History of the Gardens
History of the Gardens
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History of the Gardens

Throughout the last 800 years, the gardens at Muncaster have always been amongst the best of their kind.

If you have any queries about visiting Muncaster Castle please call 01229 717614 or email: info@muncaster.co.uk

Opening Times

19 February - 22nd March 2024: Open Weekends

  • Castle: 12-3pm
  • Gardens: 10.30am-4pm
  • Hawk & Owl Centre: 10.30am-3pm
  • The Gateway Cafe: 11am-3pm
  • Bird Display in Hawk & Owl Centre: 1.30pm
  • View the latest events and festivals at Muncaster Castle here

SAVE 10% by buying your general entry tickets online, even on the day of your visit.

History of the Muncaster gardens

The history of the gardens stretches back centuries. The estate has been in the hands of the Pennington family for over 800 years and many fashions in horticulture have come and gone over this period, though the gardens have always been amongst the best of their kind. The earliest surviving feature dates from the 1780s – the magnificent terrace built by the first Lord Muncaster. As well as extending and remodelling the Castle, he carried out huge improvements in the gardens including planting hundreds of thousands of trees, providing the shelter required for the exotic collections of later generations, and building the grand entrance gates.

The following centuries saw an explosion in the range and variety of plants in the garden, fuelled by the Victorian passion for plant hunting. Muncaster was at the forefront of the new craze and many of our rarest plants date from this era. Through connections with Kew and the Ramsden estate at Bulstrode in Buckinghamshire, many of the most sought-after plants of the era found a home here.

Sir John Ramsden, who inherited the Estate in 1917, was particularly keen in this regard, sponsoring many expeditions by early twentieth century plant hunters, most notably Frank Kingdon-Ward, Sherriff and Ludlow and George Forrest. Some of their original discoveries are still in the gardens. We propagate the rarest species to ensure that the legacy of these plants and the stories connected with them continues, particularly since many of them are now endangered in their original habitats.

Sir John also started planting with rhododendron seedlings from Bulstrode after the first World War and embarked on breeding hybrids. He was helped in the gardens by John Guille Millais (son of John Everett Millais of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood) and the gardens were constantly improved between 1920 and his death in 1958.

With the mix of garden plants and wilder woods, the management of the gardens is a delicate balancing act. There is an ongoing programme of maintenance and renewal, essential as many of our trees and shrubs now fall into the “veteran” bracket. Where older specimens have been had to be removed, it gives us an excellent opportunity to renew with younger plantings, thus securing the beauty of these gardens for the next generations.

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Although wonderful to explore at any time of year, spring is when Muncaster’s gardens are at their best

Muncaster Castle Gardens & Estate

Getting Here

Muncaster Castle
Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1RQ

info@muncaster.co.uk

Opening Times

  • 19 February - 22 Mar 2024: Open Weekends
  • 23 March - 3 November: Open Daily
Muncaster Castle, Gardens & Estate

Opening Times

19 February - 22nd March 2024: Open Weekends

  • Castle: 12-3pm
  • Gardens: 10.30am-4pm
  • Hawk & Owl Centre: 10.30am-3pm
  • The Gateway Cafe: 11am-3pm
  • Bird Display in Hawk & Owl Centre: 1.30pm

Find & Contact

Muncaster Castle
Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1RQ

01229 717614
info@muncaster.co.uk

The Castle

The Castle

The Gardens

The Gardens

Hawk & Owl Centre

Hawk & Owl Centre

What's On

What's On