Focus on the Culpeper Garden
Leeds Castle is set within 500 acres of beautiful gardens and parklands, in the
heart of the garden of England. The estate is maintained by the Leeds Castle
Foundation and includes several formal gardens, farms, a 9-hole golf course
and beautiful wooded walks and trails to wander.
The Castle Island sits adjacent to the Great Water, created by one of the greatest
garden designers of the 20th Century, Russell Page. Page also designed and
planted the beautiful Culpeper Garden, which takes its name partly from Sir
Thomas Culpeper, who bought the Castle in 1632, and partly from Nicholas Culpeper,
the 17th century herbalist.
The Culpeper Garden was originally the site of the Castle’s kitchen garden and
provided food for the table of many of the Royal and aristocratic owners. During
Lady Baillie’s ownership, she indulged her passion for beautiful floral arrangements
and it became a cut flower garden, but in 1980 the garden designer Russell
Page transformed it into a large cottage garden.
With its informal layout and low box hedges as a border this very English garden
features Roses, Lupins, Poppies and Lads’ Love, with exotic blooms mixed in
to create an exceptional profusion of colour and scent.
In 2016, Head Gardener, Andrew McCoryn and the Gardening Team will continue to
develop the Culpeper Garden, adding new plants to boost the variety of species
and colour for visitors to feast their eyes on, particularly worth a visit
in early summer when the garden is fragrant and at its tallest. Late autumn,
going into winter, the garden level is much lower and visitors can appreciate
the Page design and layout.
