Levens Hall is an Elizabethan mansion built around a 13th century pele tower that was originally constructed as a defense against Scottish raiders. The property has had many owners, but in 1688 Colonel James Grahme purchased the estate. He then hired French gardener, Guillaume Beaumont, to design and plant a formal topiary garden reminiscent of those popular in France at the time. The topiary of clipped yew and boxwood are underplanted with colorful flowers and arranged into various garden ‘rooms’ or vistas. The garden design has remained essentially the same since its creation, making Levens Hall Garden the Guinness World Record holder for the world’s oldest topiary garden! In 2020, Levens Hall and Gardens founded World Topiary Day (May 12) in honor of this unique distinction. We had to brave the intermittent rain to explore such a creative and historic place!
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The stately manor as viewed from the first topiary courtyard
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It’s a topiary extravaganza!
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Some traditional shapes give the impression of a tiered fountain solidified into shrubbery
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Many of the garden pathways had a maze-like feel
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A pyramid and a giant top hat?!!
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The shrubs have formal edging, but often take on fanciful shapes
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The most formally maintained topiaries are nearest the mansion
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There’s still room for organic textures amid the constant trimmings
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A swirling spire in the rose garden
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A lovely fountain hidden between giant hedges and pleached lime colonnade tunnels
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Both geometric and abstract shapes line the walkways
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Beautiful spot to reflect upon flowers and greenery
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This hare had amassed quite a bit of change just begging to be organized into decorative stacks
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What a substantial hedge!
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This is the moody interior of that substantial hedge
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The pleached lime trees trained into a tunnel
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The mansion just peaking over the fountain area’s border hedge
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More relaxed plantings connecting the topiaries to the kitchen garden
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You can still see the old pele tower rising through the center of the mansion
Another very interesting place. Are you inspired to topiary ??
No way! That’s far too much work for me!
I do appreciate what other gardeners have spent many hours of work on, though, as long as I don’t have to do it!
Wow. Impressive !! ❤️👏
😁
Wow! Beautiful mix. Much more “relaxed” from the topiary I’d expect. Guess that’s what happens with 100s years old topiary. Our edges all begin to soften 😄
Ha! Well put!