Tatton Park in Cheshire, England is a huge country park with a stately home at its centre. It’s famed for its incredible gardens, each with a different theme and you can easily spend the whole day here. In some ways, the house, which is very attractive, felt secondary to what you could enjoy outdoors.
We visited in May, but the gardens still looked superb at this time of year. Of the 1000 acre site, around 50 acres is formal gardens. The ones that we will never forget centred around the lily pond and and the quaint Japanese garden, complete with a boho bridge leading to an island with a small tea house. Everything about this area was perfect – it was so well done!
As you get closer to the mansion, there are large greenhouses packed with plants and a walled garden area which should not be missed. There really was so much to see outside. Since 1725 each successive owner of the Egerton family estate played a part in the evolution of the gardens. The formal Italian Gardens are nearest the house with small walls, symmetrical greens and pretty fountains. There’s also a lovely rose garden which surrounds an old tower.
The mansion itself is also open to the public regularly, but hours are more limited than the access to the gardens. The house was remodelled and extended over the years to create the centrepiece you see today. The staircases and the pretty library were particularly memorable. Another thing we liked about the house was that most of the areas of it are accessible on your visit. There are also labels on the few remaining locked doors which tell you what the rooms were used for. The servant areas downstairs were fascinating too – there’s even a little railway line in the floor which was used to carry coal and heavy goods.
Tatton Park is open all year round and is operated in association with the National Trust. You pay to enter the parkland and then there are further fees depending on what you want to see. Adult admission to everything – the mansion, the gardens and the farm is £18 (2025 prices) but there are cheaper tickets if you just want to see the house or gardens. Admission is free for National Trust members.
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6QN (Sat Nav WA16 6SG)
Tel: +44 1625 374400
Email: tatton@cheshireeast.gov.uk
MORE ON TATTON PARK
Tatton Park – Official website
Tatton Park – Wikipedia