Parks and Gardens

When your county flower is as beautiful as Upper Teesdale's rare spring gentian, people expect a lot from your gardens. County Durham's blossom across the region through every style from medieval romance to cutting-edge conservation. A Secret Walled Garden, Shakespeare Garden, Cathedral Garden and maze are just some of the delights at Crook Hall, and the picturesque-style gardens of Rokeby Park were visited by artists including Cotman and Turner, while Pockerley Manor's Georgian Gardens at Beamish were carefully researched from the 1820s catalogues of William Falla's nurseries in Gateshead. At the other end of the timescale, Beamish Cottage Gardens is a developing wildlife garden with special emphasis on attracting bees and butterflies, and the Barnard Castle Sensory Garden celebrates accessibility for all with raised beds, wide paths and a year-round sculpture display.

If you're passionate about plants you'll find unusual hybrids at Eggleston Hall Gardens in Upper Teesdale; the National Collection of Meconopsis at Houghall Gardens and tropical collections and cacti at the University of Durham Botanic Garden. Traditional cottage garden plants bloom in profusion in the Durham Dales Garden.

Prefer your greenery on a grander scale? Pack a picnic and head for our parks. The medieval deer park and 18th-century terrace at Raby Castle offer breathtaking views and The Bowes Museum's impeccable parterre contrasts wonderfully with the surrounding parkland. Order our Garden Guide here to find out more.