All of the information on this page has been supplied by Dave Spenceley, Head Gardener
OVERVIEW
The mediaeval writer Albertus Magnus, writing in 'De Vegetabilis et Plantis' in the year 1260 suggests that the plants in a garden should "refresh the sight with the variety of their flowers and … cause admiration at their manly forms in those that look at they". In 1990 we decided to reinstate the Bolton gardens with this in mind.
The original gardens covered about twenty acres, mostly to the west and south of the castle. There was a formal arrangement of flowerbeds, paths and arbours, and one raised mound is thought to have been the base of a fountain.
All of the varieties of plants in the current gardens were present in this country before 1600; whether native like the periwinkle, or imported like the hollyhook (introduced by Eleanor of Castille, wife of Edward I in 1255.
The maze, arbours and raised rose-beds as well as the hazel wattle fence that surrounds the garden are all features that are in-keeping with the castle.
| THE WALLED HERB GARDEN In the walled herb-garden we have over fifty varieties of culinary and medicinal herbs, all of which were in common cultivation in the mediaeval period. Varieties such as; Betony, Bugioss, Yarrow, Loveage and Tansy. It is fascinating to discover what they were used for. Comfrey was used as a poultice to wrap around wounds, and it has since been discovered that it contains a alkaloid compound called allantoin which helps broken bones knit together. The herbs are grown in two big borders and ten square beds, all surrounded by box hedging. |
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| VINEYARD Vines were brought to this country by the Romans sometime after AD 280, when the Emperor Probus decreed that they were to be grown outside Italy, to keep the troops busy. Although the Romans did not grow vines this far north recent hybridisation has created more frost-hardy and earlier ripening grapes. Here at Bolton we have ninety vines of a red variety of grape, called 'Rondo', a cross between 'vitis vinifera' and 'vitis amurensis'. |
| ROSE BEDS AND ARBOURS We have over twenty-five varieties of rose, grown in a selection of ways; some clothe the high walls of the vineyard and herb garden, others climb over the ten rustic arbours, and many more are in the square raised beds amongst the potent lavender. |
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BOWLING GREEN The main lawn at Bolton is surrounded by large herbaceous borders. There are dozens of beautiful shrubs and flowers including hypericum, mallow, clary, catmint, clove pinks and many more. There are six hazel wigwams which support sweet-peas and runner beans - a combination which encompasses the whole philosophy of mediaeval gardening, in that at the same time as being aesthetically pleasing they also hold practical uses; in this case culinary.
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Whilst visually stunning at any time, the gardens and surrounding countryside are at their peak in June, July and August. The gardens are continually being developed and improved, and are certainly worth a visit at any time of the year.