The Edwardian gardens at Lotherton Hall cover eight acres and were designed as a series of enclosed gardens by Mrs Gwendolen Gascoigne between 1893 and 1914. The Terrace Gardens near the house were planted with roses (we visited at the wrong time of year to see them in bloom) and are also the sight of this impressive bronze statue of Sho Haku, nicknamed the Peony Priest. He was a Japanese holy man known for his love of peonies.
The Formal Garden is a geometric arrangement of gravel paths with a small covered seating area at the end.
There is a small pet cemetery in the gardens where some of Lady Gascoigne’s favourite dogs are buried.
There is also a nice little rock garden thought to have been laid out by William Golding, the architect of the Terrace Garden and the entrance gates. The planting was influenced by the Japanese style of gardening and was a very quiet space to walk through. The Gascoigne family referred to this part of the garden as the Dell and it was probably laid out in 1912.
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