Cumbria Small Visitor Attraction Winner Drives Group Travel ‘Topiary Tourism’

Tour organisers heading to the Lake District can put the world’s oldest topiary garden on their itinerary, on any day of the week between March 28 and October 3, 2025, if they visit Levens Hall and Gardens, Cumbria Tourism’s Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.

The historic house and garden, located in the South Lakes, has responded to the boom in ‘topiary tourism’ that it has created through its own initiative, World Topiary Day, by moving to 7-day-a-week opening.  For the first time, this makes visits possible across the weekend.

The attraction has enjoyed a wave of publicity, high-profile TV appearances and also promotion around fashion shoots, staged in the gardens by leading brands, making it high up the must-visit list for many tourists, both British and international.

Levens Hall and Gardens is currently closed until March 28, other than for a December weekends-only Deck the Halls event, combining music from local choirs, bands and groups, sung in the Great Hall, with a chance to visit the topiary garden in winter.

When it reopens fully for the 2025 season, it will be introducing a brand new option alongside its daily opening.  This will be a tour of Levens Hall, guided by owner, Richard Bagot, in person. 

The tours will provide a unique insight into the Elizabethan Hall’s history and its impressive décor, furniture, furnishings and exhibits. These include items once belonging to the Duke of Wellington and his adversary, Napoleon.  

Groups have another option of a 10am tour with a Levens Hall guide. Alternatively, they can visit the Hall on a free-flow, self-guided basis, during a combined Hall and Gardens visit, which taps into the all-weather nature of Levens Hall and Gardens.

Tour groups also visiting the gardens can spend time appreciating over 100 pieces of curiously shaped topiary, located in the Guinness World Record-holding Topiary Garden, dating from 1694. A visit typically proves fascinating to groups of all ages, thanks to the quirky nature of the garden and its unique shapes and vistas.

Visitors can also explore further, viewing the ancient Bowling Green, Orchard, Fountain Garden, Herb Garden, glorious double herbaceous borders, children’s play area and dramatic Beech Circle. Towards the end of their meanderings, they can also find the earliest English example of a ha-ha, designed to ensure the Lakeland view was not obscured.

Fascinating private tours with the head gardener, Chris Crowder, can also be requested, by groups wanting to hear his informative narrative on the gardens, their history and their upkeep.  This is a must for special interest groups which love gardening and nature.

Award-winning Levens Kitchen, which has just been awarded a Visit England Award for Quality Food and Drink, can cater for a group’s needs on a pre-booked basis, if the entire group needs to enjoy refreshments, or a meal, at the same time, before continuing with their itinerary.  Otherwise, tour operators can stagger their group’s use of the facility.

Owner Richard Bagot says, “We look forward to welcoming more British and international group visitors in 2025 and highlighting why we are Cumbria’s Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.  With daily opening and our new private Hall tours, guided by myself, we have never been able to offer tour parties as much accessibility or personal, Bagot family insight.”

Head to www.levenshall.co.uk for more information.                                               

Notes to Editors

Coaches visiting Levens Hall and Gardens can park up in allocated parking spaces at the rear of the car park. Careful negotiation of the main entrance gates is required and coaches should ideally approach from Junction 36 of the M6, rather than from the south/Milnthorpe (A6, Junction 35 of the M6), to facilitate this.

Group visits to the House must be booked in advance, by emailing  houseopening@levenshall.co.uk or calling 015395 60321, extension 211, to discuss requirements. 

Standard house visits can either be provided as a 10am, 45-minute guided tour for between 10 and 40 people, or taken on a self-guided, free-flow basis between 11am and the last entry time of 3pm.  

Private tours of the Hall with Richard Bagot and private garden tours led by the head gardener, must also be pre-booked. 

Most garden visits are free-flow and visitors can stroll at leisure between 10am and 5pm (last entry 4pm).  Garden-only visits, building in time to enjoy refreshments and gift shop, should be a minimum of 90 minutes.

One complimentary admission is offered to the tour leader or Blue Badge Guide.  A coach driver can enjoy complimentary admission to the gardens and complimentary light refreshments.

The group price, per person, for House and Gardens admission is £14.50, whilst for Gardens only, it is £11. 

A private tour of the gardens costs £125, whilst a House tour led by Richard Bagot can be priced on application, according to the group’s focus.  Tours are subject to availability.

Levens Kitchen is open throughout the year, from 10am to 4pm, other than the last week of December and first two weeks of January.  It is situated alongside new takeaway facility, Levens Bakery, and close to the gift shop.  Its location makes it a great stop-off for coaches travelling up or down the M6 and wanting to give their group a quality catering experience.

Menu options, which can be arranged for a group wishing to sit down and enjoy refreshments or food together, simultaneously, are: refreshment with biscuits; sandwich buffet, cakes and refreshment; hot fork buffet, cakes and refreshment and cream tea. Vegetarian menus can be provided.

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Editors notes

Levens Hall & Gardens is a historic house in the South Lakes, Cumbria, close to Kendal and home to the world's oldest topiary gardens, dating from 1694, created by French garden designer, Guillaume Beaumont. The Hall is a stunning Elizabethan house built around a 13th century pele tower and has close links to the Duke of Wellington, as well as various items which once belonged to him and Napoleon Bonaparte. Levens Park is home to the rare Bagot goats gifted to the Bagot family and a place in which to stroll and enjoy nature. Levens Kitchen is the contemporary new cafe, full of delights for cake lovers and foodies alike.