Burton Agnes Hall & Gardens
Burton Agnes Hall is a house of immense charm and character, featuring many unusual attributes and having undergone very few alterations throughout its history. The family emphasizes that it is a ‘lived-in’ home, which adds to its overall appeal.
Originally built as a Norman manor house by Roger de Stuteville in 1173, the property has never changed hands through sale, though it has occasionally passed from one family member to another.
Architecture
The lovely proportions of the Hall, along with its adherence to the principles of Tudor Renaissance architecture—Commodity, Firmness, and Delight—suggest that it was designed by a skilled architect. The architect was Robert Smythson, who served as Master Mason to Queen Elizabeth I and was responsible for other magnificent houses such as Longleat, Wollaton, and Hardwick. Burton Agnes Hall is notable as the only Smythson house for which the original plans still exist in the RIBA collection. In his definitive book on the Smythsons, Mark Girouard described Burton Agnes as a “splendid and glittering composition.”
Woodland Arboretum Walk
To the north of the house, you will find the woodland walk, which is approximately a mile long. This path was established as part of an arboretum in 1998, alongside a new wood that was added with the donation of trees during a celebration for the Hall’s 400th anniversary and Simon Cunliffe-Lister’s 21st birthday.
Approximate strolling time: 20 Minutes
There is also a fantastic woodland adventure playground where children can let off steam. It features a mysterious ‘wise old man’ tower with a corkscrew slide, a double zip wire, and nine swings, among other exciting equipment.
Walled garden
The Walled Garden was established in 1990 by Susan Cunliffe-Lister after her family took over the Hall in 1989. This garden was originally created to enclose the original Elizabethan gardens from over four hundred years ago. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it functioned as a typical Victorian walled garden, featuring vegetables, fruits, and flowers for the house. However, by the 1970s, maintaining the garden became uneconomical, and it was grassed over, leaving only the herbaceous borders and a vegetable plot. Mrs. Cunliffe-Lister wanted to restore the walled garden to its former glory. Instead of recreating an exact replica of the original Elizabethan garden, she envisioned a design that would blend elements from both Elizabethan eras. This approach included the ideas of the first Elizabethans while incorporating new concepts along with a wide variety of plants and materials available today. Over the past twenty years, the Walled Garden has transformed into a unique wonderland, now home to over 3,000 different plants. This diverse planting includes rose beds, vegetable gardens, herbaceous borders, fruit beds, a jungle garden, and a magnificent collection of campanulas.
Things to do…
Throughout the year, we host fairs and seasonal events that make great family days out.
