Hergest Croft Gardens

As a birthday treat for Mary, we had a day out at Hergest Croft Gardens just outside Kington, Herefordshire. This may have been our first visit although neither of us could be absolutely certain. We arrived just before noon, paid our £9 pp entrance fee and headed straight for the cafe/restaurant since we were both a little peckish. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a goat's cheese salad with potato wedges (about £13 pp) washed down with tea. A very friendly, and bedraggled, robin (Photo 1) occupied one of the spare chairs and hung around for the whole meal. Mary wondered if this was a worn out female who had just seen all her kids fly the nest.

Photo 1: Robin joining us for lunch

The butterflies and bees loved the herbaceous borders which included a variety of flowering plants including these Agapanthus blooms below the patio area (Photo 2).

Photo 2: Agapanthus Border

After lunch we visited the kitchen garden ...

Photo 3: Kitchen Garden (July 2025)

 

... where vegetables and fruit were interspersed with flowers to attract pollinating insects. This patch of Zinnias was especially favoured by butterflies. In total we saw more than 10 species during our visit. From memory these included: Peacock, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White,  Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, Comma, Holly or Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, and Painted Lady.

The low hedges in the kitchen garden were beautifully manicured ...

Photo 4: Kitchen Garden (July 2025)

Before leaving the kitchen garden, we sat in the warm sunshine on a bench at the top of this herbaceous border ...

Photo 5: Herbaceous Borders in the Kitchen Garden (July 2025)

... while Mary painted the scene in watercolours and I had forty winks (probably nearer 10 winks!). We then set off to see the rest of the gardens passing this little knot garden ...

Photo 6: Knot Garden

... and this kinetic sculptor by local artist, Will Carr.

Video 1: Will Carr's Kinetic Sculptor at Hergest Croft Gardens

... where you can look back up the main lawn towards the Arts & Crafts house ...

Photo 7: Hergest Croft House

We walked up to Park Wood but were disappointed to find the water levels in the ponds very low (lack of rain and recent heatwaves) although we were fortunate to see some dragonflies who were reluctant to be photographed (right centre) ...

Photo 8: Dragonfly, Park Wood, Hergest Croft Gardens

Being Summer, we did not see the Azalea Garden (Spring) or the Maple Grove (Autumn) at its best. Which reminds me that this is an all year attraction - you just need to choose your favourite season. Or you could buy an Annual Pass (about £35 pp, I think) which is something we would consider if we lived a little closer than 45 minutes drive away. When we visited, there were a couple of admission offers - unfortunately, Mary is not a current member of the Women's Institute and we don't subscribe to Gardener's World.

Overall, highly recommended. The cafe/restaurant is not the cheapest but the food was excellent and the staff friendly and helpful. Certainly worth visiting in Spring, Summer or Autumn (or, perhaps, all three).

I'll finish with a photo of our new best friend ...

Photo 9: Our Friend Robin/Robyn