CASTLE HILL GARDENS

Owned by
Lord and Lady Arran

Castle Hill is set in the rolling hills of North Devon Castle where the gardens surround the magnificent Palladian House, which has been part of the Fortescue family since 1454. The early Manor House was remodelled between 1719 & 1740 and in 1989 was gifted to Lord & Lady Arran by Lady Arran’s late mother, Lady Margaret Fortescue. In 2016, Lady Laura Fortescue Duckworth-Chad, her husband James and their four children become the 15th generation custodians of the house.

This beautiful 20ha (50-acre) area of gardens offer a wealth of sights and scents that change with the seasons. Wander through rare trees along tranquil paths where magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas grow in abundance, together with profusions of daffodils, bluebells and carpets of North Devon primroses.

Meander beside water where Tarka the Otter’s offspring gambol, with vistas to the 18th-century temples and bridges. A walk through the Millennium Garden with its colourful herbaceous borders leads to winding pathways into historic parkland interspersed with temples, follies and statues.

A climb to the castle is more than worth it for the panoramic views across to Exmoor and beyond. The path through the Woodland Gardens, filled with flowering shrubs, leads down to the river, the magical Satyr’s Temple and the Ugly Bridge. Perched high on the hill in rustic woodland is the newly restored Holwell Temple and as a memory to Lady Margaret Fortescue, ‘The Kennel’ sits proudly on Oxford Down.

Castle Hill has family and dog-friendly gardens bursting with colour in all seasons and offers visitors a memorable day out.

Non-member adult £6.50