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Visitor centre, cafe and shop open every day except Christmas Day 10am-5pm
Easter to October and 10am-4pm November to Easter.
Gardens and Grounds open all year from 8.30am to 7pm.
Pre-booking advised.
Mar/Apr/May/June/July/Aug/Oct
Daffodils and other bulbs. Wildflower meadows and Rhododendrons. Kitchen garden/flower borders. Autumn color.
Guided Garden Walks: £2pp, minimum £24 per group (pre-booking essential). Lively, informative garden tours.
On-site 'pay on exit' car park - please refer to website for current charges.
Free parking for pre-booked coaches and minibuses.
Adventure Playground, Tree Top Trek aerial adventure, children's indoor play & learn room, access to lakeshore and boat trips on Lake Windemere. See www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk for timetable information and prices. Organized events during school holidays and some weekends. Predator Park native wild animal experiences, seasonal boat hire, Head Gardener walks - please ring for details of events and walks, or check website.
A phased restoration is underway in the garden including replanting borders and repairing walls. The garden is featured in 'Gardens of the Lake District' by Tim Longville, published by Frances Lincoln in 2007.
The Langdale Chase Hotel, Ambleside
The Sun Inn, Troutbeck Bridge
Lakes
The sheltered nature of the garden and the mild, moist climate of South Lakeland, means that a number of slightly tender plants have found a place at Brockhole. Many of Mawson's plantings remain and include some fine specimen trees, formal clipped yew and box hedging, rhododendrons, wisteria and magnolias.
A wealth of herbaceous plantings, scented plants, old-fashioned roses, and various other ornamental trees and shrubs have been added. There are plants of interest all year round. An Orangery adjoins the house with a grape vine filling the roof space. The kitchen garden is stocked with herbs, vegetables, and soft fruit.
The grounds at Brockhole cover 30 acres with 10 acres of formal gardens all looked after by a small, dedicated team of gardeners. In the lowest part of the grounds is the wildflower meadow where there are over 100 species of native plants, seen at their best during May, June and July. Nowadays Brockhole is home to hundreds of wild birds, and animals such as foxes, deer, squirrels and badgers.
The gardens at Brockhole were laid out over 100 years ago by Thomas Mawson for the Gaddum family, who made their home here from 1900. It comprises a series of South and West facing terraces, which slope gently down to the shores of Windermere. Along the terraces are flower borders and shrubberies, the planting reflecting the acidic nature of the soil. The planting has continued to evolve in keeping with Mawson's ideals.
Many unusual and interesting plants from all over the world thrive in the favourable climate of Brockhole. Suggested reading for visitors interested in Thomas Mawson are:- The Life of Thomas Hayton Mawson Landscape Architect 1861-1933 By Elizabeth Kissack 2006; and Thomas Mawson Life, Gardens and Landscapes by Janet Waymark.