It’s time now to visit one of my absolute favourites—Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire, England. One thing I find fascinating about this place is the unique layout. It combines large and small spaces, captivating plantings, stunning vistas, and beautiful details, making it one of England’s most remarkable private gardens.
In total, it covers about nine acres (four hectares) and has so much going on in it, including a water garden, a green garden, a perennial garden, and one garden solely in warm tones. And then there is the Rose and Sundial Garden (shown here), with its distinctive and charming cottage atmosphere.
Lesley and John Jenkins bought Wollerton Old Hall in 1983. The house, the history of which goes all the way back to the Middle Ages, needed some tender loving care—to put it mildly. But what about the garden? According to Lesley, it was just a big, empty plot covered in wild vegetation, self-seeded trees, and old junk. The couple rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
The main reason for buying the property was to create a garden in the style of Sissinghurst Castle and Hidcote Manor, albeit on a smaller scale, and their efforts have truly borne fruit. The garden architect is Lesley, a former art historian who threw herself into the project. The first step was to design the hedges, trees, paths, pavements, buildings, seating, and lawns. Then the major construction work began. It was quite a task.
The site is smaller than the two iconic gardens mentioned prior but still around 48,000 square yards (40,000 sq m)—equivalent to four soccer fields. Admittedly, not all of that space is taken up by garden, but it is still on a scale that most people would find daunting. However, Lesley had the support of John, a physicist with a keen interest in plants. The two embarked on the project together.
The fact that it is a private garden means it oozes personality. Most gardens of this size in England are run by the National Trust, an organization that has been preserving old buildings and gardens for over a century, usually after the owners have passed away, as was the case for Sissinghurst Castle Garden and Hidcote Manor Garden. In fact, Hidcote was the first garden to be taken over by the Trust back in 1948.
As the old saying goes, “The garden is the gardener,” which suggests that when the creator of a garden passes away, the spirit of the garden is lost as well.A garden is a living organism—it must never become static and stagnant. The National Trust does great work, but its focus is on preservation, not progress.
Lesley recalls how she and John have adapted and perfected their design and approach to the plants over the years. I have done much the same in my garden, establishing new spaces, cutting down hedges, adding buildings, and constantly rethinking and changing plants.
Wollerton Old Hall is one of the most frequently visited private gardens in England. Guests arrive by the car- and busload from early spring to late summer. Many of them are tourists from overseas who are in England just to visit its lush gardens.
The garden is open several days a week throughout the season. Read more at wollertonoldhallgarden.com and follow it on Instagram: @wollertonohg.
Text and pictures extracted from The Cottage Garden by Claus Dalby, published by Cool Springs Press (2023). Buy a copy here.
