Touring 17th Century Levens Hall: Home To The World’s Oldest Topiary Garden

Levens Hall is one of the most spectacular gardens in the country and is home to the world’s oldest existing topiary garden.

First planted in the 17th century, the garden has been maintained over the past 330 years and the topiary has continued to thrive.

I spoke with Chris Crowder, the Head Gardener at Levens Hall, who has cared for the gardens for the past 37 years.

The History of Levens Hall Gardens

“The garden here at Levens is about 8 acres, but there [is] actually another 200 acres of parkland,” explains Chris.

“The house changed hands in the 1680s and the new owner, Colonel Graham, brought in a French garden designer to lay out the gardens.

“It is those gardens that we walk around today. They’re not a restoration or a recreation – it is a garden that has been restored and maintained over time.

“There was a huge craze in the 17th century for topiary, so the garden here has ended up as the best, the oldest, and the most extensive topiary garden in the world.

“The garden is now over 330 years old and has had a clip every year by myself and my predecessors.”

The Topiary Garden

“At the centre of the topiary garden, we have a selection of box and yew trees, with golden yew amongst them,” Chris shares.

“There’s over a hundred different shapes and they’re all quite a size now.

“Some of the box pieces were planted in the 1820s, which makes them 200 years old.

“We’ve got a couple of pyramids, top hats and chess pieces, but they’re all really old shapes that have got bigger over time.

“Not only do we have some of the old topiary pieces here, but we have some of the new ones that I’ve planted in my time.

“I’ve done like every Head Gardener in their time and added to the collection where there has been space.”

More Impressive Features

“The other big highlight just for this month are the double herbaceous borders,” says Chris.

“These we plant up with a colour scheme of yellows, blues, whites and pinks, and the bees love it.

“The rose garden is also in full bloom at this time of the year.

“It’s full of David Austin’s English roses, so there’s an old-fashioned, fabulous scent to each rose and they are at their peak.

“The main borders lead out across the Ha-Ha, which was the first one in Britain.

“Ha-ha’s caught on in a big way in the 1700s when everybody had landscaped parks near their houses.”

Visiting The Grounds

“The most rewarding aspect of tending to this garden is that sense of history and continuity,” explains Chris.

“Obviously, I’ve been here a long time and I’ve been involved with growing plants and adding to the historic display of topiary.

“We see ourselves as part of that progression and moving forward. In the future, it’ll be somebody else’s garden, but hopefully, that continuity continues.”

To find out more information about Levens Hall, make sure to visit their website.