Hergest Croft Gardens

Hergest Croft Gardens also contains trees from all five continents with the exception of  Antarctica.

Those of you walking on Offa’s Dyke path across Hergest Ridge may notice a group of Monkey Puzzles, Araucaria arucana, in the centre of the old Race Course and wonder why they are there. Dick Banks, planted them more than twenty years ago. He had travelled to the high Andes in Chile and had seen them on the peaks, often above the snow line, and wanted to bring

the same experience to Kington.

One of the most spectacular trees in the garden  is the Pocket Handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata. In 1900 a plant collector, Ernest ‘Chinese’ Wilson, was sent out to find this tree, which had been described by a French missionary, Pere David. When he reached the place where it had

been growing he found that it had been cut down for firewood... and he had to go one thousand miles further  to  find  another.   

Ridgeway Catering serve tea and light lunches in the old dining-room of Hergest Croft.  Rare and unusual plants are for sale, and there are a wide range of gifts for sale in the Hall.

Telephone 01544 230160