About

Madresfield Court can trace its origins to the de Braci family in the 12th century. Through marriage, the Lygon family came to the estate in the 15th century and in 1815 William Lygon was created the 1st Earl Beauchamp. The 8th and last Earl died in 1979 and Madresfield Court is now lived in by his great niece, Lucy, and her family.

In addition to the formal gardens and lawns to the front of the house, features include a Pulhamite rock garden assembled in 1879 and a herbaceous border in the centre of which is a sundial reminding us “that day is wasted on which we have not laughed”. There is also an arbour of pleached lime trees, a wild garden and a large number of ornamental trees.

The most distinguished gardener to work at Madresfield was William Crump. He came from Blenheim Palace where he had raised the Blenheim Orange Melon. The late dessert apple named after him, a cross between Cox’s Orange and Worcester Pearmain, won the Royal Horticultural Society’s First Class certificate in 1910, and this was followed by the Madresfield cooking apple and other fruits.

Other features of interest include the Ginkgo Avenue planted for autumn colour, The Yew Garden of Mawson design, Caesars’ Lawn with the busts of the twelve Roman Emperors and the grave of Shadrach; Lord Raglan rode him in the landing party in the Crimea and he was in the battle of Inkerman in 1854. He survived and returned to Madresfield. Our tour guide will be Head Gardener David Butt.

Garden tour with lunch.

2 part ticket – Thursday 27 June and 24 October | 10:30am-2pm | £95 each or £72.50 each if purchased together

Please email us (events@perennial.org.uk) to book this event.

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