Blending the old with the new

Holker Hall is situated in a beautiful Cumbrian landscape within sight of Morecambe Bay, and in 1950 it became the second stately home, after Longleat, to be opened to the public. The house itself dates back to the 16th century, with a Victorian west wing replacing one that burned down in 1871. It is, however, the extensive park and gardens surrounding the house that have made it famous. Several generations of the Cavendish family have left their mark on this land, but the present garden is largely the creation of Hugh Cavendish — who was brought up at Holker and inherited it on his father’s death in 1972 — and his wife Grania.

Taking on an historic garden involves one fundamental decision: whether to preserve or to evolve. ‘Trying to preserve garden design is both futile and unexciting,’ Cavendish argues. ‘What is interesting is incorporating the noble relics of the past into the new.’