WE LOVE WENTWORTH!
Public choose Yorkshire stately home in national competition, reports Ian Hodgson
Wentworth Woodhouse has been crowned Garden of the Year in the annual competition run by the Historic Houses Association, sponsored by Christie’s. After counting all the public votes cast between April and September, Wentworth Woodhouse triumphed over seven other notable contenders.
Currently undergoing a prolonged restoration, the 82-acre private gardens at the Grade I-listed stately home, near Rotherham, were opened for the first time in 2020 during the pandemic. A key feature of the gardens is its commitment to accessibility. In 2021, historic garden paths were rediscovered and renovated, enabling all ages and abilities to enjoy the varied landscape, and two book-in-advance garden cabins were bought to provide homes-from-home for day visitors, especially those with mobility issues or special needs.
Built around 1725 by the 1st Marquess of Rockingham, the house, one of the longest in Europe, and grounds fell into decay in the 1940s. It’s currently run by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, in partnership with the National Trust. Besides extensive parkland and tree-lined vistas, the garden features a number of Grade I-listed follies and a Union Jack garden, planted in 1713, to mark the union of England and Scotland in 1707. A newly restored Victorian conservatory filled with tender plants was among the first places in the UK to have electric lighting, even before Buckingham Palace.
The dilapidated Georgian
Camellia House, home to some of Europe’s oldest camellias, is currently undergoing restoration as a tea room, recreating its use as a tea house by Lady Rockingham, wife of previous owner, the 2nd Marquess. It will open in summer 2023.
“We’re so glad the hard work we’ve put in has been recognised,” said head gardener Scott Jamieson. “You can imagine how difficult it is to maintain and preserve 82 acres of gardens. We couldn’t achieve this without our amazing team of volunteers.”
Other short-listed gardens in the competition included Bressingham Hall Gardens, Norfolk; Abbotsford Gardens, Scottish Borders; and Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire.
Visit www.historichouses.org.