Hare Hill Gardens

Hare Hill Garden was left to the National Trust by Charles Brocklehurst in 1977. The Brocklehurst family were involved in the manufacture of Silk in Macclesfield and were very well connected.

When Charles inherited the garden, it was in a state of neglect, but he was interested in horticulture, and through his connections he contacted the renowned garden designer James Russell. Together Charles and James restored the walled garden and woodland area planting many trees, rhododendrons and shrubs.

The garden sits in what was originally a large country estate, and as you approach, through the iron gates and fields, it's hard to imagine a garden at all in this type of landscape.

The walled garden was originally the Victorian kitchen garden for the main house, many years before Charles inherited it. When I first visited, I was a little disappointed that the kitchen garden had completely disappeared but, as I delved into the history, I found there was a lot more to this garden than initially meets the eye, and it has a very poignant story.

Instead of a productive kitchen garden, the garden contains three herbaceous borders, a pergola, two horse statues, and a huge expanse of grass.

I discovered that Charles Brocklehurst had a wish that all who visited the garden should "gain aesthetic and spiritual refreshment", and he had left the entire estate to the National Trust, at the time of his death, with the condition that the house be sold and the money raised be used to maintain and support the garden.

From this clause in his will, it is clear that Charles had far more spiritual connection to the garden, than he ever had to the house.

With a little more research, I found that Charles had a twin brother called Patrick, and both brothers spent most of their childhood at Hare Hill. In 1930 Patrick's horse fell during a steeplechase , he was very badly injured and died the following day aged just 26 years old.

I think the death of his brother had a profound and lasting effect on Charles, and this is most probably why the garden is designed how it is, even to the present day.

The two horse statues in the garden were commissioned by Charles just before his death, which was over forty years later. They represent the separation of the twin brothers and their shared love of horses. With the huge expanse of grass in the garden, the statues are real focal points, and the fact that they were put in place forty years after the event, surely shows how much bereavement played on Charles's mind. So despite the inherent beauty, there is a very sad back story to this very special place.

The walled garden sits behind tall brick walls and iron gates, in the midst of a very wooded area. The palette is subdued with predominantly white undertones. It almost feels like a place of memorial and reflection with a true spiritual feeling.

Plants are grouped in pairs throughout, possibly representing the two brothers and the tragic loss of one of them at such a young age.

It's a lovely area for families to vist and perhaps have a picnic on the lawn, with plenty of room for children to play on the grass, but it's also a place where someone who has suffered their own loss can come to sit quietly, connect to nature, and reflect.

There are two wire benches situated on either side of an iron pergola, set back behind the herbaceous planting. Here you can sit very quietly, immerse yourself in the garden and its surroundings, and free up your mind to the nature and sounds of the garden. A very meditative and contemplative place.

When I realised this about the garden, I forgot my initial disappointment and realised that I had truly arrived at what Charles himself described as a spiritually refreshing location.

It's very fortunate that records exist of the full palette of plants that James Russell chose for Hare Hil, as well as a border plan that described and illustrated the herbaceous borders in detail.

As far as I am aware the National Trust are now working towards reinstating everything in line with those plans to ensure the garden appears as close to original as possible.

I was particulary impressed with the greenhouse, situated just outside the garden walls, where propagation of plants seemed to be well underway.

You really have to grasp and understand the back story of this amazing garden to truly appeciate it. I'm sure that Charles gained much pleasure himself from the garden, and surely felt a spiritual connection to his brother in that place - hence the commissioning of the two statues and leaving the garden to the National Trust, rather than a private buyer, for it's long-term preservation.

It's a beautiful legacy that he left to all those visiting both now, and in future, children and adults alike - just as it was for his own family - enjoying the estate in childhood and looking back in contemplation later in life. It's a place of spiritual connection that I feel very lucky to have visited.

The pairing of plants is a very noticeable theme within the walled garden itself, but is perhaps even more impressive outside of those walls in the surrounding woodland.

Just outside the walled garden are two cedar trees planted very closely together. This is very unusual and, although there is no evidence to support it, the age of the trees and their close proxmity to each other could suggest they were planted to commemorate the twins Charles and Patrick Brocklehurst.

These trees are Cedrus atlantica glauca or Blue Cedar. A few years ago, the two trees showed signs of terminal fungal disease but, due to their significance and connection to Hare Hill, money has been invested into trying to treat them. I sincerely hope that this is effective.

The trees could be deemed to represent the two brothers towering in strength, reaching up into the sky and looking over the garden that formed a part of their childhood, and life, just a short distance beyond. There was a truly magical feeling and magnetism around them.

Hare Hill is situated at the top of Alderley Edge on a sandstone escarpment that overlooks the Cheshire Plain. There are many magical connections and legends associated with the area, and Alderley Edge has several myths and historical connections.

The soil is very acidic and so Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas and other acid-loving plants, such as Azalea really thrive here. Most of the woodland area around the walled garden comprises this type of shrub, and it is amazing to see in the springtime.

However, the woodland area also has herbaceous planting which links with some of the planting within the walled garden, and so connecting the two distinct areas together.

Some notable plants in the outer area are Japanese Anenome, Sedum, Fuschia, Dahlias and Roses all in a beautiful colour pallette.

The walled garden contains a mainly pastel palette of plants mostly represented in pairs. I really like this spiky Cleome hassleriana, which was repeated throughout the borders and gave an oriental look, which contrasted well with the tall brickwork of the garden walls.

Echinacea or coneflower was quite prevalent as well and, again, this is a striking plant which really shone out amongst the rest of the more restrained planting.

There were several roses, skimmia and phlox repeated throughout the borders, with cleome too. All the planting was in cool colours, with the occasional contrast colour of yellow or a quite subdued pink, but mainly ethereal in nature.

Outside of the garden walls was the woodland area which had a very different vibe. Trees that had fallen were left in this woodland area, slowly decaying and covered in lichen and moss. The upturned and rotting roots were eye catching and drew attention away from the rest of the towering trees beyond. If you started to think too deeply, there was a real connection between life and death in this area of the garden. Similar to the walled garden itself but much more profound.

Throughout the woodland area there were places to sit, contemplate and take in the surroundings. Some were rustic style wooden benches and others more ornate iron benches or simple picnic tables for families to enjoy.

Several wooden bridges linked two woodland ponds which had attracted a family of ducks. On the surface this was a beautiful natural area with wildlife but, if you started to contemplate and look at the water closely, you could see not only the reflection of the landscape but the reflection of your own soul

Hare Hill is multi-faceted. On the surface a beautiful woodland and walled garden for families to enjoy and pass a few hours one afternoon. For others the garden is a place for very deep thought and spiritual connection - not just in relation to their own life and experiences but to Charles Brocklehurst, his own childhood memories growing up at Hare Hil,l and his darker moments and legacy to his brother and generations of others beyond.

It is very rare to experience all of this in a garden, and I feel priviledged that the kindness and vision of one person left this legacy for all. Hare Hill Garden is a very special place indeed.

Guineveres Garden | Garden Writer