Trail

Pick up a free trail and find out more about the ghost trees that can be found in the parkland at Hanbury Hall.

Ghost trees are trees that have been harmed or killed (due to drought, flooding, pollution, pests, and diseases), but their trunks and branches remain upright. The parkland here at Hanbury Hall is home to many ghost trees, which are mostly Sweet Chestnut trees around 200 years old. They died when exposed to a waterborne disease called Phytophthora.

Take a trail on your walk around the parkland and see if you can find all the ghost trees, and learn more about these eerie but beautiful silhouettes in the landscape. A child friendly version of the trail with activities is also available.

Tree planting

Over winter we planted 24 new trees in the Front Park at Hanbury Hall. Using funding from the The Queen’s Green Canopy, the trees will be planted according to the Parkland Plan which used historic OS maps to trace where trees were positioned in the past.

The specimen trees include species such as hornbeam, oak, lime and pear. Look out for these new trees and watch them grow when you venture out into the Front Park.