Melbourne Hall Garden

Melbourne Hall Gardens, with its broad sweeps of lawn, avenues and unexpected vistas is one of the most treasured historical gardens in England. Widely considered the best surviving English garden from the reign of Queen Anne, it has been carefully and thoughtfully cared for and replanted, maintaining it's beauty whilst bringing it into the 21st century. The garden was laid out in the formal style and is noted for its long tunnel of Yew, its wrought iron arbour created by Robert Bakewell (known as the 'Birdcage', which made Bakewell famous, but also left him penniless) and its statuary by Jan van Nost, notably the Four seasons monument, a gift from Queen Anne. There have been few radical alterations to the gardens since the early 18th century. However, in the earlier part of the 20th century, extensive restoration was carried out. Now home to Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr, the garden remains a beautifully kept treasure. Lady Kerr has developed the garden and her eye for colour and detail means that the Melbourne garden is a haven of delightful and unusual specimen trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders. Although still very much an 18th-century garden, the new planting schemes have introduced greater botanical interest.