Garden
The main garden, on the West side of the House, divides itself into four distinctive sections:
Sundial Garden
Recently commissioned to mark Hatfield House’s 400th anniversary, this is a unique Longitude Timepiece with Hatfield as the centre of the world. Surrounded by four brick planters filled with herbs, it acts as a focal point from which you are able to wander down the box tunnels and over to the raised rose beds, underplanted with dianthus. The Blue and White border is still within the brick walls and opposite the sundial is the main path along which is a border planted with nothing but blue and white plants. The season extends into August but it is at its best when the delphiniums and iris are flowering.
West Garden
A pleached lime walk surrounds The West Garden which was designed in 1902. A massive yew hedge, inside which are spring bulbs, geraniums, iris, shrubs, herbaceous plants, roses and annuals.
Old Palace Garden
Situated on the east side of the Old Palace is an intricate design, bordered by box and containing a mini-maze in one of its four sections. This garden or parterre was originally surrounded on all sides.
Woodland Garden
Well worthwhile is a walk down through the mature beech and oak trees. Bluebells, wild flowers and narcissi cover the ground in the spring, and there is a growing collection of magnolias, camellias, prunus, sorbus and malus alongside the paths. Nineteenth century rhododendrons still survive, and there are many late-flowering shrubs like Styrax, Eucryphia Hoheria and Halesia as well as a magnificent hydrangea walk where many varieties of Hydrangea Paniculata line the grass paths to the fledgling Yew House.
The Garden is managed by Lady Salisbury and her small team of gardeners.
The East Garden
Only open on Wednesdays, this garden on the private side of the house consists of formal box beds in front of the house, the famous maze and the seventeenth century ‘New Pond’.
You can also visit the lovely garden at Cranborne, Dorset.
