About the garden
Owned by
Claire Woods
New for 2022: At Hillsborough Castle and Gardens there are 40.4ha (100 acres) of glorious grounds to explore, bursting with colour and variety all year around. Developed from the 1760s onwards, the estate includes ornamental grounds and formal gardens, peaceful woodland, meandering waterways and picturesque glens, as well as an idyllic lake and the newly-restored historic Walled Garden.
Added in 1867, Lady Alice’s Temple acts as a key focal point in the gardens and offers a quiet place to contemplate and seek inspiration from the surrounding views. The beautiful Granville Garden was created in the 1940s and 1950s by Lady Rose Bowes-Lyon, wife of the Earl of Granville, the second Governor of Northern Ireland. Moss Walk, framed under a canopy of 180-year-old lime trees, has recently had new paths incorporated to follow the original historic layout from the 1770s.
The Walled Garden is part ornamental, part kitchen garden and part orchard, underplanted with wildflower meadow and complete with a dipping pond at its centre. Of particular interest are the espalier fruit trees, some of which were planted more than 100 years ago and include varieties such as the ‘Pitmaston Duchess’ and ‘Dr Jules Guyot’.
From swathes of woodland bulbs and the bright show of the daffodil collection in spring, the billowing herbaceous borders and scented roses in full summer, to the stunning colours of the acers in autumn and the majestic silhouettes of the ancient oaks in winter, it is truly a garden for all seasons.
