Ravensford and Egglestone Hall Gardens, Co. Durham

Ravensford Gardens

Cared for by PGG member Vanessa Reynolds, and open in August for the NGS, this delightful garden is open again after two years of closure, during which time several changes have been made and some beds have been completely re-planted. 30 years ago the house was a ruin and the garden non-existent. There is now an established garden and the simple guiding principal has been to grow ever-better plants. In this wind-swept frost pocket they all have to be extremely hardy – and they are!

Despite that restriction, today a romantically beautiful garden surrounds the old farmhouse, offering varied areas, including two ponds, an orchard and a small wood. Ornamental trees and shrubs (mostly labelled) are a major feature. Colour and form are the two guiding principles, and the intention is to achieve year-round interest – hence opening at a late-August date when many gardens have already entered the ‘off’ season.

Eggleston Hall

Home of Sir William and Lady Grey, is a classical Georgian country house set in tranquil Teesdale. The Walled Garden has been in existence since the 16th century and since the late 90s it has been both a garden and a working nursery, with two of the Victorian Glasshouses rebuilt, shade houses constructed, bees introduced, the sales area upgraded, and a pottager and new nursery beds added in 2012. From 2013 Eggleston Hall Gardens will be going through another phase of redevelopment, with new plantings and borders, many more new and rarer plants, and a nursery that reflects the wide range of plants available for the gardener. Nursery stock is mostly derived from plants within the garden walls, plants that the visitor can see growing, can touch, smell, and observe in a natural setting and in a quite harsh environment – “If it does with us it will likely do with you, because Eggleston plants are hardy plants”.

For more details see www.egglestonhallgardens.co.uk

Programme

10.15 meet at Ravensford for tea/coffee and biscuits
10.35 tour of gardens with Head Gardener Vanessa Reynolds
12.30 lunch at the Cross Keys pub – order and pay for your own from the bar
1.30 depart for Eggleston Walled Garden
3.30 afternoon tea and depart.

Cost for the day

£7.50 including donation to NGS and refreshments at Ravensford, admission and afternoon tea at Eggleston Hall.

Directions

Ravensford, Hamsterley, Co. Durham DL13 3NH
7m W of Bishop Auckland. From A68 at Witton-le-Wear turn off W to Hamsterley. Go through village & turn left just before tennis courts at far end

Eggleston from Ravensford 17.0 km – about 21 mins
Eggleston, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 0AG
Head north-west towards Saunders Ave, 0.9 km. Turn left onto Saunders Ave, 1.0 km. Turn right towards Windy Bank Rd 0.3 km. Slight left onto Windy Bank Rd 5.3 km. Turn right towards B6282 1.6 km. Continue straight onto B6282 6.2 km. Turn right onto Folly Bank/B6282 continue to follow B6282 1.5 km. Turn left restricted-usage road 0.2 km. Arrive at Eggleston, 2A The Drive, Eggleston, Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 0AG

Booking