Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens: a rare survival of Baroque garden design

In Castle Bromwich lies a garden that time almost forgot. Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens is a rare survival of formal early eighteenth-century design, and thanks to an independent charitable trust it is open for everyone to enjoy.

The story begins with the Hall itself, built between 1557 and 1585 by Sir Edward Devereux. The Bridgeman family, later Earls of Bradford, bought it in 1657, and after 1710 Sir John Bridgeman II extended the gardens westward. The Hall is Grade I listed and has operated as a hotel since October 2013.

The gardens had a narrower escape. After a housing proposal was refused in 1982, work began to clear the undergrowth and repair damage, and the gardens have since been restored to their appearance in roughly 1680 to 1740. The gardens and adjoining parkland were listed at Grade II* in 1986.

Today the walled garden covers 10 acres, surrounded by around 30 acres of former estate parkland that is now a Local Nature Reserve. The trust describes the garden as "a unique survival of 350 year old early 18th century formal garden design", and its collection of heritage plants and fruit dates from 1680 to 1760, with more than 600 historic plant species in all.

Highlights include a 100-metre Holly Walk, a mirror image of the one at Hampton Court Palace, and a kitchen and fruit garden based on a design by Batty Langley. Visitors also mention the archery lawn, beehives and play area.

The gardens are run by the Castle Bromwich Hall and Gardens Trust, a registered charity. They are open Wednesday to Sunday and on bank holidays, from 10.30am to 4.30pm, and general visits do not need to be booked in advance. Annual passes are available for regular visitors.

Families will find plenty on the autumn calendar, including Forest School sessions, a Junior Falconry Experience, Woodland Wizards activities and a children's Halloween Lantern Walk at the end of October.

Opening times, events and membership details are on the Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens website.