Combermere Abbey: A 1,000 Acre Estate And Home To The World’s Only Fruit Tree Maze

Combermere Abbey, located on the border between Cheshire and Shropshire, is a 1,000-acre estate and home to the world’s only fruit tree maze.

This maze is not the only attraction, as the site is also home to pleasure gardens and a gothic Knot Garden.

I visited in early May and spoke with the estate’s owner, Sarah Callander Beckett about the history, design and hidden features of these spectacular gardens.

Restoration Of The Gardens

“This house and its gardens have been in my family – the Crossley family – since 1919,” shares Sarah.

“I took it on in 1992 after I came back from quite a long stint working overseas and I began pulling it back together again, as it was a little lost.

“The gardens had not been terrifically developed at all and the walled gardens were completely abandoned.

“There were too few people to look after them before I took over and there was no longer a need for the vegetables and fruit that would have previously serviced the house.

“As a result of this, the walled garden was the first area that we began to restore.”

The Fruit Tree Maze

“The six-acre walled garden is home to several unique features,” Sarah begins.

“In 1993, we were introduced to Randoll Coate, a Maze Designer who came on a visit to Combermere. It was thanks to Randoll that we now have a fruit tree maze in the walled garden.

“It’s the only one of its type in the world. It’s made up of apples and pears – and along the walls it has apricots, peaches and quince. From the air, it is in the shape of an eye.”

“What I hadn’t thought about really was that I was going to get fruit off these trees,” she jokes.

“We collect about a thousand kilos of fruit every year that gets pressed and put into the breakfast hampers for our wedding guests.”

The Pleasure Gardens

“The pleasure garden was something that was planted in the late 1800s and was originally for the guests of the house to walk up to after lunching or being in the house,” explains Sarah.

“The previous Viscount travelled extensively and planted up some rather wonderful trees, so we have some fantastic old Wellingtonia specimens, a cedar of Lebanon and a Swamp Cypress.

“More recently, we have built a small pavilion in honour of my mother who died three years ago, which is surrounded by a small selection of Magnolia species.

“At this time of year, we have lots of Rhododendrons in flower, the most noticeable of which is a bright pinky-crimson colour.

“These always uplift the spirit of the garden after quite a long (and wet) winter like the one we’ve had this year.”

Visiting Combermere Abbey

“We do have a lot to take care of here, as the walled gardens are forever evolving,” says Sarah.

“We’re looking at ways of making them a bit more sculptural and less burdensome for the team to look after.

“Seeing people enjoy them is my number one reason for spending the time and money in these gardens.

“It’s so important to let the public enjoy them and get the benefits from being outside in these beautiful spaces.”

To discover more about the gardens at Combermere Abbey, you can visit their website.