Cranborne Manor Garden

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Overview

The garden surrounds the manor house, one of King John’s hunting lodges. The walled garden, divided into four, has an espaliered apple walk and all the fruit grown here is used on the estate. Leading from here is an area where cowslips, ox-eye daisies and wild orchids grow in the spring and summer. Gatehouses facing the manor lead to an area of mixed shrubs, early spring bulbs, roses, herbaceous perennials and clematis (access to this area may be restricted). The Sundial Garden was believed to have been laid out by designer John Tradescant during the reign of James 1st. Eight box-edged beds surround a sundial mount and are planted with Hidcote lavender, roses, clematis, peonies, salvias and hardy geraniums. Other areas to explore are the Bowling Alleé; the croquet lawn; the Lump Garden; the West Border with philadelphus, tree peonies, daphnes and lilacs; and the Winterborne Garden (best seen in April and early May for daffodils and blossoms).

Features

Opening Times
Open all year
Opening Times: Open Wed 1 Mar-30 Sep

Facilities
Parking onsite

Children

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Location

CRANBORNE, BH21 5PP

About the area

Dorset is made up of rugged coastlines, high chalk downlands and a chain of picturesque villages and seaside towns that make up Britain’s Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, noted for its layers of shale and numerous fossils embedded in the rock. Hidden gems of Dorset can be found down winding, country lanes that lead to snug villages hidden from view.