Hidcote, a well-known Arts and Crafts-inspired garden in Gloucestershire.
Address: Hidcote Bartrim, Gloucestershire, GL55 6LR.
The story of Hidcote is inextricably linked with the name of Lawrence Johnston, an enthusiastic garden designer and a tireless plant hunter who created in Gloucestershire one of the greatest English gardens. An amalgam of Lawrence’s passion for gardening and his mother’s fortune meant he never had to work and indulged in his favourite hobby.
Lawrence Johnston was born in 1871, into a wealthy American family of rope makers. In 1907, Gertrude Winthrop, Lawrence’s mother, bought Hidcote, an estate of about 300 acres in Gloucestershire, for £7,200. This became a crucial milestone in Lawrence’s life.
A talented horticulturist, a member of both the Garden Society and the Royal Horticultural Society, Lawrence Johnston devoted a significant part of his life to gardening in Hidcote. He created a series of intimate ‘garden rooms’ divided by hedges. Each ‘garden room’ is different, with its own character and atmosphere.
We were really surprised when we discovered completely different spaces at every turn. These garden rooms, like Stilt Garden, Pillar Garden, Bathing Pool Garden, Maple Garden, Mrs Winthrop’s Garden, White Garden or Fuchsia Garden, are linked by narrow paths and corridors. When creating the garden, Lawrence was inspired by many of the Arts and Crafts design ideas, especially by Thomas Mawson’s book ‘The Art and Craft of Garden Making’, first published in 1901 and now considered the foundation of modern landscape architecture.
Apart from being a passionate gardener, Lawrence, a devoted plant collector, co-sponsored or undertook several plant hunting expeditions (1922 – 1930s) to Europe, Africa, China, and South America looking for rare and unusual plants to add to his collection. In 1948, at the age of 76, Lawrence signed a Deed to transfer Hidcote to the National Trust. Since then, the National Trust continues to maintain and preserve the garden for future generations.
Dogs at Hidcote
Hidcote has recently launched the Dogs Welcome pilot scheme, in which well-behaved dogs are allowed to explore all areas of the property (apart from the Old Garden and the Manor) on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. So now you can visit this beautiful place accompanied by your four-legged companion!
Opening times
10:00 – 17:00 every day in October,
on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in November
and only on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December 2024.
Admission fee (from the 30th September to the 31st December 2024)
£10.00 for adults
£5.00 for children
or free for the National Trust members.
Parking
Free for visitors.
Website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/gloucestershire-cotswolds/hidcote
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