Are you visiting Durham and looking for lesser known attractions? Or maybe you simply wish to escape the crowds? Crook Hall Gardens offers the perfect setting to relax and enjoy one of England’s finest ‘hidden’ gardens.
Cared for by the National Trust, Crook Hall Gardens features 10-acres of interlinking gardens, each with their own style and character, surrounding a historic Grade I listed building dating back to the 13th century.
Encircled by an old stone wall, you’d never guess from the outside that such a floral oasis awaits inside. As I wandered from one delightful garden to the next, it brought to life the pages of my favourite book from childhood, The Secret Garden.
Crook Hall Gardens is the closest thing I’ve ever encountered to a place that resembles my interpretation of The Secret Garden. If someone had said that Frances Hodgson Burnett herself had once visited these gardens I would had thought that it all made sense. It seemed possible that these gardens could have had been the inspiration behind her best-selling children’s book. Upon research, however, I’m told that it was the Great Maytham Hall in Kent.
The original inspiration for the book doesn’t really matter, all the matters is that I felt inspired. Crook Hall Gardens is not just a garden. It’s a place that makes you feel closer to your childhood, and indeed, nature.
Brief history of Crook Hall
Crook Hall was a family home since the 1300s, and occupied over the centuries by several prominent families who stamped their mark on the property. Throughout time it has also been frequented by famous writers such as English poet William Wordsworth, and writer John Ruskin.
By 1979 the property was essentially derelict, but was taken on by Mary Hawgood, the former mayor of Durham, and her husband John, who rescued it from oblivion. I love ghost stories, especially when they’re attached to old English homes and Crook Hall is not without its own. In 1989, Mary awoke in the middle of the night convinced that she saw The White Lady of Crook Hall.
The Hawgoods moved on in 1995 (I don’t think the move was prompted by the ghost, but I wouldn’t blame them) when it was sold to Maggie and Keith Bell, and Crook Hall became a wedding venue, with the gardens open to the public on occasion.
With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bell’s wedding business unfortunately collapsed, and in 2020 Crook Hall was put up for sale. It’s fate looked uncertain.
Thankfully, in stepped the National Trust and with the help of volunteers it reopened to the public in 2022.
Inside Crook hall Gardens
As soon as you step foot into Crook Hall Gardens, you’ll sense just how peaceful this location is considering you’re just a stone’s throw from the centre of Durham.
A path leads up the garden from the entrance and cafe, and immediately on the right is a maze. It’s the kind of maze that would delight children, enabling them to get ‘lost’ inside.
I made a bee-line for the Solar Wing Garden and the Walled Garden. Being at the end of summer, many of the flower beds were in full bloom, with only the sunflowers being past their best. This did not, however, stop me from enjoying a little photoshoot!
Passing through a small courtyard I headed towards the Moat Pond at the top of the garden. It extends to views towards fields and woodlands to enhance the feeling that you’re in the middle of the countryside.
The pond is where I made a new friend in the form of a cute little Bedlington Terrier with an exceptionally long free-roaming tongue. Since I was with my twin brother, who is the proud owner of a Beddy-Whippet he stopped for a chat with the dog-owner and they discussed the joys of finding a place as beautiful as this that also welcomes dogs (albeit with their leads on).
The gardens were a delight for the spirit, and by the looks on the faces of other visitors they also felt the same way. I could easily have spent the whole day whittling away the hours with a book in tow. There are lots of little benches and charming reading nooks for the occasion.
Greenhouse and gardening plots
There is also a well-loved veggie plot where you will find fresh herbs and a greenhouse containing colourful fruit like tomatoes and purple grapes that looked ripe to eat. One of my favourite smells in the whole world are tomatoes on the vine. I don’t smell it often enough but it’s a great reminder that the best ingredients are always homegrown.
Of course, no working garden is complete without a scarecrow, and the one at Crook Hall Gardens is no ordinary scarecrow. I believe Elvis Presley himself must be smiling from his grave.
The bookshop
At the moment, only the medieval hall is open to visitors whilst the adjacent townhouse is renovated. Currently, the hall is home to a lovely bookshop and its worth taking a few moments to appreciate some details like the botanical wallpaper, exposed beams, and ponder what life may have been like hundreds of years ago. We didn’t stay inside for long, my brother and I agreed that the best views reside outside.
Visitors information
Opening times: 10.00 – 17.00 everyday
Entry: Although entry fee is fairly pricey at £8 for its relative size, I had absolutely no qualms about the price once I started exploring the gardens. It’s clear a lot of pride and love goes into maintaining the life of these beautiful gardens. Free for National Trust members.
Website: National Trust
