Stow Hall Gardens is full of surprises, unusual plants, quirky trees, and remnants of the old hall and original garden layout. Here are a few you might want to hunt for:
There is art, both in words and sculpture hidden around the gardens. Lady Rose was an artist and commissioned work for the gardens over the years.
You can see the many plaques remembering much-loved dogs (some by Ely based calligrapher Gaynor Goff). Also look out for an owl, and a mythical griffon which used to sit high on the parapet of the old Stow Hall.
The gardens are surrounded by a haha – an sunken fence (ditch), to keep the sheep and deer out, and allow the views from the house to be unobstructed. There is an old tunnel from the main entrance of the kitchen gardens to the haha, so that the gardeners could come and go without being spotted!
There is a skeleton tree that was struck by lightening, and a regrown one that was struck by an aircraft in WW2, as it attempted to make an emergency landing in the nearby Downham airfield. Snowdrops carpet this enormous tree in early spring
There are many fruit trees; old apple trees, medlar & quince trees (which look like glowing Christmas card trees in the autumn and winter), and four different trees, one planted for each of Lady Rose’s grandchildren. See if you can spot the plaques to tell you which they are.
Some of the best surprises are the many places to sit, each with a different view, scent and sound. Take a moment in your exploring to pause and enjoy these hidden corners and heavenly views.
