Thornbridge Estate Gardens

About the garden

Thornbridge Hall is surrounded by 10 acres of quirky and quintessentially English gardens, set in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Designed at the end of the 19th century, the gardens were created to fulfill the owner’s vision of “1,000 shades of green” visible from his bedroom window.

The gardens first opened to the public in the 1930s. Highlights include the Italian Garden, a 100ft herbaceous border, the Water Garden, the Koi Lake and terraced lawns overlooking the Derbyshire countryside. Three temples, numerous statues, 46 urns and two grottos were incorporated into the garden in the 1890s. Some of the statuary came from Clumber Park and Chatsworth, while others were gifts from the Greek Government.

Since 2002, the owners Emma and Jim, along with the talented Thornbridge team, have developed new areas, including the kitchen garden, a scented terrace, a long border, the Modern Knot Garden, the Cascade Garden, the greenhouse and the orangery. The next planned addition is the Jaipur Garden, a tribute to Emma and Jim’s marriage in Jaipur in 1993.