Howick Hall, England

Howick Hall, a Grade II listed building and is the ancestral seat of the Earls Grey. It was the home of the Prime Minister Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, after whom the famous tea is named.

Howick has been owned by the Grey family since 1319.

The gardens at Howick are mainly the work of Charles, 5th Earl Grey, his wife Mabel, and their daughter Lady Mary Howick between 1920 and 2001. They established and maintained an informal and natural style of gardening first advocated by William Robinson in the late 19th Century, which completely replaced the more formal Victorian planting of their ancestors. All that is left of the original Victorian garden are some of the mature trees.

The gardens are best known for their spring bulbs and the woodland garden; there are also summer borders, a rockery specialising in summer plants,and new woodland walks through the arboretum. A wild bog garden around a pond is at its peak in high summer is composed of plants grown from wild seed collecting expeditions.

Opening Times

Gardens, Arboretum & Tea Room
Early February to mid November

Winter Clocks (GMT)
WEDNESDAY to SUNDAY 10.30am - 4pm

Summer Clocks (BST) -
DAILY, 12 - 6pm

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Ticket Prices

Adults: £6
Over 60s: £5
Children: Free

Group booking entry fees are:
Adults: £5.40
Over 60s: £4.50
Children: FREE

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Disabled Facilities

Most of the paths in the garden are accessible to people with physical disabilities, but they are constructed of small gravel or grass. Please ask for a 'Physical Disability Map'
Regular visitors who use a wheelchair tell us that most paths are suitable for them, but please be aware of the camber on those marked in 'orange' and, because of the gradient, avoid those marked in 'red'. Those marked in 'pink' are alternative paths for wheelchairs or people with physical disabilities.
A limited number of car parking spaces for disabled people are available within the garden, please make further enquiries with the Admissions Clerk.
Garden seats are placed around the garden to help those who cannot walk long distances and are marked on the map with a blue cross.
Drivers may drop off disabled visitors at the tea room entrance and return the car back to the main car park.

Two power assisted ('Power Stroller') wheelchairs are available on request at the Admissions Kiosk. They are recommended for the terrain in the garden and have an optional small motor power attachment which can be operated by the person pushing the wheelchair. To ensure availability, please telephone to book on 01665 577 191 between 12 noon and 5pm.

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More Information

Telephone: 01665 577 285

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