Discover Wallington's secret garden

Full of towering trees, colourful shrubs and huge ponds, the East Wood is home to red squirrels, otters, bats and great spotted woodpeckers.

 

Whichever path you take through the wood, whether it’s the winding Serpentine Path, the Centenary Walk with views over to Paine's Bridge or the longer path that loops around the China Pond and past the impressive Portico House, you can soak up the tranquillity of the landscape.

 

Enjoy a gentle stroll through this ever-changing environment, where carpets of spring bulbs blossom into summer flowering lace cap hydrangeas before giving way to the autumnal colours of the veteran trees and the frosted branches of winter. 

When you reach Garden Pond, a mini-lake often covered in waterlilies and home to a family of geese, you will catch a glimpse of the jewel of the Garden - our enchanting Walled Garden. 

 

Hidden beyond Neptune’s Gate at edge of the wood, the Walled Garden is an unexpected gem - a wonderful surprise for first time visitors and must-see place for many of our returning visitors.

 

Although built in 1760 to grow fruit and vegetables, this irregular shaped and contoured Walled Garden is now filled with colourful themed borders, decorative shrubs and specimen plants.

 

As you enter the garden, a stone staircase sweeps down either side of the Mary Pool, a pond of clear water which feeds the stream that trickles down through the garden. 

 

Further down the garden, yew hedges enclose a small nuttery, full of spring bulbs and ornamental trees, while the cut flower border beyond bursts with summer colour.

Overlooking the garden there's an Edwardian Conservatory.  Originally created as a Winter Garden, it is now home to colourful, fragrant plants throughout the year.

 

Looking down on the conservatory is the Owl House, a rather grand bothy or potting shed, decorated with the family emblem of an owl.  We'll be inviting visitors into the Owl House for the first time this year, so you can find out more about the possible conenction to Capability Brown and share your thoughts on the future of the building.

 

In a quiet corner at the bottom of the garden, there is an open lawn next to a lovely pond, which is an ideal spot for picnics, while on sunny summer days you can also enjoy drinks and snacks at our Garden Kiosk as you soak up the atmosphere of the Walled Garden.