Set within the deliberately designed park, the gardens at Stancombe are divided in two key areas that complement each other. The secret folly gardens are home to “one of the last great romantic follies of the Georgian era.”
These Grade 1 listed gardens are populated by narrow paths, tunnels, caves, ice houses and whale bones which lead to a Doric temple lying above a lake.
The formal gardens nearer the house were laid out by Gerda Barlow with help from the likes of Lanning Roper, Gertrude Jekyll and Nada Jannett and the two are connected by the long path flanking the Deer Park, which once was populated by Llamas, Indus Hinds and even kangaroos. This balanced mix of park, formal garden and picturesque is truly a horticultural gem, recognised by its Grade 1 status.
