Four Family-Friendly English Gardens To Visit This Spring
We are hitting the peak season for beautiful spring flowers such as crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and tulips. They are always a heartwarming sight, especially when they are growing in joyous swathes in the beautiful public gardens of the UK. Here are some suggestions for family-friendly gardens to visit this spring.
Borde Hill Gardens, West Sussex
This nationally important Grade II* listed garden was created by the horticulturist Colonel Stephenson Robert Clarke from 1893. He followed the Victorian trend for seeking exotic plants from abroad, and this legacy can still be seen in the gardens today, from Chinese tulip trees to hybrid rhododendrons and Chinese honeysuckle.
The garden boasts an enchanting collection of over 180 magnolia varieties, and from 28 March it is possible to explore a self-guided Magnolia Trail, where you can enjoy the early-spring flowering specimens. Visitors can wind their way through the pram-friendly trails, and dogs on leads are also welcome.
Head of Horticulture, Harry Baldwin says: “now in its 5th year, Gardiner Grove is beginning to bud up and showcase some of the best modern magnolia hybrids in cultivation. Designed by Jim Gardiner, the area reflects the diversity of magnolia flowers, ranging from delicate double pinks, to striking yellows and ivory whites – it’s a sight not to be missed!”
Pensthorpe Park, Norfolk
Pensthorpe Park is a 700-acre nature reserve in the Wensum Valley, and it is very well geared towards little ones, with super-sized playgrounds and themed gardens. The Millenium Gardens was planted in 1999 and features ornamental grasses and white narcissi that will be at their vibrant best during the spring.
The park is a thriving nature reserve located near Pensthorpe village, which dates back to Anglo Saxon times. The park was founded by the celebrated conservationist Bill Makins, who extracted over one million tonnes of gravel to create the site, now a nature habitat managed by the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust.
The park features two award winning play areas, WildRootz and Hootz House. They feature scale towers, zip lines, underground tunnels, rope bridges, slides, and much more; perfect to let kids burn off some energy and develop their sense of adventure and independence.
There’s also a sculpture trail to keep curious youngsters engaged as they explore the parklands, featuring owls, giraffes, birds, and much more by acclaimed sculptors and artists. There’s also a fascinating wetlands discovery area that is home to 56 flamingos and a herd of cranes. At this time of year, kids can also have a go at pond-dipping.
Winterbourne House, Birmingham
Winterbourne House is an Edwardian Villa in the Edgbaston District of Birmingham. The Arts and Crafts style house was built in 1903 for John Nettlefold and his wife Margaret, who were early advocates of the social housing system in England. The garden was based on the designs of Gertrude Jekyll, and they have been expertly restored.
In 1911, Country Life magazine described the gardens thus: “The Garden is singularly well-furnished, and the path below the terrace fringed with a wealth of flowering shrubs and aubrietias…Unhappily however, there is no subject to which the camera so steadily refuses to do justice, and this outcome of Mrs Nettlefold’s taste must therefore go unpictured.”
Today, the garden is Grade II listed and has been under the ownership of the University of Birmingham since 1944, allowing students to make botanical studies. The gardens are cultivated to provide stunning displays of colour all year round, including spring when you can enjoy narcissus, bluebells, and other seasonal bulbs from pram-friendly paths.
Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester
These large scale National Trust Gardens are in Altrincham, a short drive away from central Manchester, and easily accessible from the M6. Every year, the gardeners plant thousands of spring bulbs that bloom into an uplifting melody of colour. There’s scarlet and yellow dogwood and willow stems, snowdrops, narcissi, blue scilla, and many varieties of daffodil.
The extensive parklands are laid with wide accessible paths that are perfect for long walks with a buggy or pram. The park is roamed by herds of fallow deer and there is one of the largest winter gardens in the UK. The 17th century house is open to the public from March to October.
The site is geared towards families, with baby changing points and many miles of well-surfaced paths that are suitable for pushchairs. Children under five are permitted to ride bikes, and there are seasonal trails and children’s events scheduled throughout the year.
