332 Years of Living Sculpture to Be Celebrated in Just a Minute

As a recent story about a century-old cockerel topiary being replaced by a gargoyle captures national attention[i], one of the world’s most historic gardens is stepping forward to champion the preservation of living sculptures.

On May 10, Levens Hall and Gardens, located in the southern Lake District and home to the world’s oldest topiary, will be celebrating its very own special date in the diary – World Topiary Day.

Levens Hall and Gardens founded this celebration of topiary six years ago, to renew interest in the art of topiary and its evolving living sculpture art form.  The celebration has proved a massive hit, with over 50 gardens worldwide now joining the Lake District visitor attraction in its celebration. These gardens are located in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the USA and include names such as Les Jardins de Marqueyssac, Jardin du Manoir d’Eyrignac, the Monumental Gardens of Valsanzibio and Longwood Gardens.

This year, Levens Hall and Gardens has instigated a One World Topiary Garden Minute.  At 1pm (BST), topiary gardens worldwide – or gardens and venues with topiary – are going to place pictures of their own topiary on social media.  Sharing their topiary delights in this way should help many more people discover the joy of topiary. 

This might be something that residents of North Yorkshire village, Bishop Monkton, wish to indulge in, with many now rueing the cutting down of a topiary cockerel that has stood in the village since at least 1910.

Luckily, such a fate did not occur at Levens Hall and Gardens, where the Topiary Garden managed to stay resilient against changing gardening trends over the centuries and remain untouched.  

As a result, it now has over 100 topiary pieces, of all shapes, sizes and designs, with some over 300 years old and others well over 150 years of age. These range from two giant Umbrella trees, Queen Elizabeth I and her maids, and a Top Hat, to everyone’s favourite, the Toppling Wedding Cake, and Darth Vader and Homer Simpson.  Throw in peacocks, more-modern tiered creations, geometrical shapes and the varying hues of green that come from different species of yew, and it’s a truly incredible treat for the eyes.

This World Topiary Day, the One World Topiary Garden Minute will again demonstrate how Levens Hall and Gardens stands apart in the topiary world.  Most other participating gardens favour the parterre style of topiary practised in France and other European countries.  Those that have ‘characters’ and distinctive shapes are few and far between and only have a few or a handful of trees of this type.

The Topiary Garden is testament to the patience and loving care exuded by – quite amazingly – just 11 head gardeners since 1694.  This World Topiary Day will be the last one overseen by current head gardener, Chris Crowder, who has been in the role for 40 years and is now preparing to hand over his clippers to whoever the next incumbent may be.

World Topiary Day at Levens Hall and Gardens on May 10 will feature special tours by the Gardens team, covering all topics topiary and taking place at 11am and 2pm.  Such tours are a special treat for World Topiary Day and not-to-be-missed.

The atmosphere will also be enhanced by performances in the garden by the South Lakes Acapella Choir.

More information about the Topiary Garden at Levens Hall and Gardens, and other parts of the gardens that lay around it, can be found at www.levenshall.co.uk

Anyone wishing to compare and contrast many of the topiary gardens that will be taking part in the One World Topiary Garden Minute can find a most-interesting download at https://www.levenshall.co.uk/gardens/world-topiary-day

[i] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/21/century-old-cockerel-hedge-chopped-down-replaced-gargoyle/

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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.