Childerley Hall and Gardens

The original house was built by the first Sir John Cutts in the late 15th century. What you see today is probably the remains of the south wing, much altered by the Calverts in the 17th and 18th Centuries, an extensive ‘Victorianisation’ in the mid-19th century, and more recently a few improvements by the Brooks and the Jenkins. The Jenkins’ came to Childerley in 1957. The long terrace walk, together with the moated walk, were part of the original Elizabethan house, the walled kitchen garden a Victorian addition, while the rockery garden with its curving paved paths was introduced during the Edwardian era. The only plantings that survive from these historical innovations are the box grove (in the middle of the White Garden), the mulberry tree in the aptly named ‘Mulberry Garden’ and the clipped yew sentinel opposite the entrance to the Chapel. The ancient horse chestnut tree in the North Garden is clearly a survivor but we don’t know exactly when it was planted. Today, Childerley is synonymous with its roses. The Rose Jungle and the Terrace contain a magnificent collection of Old and Modern Roses, usually seen to their best advantage from mid May to the end of June. Paths in the Kitchen Garden are adorned with tripods of ‘Altissimo’, and the walls with climbing roses. Here too, as well as fruit and vegetables, you will find numerous floribunda and hybrid tea varieties for cutting. Around the garden, there are a quantity of species and rambling roses, tumbling from trees, trellis’ and walls. A rarity worth looking out for in June is Burmese Cooper.