A magnificent 70 locations in Cheshire and Wirral are open to the public through the National Garden Scheme in 2024. Last year, the National Garden Scheme donated £3.4 million to beneficiaries providing critical support to nursing and health charities, including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hospice UK, Carer’s Trust, The Queen’s Nursing Institute and Parkinson’s UK. The gardens in Cheshire and Wirral contributed £158,000 to this figure.
Every garden visit supports these charities and helps to change lives. Not only are they an affordable way to get inspiration from gardens, large and small, an NGS day out is the perfect opportunity to enjoy tea and cakes too.
PEOVER HALL GARDENS
Over Peover WA16 9HW
The extensive formal gardens to Peover Hall feature a series of garden rooms filled with clipped box, water garden, Romanesque loggia, warm brick walls, unusual doors, secret passageways, beautiful topiary work, walled gardens, a rockery, rhododendrons and pleached limes. Peover Hall, a Grade II* listed Elizabethan family house dating from 1585, provides a fine backdrop
NORLEY COURT
Norley, Frodsham WA6 8NY
A large spring garden with rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris, a bluebell wood and embothyriums flowering against a backdrop of North Cheshire views. A variety of trees are planted along the banks, including cornus, a handkerchief tree, Judas trees, sorbus and an Arbutus unedo.
THE OLD PARSONAGE
Arley Green CW9 6LZ
A two-acre garden in an attractive and secretive rural setting in a secluded part of Arley Estate, with ancient yew hedges, herbaceous and mixed borders, shrub roses, climbers, leading to a woodland garden and unfenced pond with gunnera and water plants. See rhododendrons, azaleas, meconopsis, cardiocrinum, and some interesting and unusual trees.
ROWLEY HOUSE
Kermincham CW4 8DX
There is a formal courtyard garden and informal gardens featuring rare trees and herbaceous borders, a pond with swamp cypress and a woodland walk with maples, rhododendrons, ferns and shade-loving plants. Beyond the garden there are wildflower meadows natural ponds and a wood with ancient oaks. There’s also wood sculptures by Andy Burgess.
LASKEY FARM
Thelwall WA4 2TF
A one-and-a-half-acre garden with herbaceous and rose borders, vegetable area, a greenhouse, parterre and a maze, showcasing grasses and prairiestyle planting. Interconnected pools for wildlife, specimen koi and terrapins form an unusual water garden, which features a swimming pond. There is a treehouse plus a number of birds and animals.
To find out more about any of the gardens visit https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/ then search by location or by garden name.
MAY OPENINGS
Saturday 18th
Bankhead, Barnhill, Chester
64 Carr Wood, Altrincham
Parvey Lodge, Sutton, Macclesfield
Peover Hall Gardens, Over Peover
Sunday 19th
Manley Knoll, Manley
Peover Hall Gardens, Over Peover
Swineyard Hall, High Legh
Saturday 25th
The Old Parsonage, Arley Green
Sunday 26th
Laskey Farm, Thelwall
Norley Court, Norley
The Old Parsonage, Arley Green
Rowley House, Kermincham
Monday 27th
Laskey Farm, Thelwall
