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Chirk Castle - North Wales

Chirk Castle Gardens Gardening is about ideas and inspiration. Visiting other gardens stimulates your senses and gives you ideas to adapt to your own plot no matter how large or humble. In the first of a number of regular features we visit Chirk Castle Gardens, Nr Wrexham.

Garden Background:

Chirk is one of the fortresses of the Welsh Marches. From the castle the visitor can look out over the rolling Cheshire countryside and across Shropshire. Offa's Dyke Path passes the Castle. In the 17th century the second Sir Thomas Myddelton laid out a formal garden, which was demolished in the late 18th century to create a more landscaped garden with lawns, shrubberies and woodland. During the 19th century the garden developed further and today we can enjoy the successes of past generations as we walk through this friendly and somehow familiar garden.

The Garden:

The hilltop gardens entertain the visitor with carpets of snowdrops in February and displays of daffodils and other bulbs in Spring. There are fine examples of rhododendrons, aromatic shrubs, formal clipped yews, roses and climbers. One of my favourite views is through a gap in the great yew hedge in the formal garden. On either side of the gap bronze nymphs stand to lead you through to the Hawk House on the lower lawn. The Hawk House was originally a conservatory now fully restored and re-thatched. It is one of the distinctive features of this garden. There is an Edwardian elegance here as you wander round the paths you come across old varieties of tree peony, jasmine and honeysuckle.

In summer the rose garden invites you to linger; stop awhile in the Shrub Garden and look for exotics like Eucryphia glutinosa, discover Pieris and Magnolia.

Inspiration:

What you can achieve on an elevated site with rather poor soil.

How to get there:

The Castle and garden are National Trust and open between March and October. There is an excellent coach transfer from the car park up to the castle for the disabled. Access throughout the grounds is mostly accessible along gravel paths but some assistance may be required for wheelchair users.Chirk Castle is 1 mile off the A5, 2 miles west of Chirk Village and 7 miles south of Wrexham.

© Reckless Gardener Magazine 2005 Mill Cottage New Media