The world’s oldest topiary garden: Levens Hall, near Kendal

Although the gardens at Levens Hall, near Kendal, are world-famous for their historic topiary, in my experience it’s a less well known fact just how important the gardens really are. Levens Hall holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest topiary garden, and with over 100 pieces to look after, the gardeners have their…

Three must-see spring gardens in the Lake District

All the signs of spring are fast appearing: spring bulbs are forming carpets of colour by the roadsides, the daffodils are fast appearing, and BBC2’s Gardeners’ World starts its new series tonight – and there’s no more reliable sign than that!  I find springtime one of the most exciting times of the year, not only…

Record-breaking Lake District: 17 intriguing facts

Every now and again I’ll hear an interesting fact about the Lake District and think, ‘Another record belonging to the Lake District – I should collect them for a post!’ Well, having gathered a few facts now, the time has finally come, and although I’m sure I’ll have missed many more along the way, here…