Levens Hall and Gardens to Feature on New BBC Programme

Friday January 17 will see one of the Lake District’s most magnificent gardens showcased on TV, when Levens Hall and Gardens features on BBC2’s ‘Monty Don’s British Gardens’.

From 8pm that evening, viewers will be able to tune in and watch the cameras explore the horticultural delights of South Lakes gardens that are home to the world’s oldest topiary garden, dating from 1694.

Monty Don is known to be a big fan of topiary and even immortalised his former canine companion, Nigel, in a topiary art form.  Whilst the details of the BBC2 programme are yet to be revealed, there is every chance topiary will feature.

The programme that will air on January 17 was filmed during 2023, ahead of a year in which Levens Hall and Gardens, located just a short drive from both Kendal and the M6, gained even more international exposure through its own awareness day, World Topiary Day.  

Its 2024 ‘Topiary Message in a Bottle’ initiative spread the love of topiary between European gardens, resulting in some fabulous celebrations on social media, thanks to the efforts of European counterparts within the gardening world.

2024 also saw Levens Hall and Gardens crowned Cumbria Tourism’s ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’.

This new BBC programme will provide more TV coverage for a visitor attraction that enjoyed fabulous TV exposure in September 2024, when ITV national news, various regional TV programmes and national consumer publications all focused on the annual trim of the Guinness World Record-holding garden.

In addition, the gardens were visited by Robson Green and Helen Skelton, when filming an episode of Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes, and by fashion brands, Barbour and Malina which both filmed a shoot in the topiary garden.

The Hall and Gardens are currently closed until March 28, 2025, but will have lots to showcase when they reopen.  Owner, Richard Bagot, says, “We are greatly looking forward to building on our 2024 achievements and TV exposure always helps with that. 2025 promises to be another fantastic year for our visitor attraction, especially because we will be open for seven days a week, for the first time.”

Private tours of Levens Hall’s gardens can be arranged in 2025, along with tours of the Hall and its treasures conducted by Richard Bagot in person. The latter is a new addition for 2025.

Other new events will be added to the calendar and relatively new opportunities, such as yoga in the gardens, will continue to be available this year.

“We are greatly looking forward to what made the final cut for Monty Don’s British Gardens,” says Richard Bagot, “and trust this will inspire visitors from locations across the UK to plan a trip to come and witness our fabulous gardens for themselves. If they do, we are sure they will leave with fantastic memories and a real sense of having trodden in the footsteps of one of the historic topiary greats, our garden’s founder, Monsieur Guillaume Beaumont.”

Monty Don’s British Gardens’ episode featuring Levens Hall and Gardens will air at 8pm on Friday January 17.                                                                                                    

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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.