6 fab National Trust gardens you can enjoy now for free
IN A bid to allow people to get some fresh air and exercise during the current pandemic, the National Trust, along with the National Trust for Scotland, has announced that many of its gardens will remain open, with free entry to all. Here are five of the best to enjoy at this time of year, while observing social distancing measures, of course!
COTEHELE, CORNWALL
Close to the River Tamar, this garden boasts one of the finest displays of daffodils in Britain. Between March and April, the meadows surrounding the attractive Tudor manor house turn shades of yellow and white, as thousands of bulbs burst into life. An estimated 250 varieties rub shoulders with snake’s head fritillaries, anemones, celandines, grape hyacinths and other spring flowers. nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele
ANGLESEY ABBEY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Set around a Jacobean-style house remodelled by the 1st Lord Fairhaven in the early 20th Century, this 114-acre Fenland masterpiece features drifts of daffodils in its woodland and lawns, along with displays of hyacinths and tulips in the formal gardens. The famous 2½-acre winter garden looks good until late May thanks to a host of bulbs, such as fritillaries, wood anemones and trilliums. nationaltrust.org.uk/Angleseyabbey-gardens-and-lode-mill
CALKE ABBEY, DERBYSHIRE
Close to the magnificent baroque mansion, built for the Harpur family in 1808, are ornamental gardens featuring a host of spring flowers, such as daffodils and grape hyacinths, along with snake’s head fritillaries that add a pop of purple in the orchard of local apple varieties. Elsewhere, there’s 600 acres of parkland, woodland and meadow to explore at this historic property. nationaltrust.org.uk/calke-abbey
BODNANT GARDENS, NORTH WALES
Nestled in the foothills of the
Snowdonia mountain range, Bodnant is an 80-acre plant paradise with rhododendrons, camellias and a National Collection of magnolias. Formal terraces at the top of the garden lead to more informal sloping grounds that are peppered with streams, ponds and waterfalls that fall away to the River Hiraethlyn, a tributary of the tidal River Conwy. nationaltrust.org.uk/ bodnant-garden
CRARAE GARDEN, ARGYLL
Overlooking the banks of Loch Fyne, this is one of the most thrilling gardens in the UK. The 50-acre woodland treasure was started in 1912 by Lady Grace Campbell and has the atmosphere of a Himalayan glen thanks to a fastrunning burn that crashes over rocks and waterfalls. Rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias and camellias are just some of its stars of spring. nts.org.uk/property/crarae-garden
CRAGSIDE, NORTHUMBERLAND
Once a barren hillside in the Coquet Valley, Cragside was turned into a magnificent garden in the late 19th Century by industrial magnate Lord Armstrong. Over a 40-year period, he transformed the bleak landscape with more than seven million trees and shrubs. In the spring, thousands of daffodils, tulips and other seasonal flowers provide a cheerful shot of colour close to the 19th Century mansion – the striking Tudor revival building was designed by Richard Norman Shaw, the architect behind New Scotland Yard and the Savoy Theatre. nationaltrust.org. uk/cragside