Open daily until 31 October 11.00 – 4.30
The gardens will re-open for weekends only during March (Sat 28 Feb)
Open Daily from Sat 28th March – 1st Nov – 11.00 – 4.30
Maples Tearoom will open on specific days – please refer to our website for further details
Nestled under iconic Hergest Ridge with fabulous view towards the Black Mountains, these critically acclaimed and stunning 70 acre gardens hold national collections of Maples, Birches and Zelkovas. Created and extended by five generations of the Banks family, Hergest Croft Gardens boast one of the finest collections of plants and shrubs in the UK, with many rare and exotic species and over 130 Champion trees.
What's flowering now?
The relentless advance of the seasons continues as we now fully immerse ourselves into the winter period.
Despite the fact that we are now closed until the spring – we will re-open in March for weekends only and then daily from Easter – there is still a huge amount of colour still flourishing throughout the gardens. Our hard working team of gardeners have planted nearly six thousand bulbs in the last few weeks to create some wonderful new areas of the gardens together with different varieties being planted on the terrace for the ensuing season etc
As a Season Ticket Holder, you will know that there is nothing better than wrapping up warm during these beautiful crisp, cold and sunny days – when it is not raining! – and taking a walk through the gardens with your dog!
There are numerous berries currently flowering with the fabulous blue Mahonia, the star of the show together with the Sorbus which are still bearing large amounts of fruit. Commonly known as Rowan, they can be processed into jams, jellies, syrups, or juices, often combined with sweeter fruits like apples or quinces to balance their naturally sour and slightly bitter taste.
We look forward to welcoming you soon and in the meantime, we will keep you posted with some wonderful images of the garden as we continue through the winter season.
News and Events
Hergest Wins National Tourism Award!
Hergest Croft Gardens and Maples Tearoom honoured with VisitEngland Quality Food & Drink Accolade
Prestigious national award celebrates exceptional visitor experience and local hospitality excellence in Kington.
Accolades were awarded to 78 English attractions covering all aspects of what makes an outstanding visitor experience.
Mell Lloyd, the franchisee for Maples Tearoom, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious award. The hospitality industry is facing huge challenges at present and therefore this accolade is a real ray of sunshine for us! We have a wonderful team at Maples and this award is a true reflection of their hard work and dedication in serving the very best local produce and providing genuine service with a smile. Well done, Team Maples!
Well done team Hergest – again!
We are delighted to announce that Hergest Croft Gardens have been shortlisted in the Visitor Attraction of the Year category for the send year running.
Last year, we battled it out with some of the finest in the County and narrowly missed out to our friends at the Small Breeds Farm also in Kington.
However, this year, we will be up against our friend Roy Strong of The Laskett Garden which is extremely tough opposition.
“To be shortlisted twice in two years is indeed a tremendous achievement when you consider the fabulous number of attractions within the County” said Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing and PR for Hergest Croft Gardens.
“It really is testimony to the hard work, enthusiasm and passion that is generated by our loyal and established staff on a daily basis.” he said.
A second round of judging will take place September and the winners will be announced at a glittering awards dinner in February 2026. So all of our fingers are tightly crossed to win!
Congratulations to Rowan!
Community Conservation Champion 2024
We are thrilled to announce that Rowan Griffiths has received the Judges Commendation Award in the category of Community Conservation Champion in the 2024 Visit Herefordshire Tourism Awards. The inaugural awards were recently announced at a glittering event held at Lyde Court, Hereford and compared by TV Presenter and Broadcaster Jules Hudson.
New Artist in Residence for 2026
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Miranda Whitten-Walker as our new Artist in Residence for the 2026 season.
A Kington-based contemporary artist and printmaker, Miranda will undertake a twelve-month residency from March 2026, working in the gardens throughout the seasons and drawing inspiration from Hergest Croft’s celebrated landscape, champion trees and rare plant collections.
Specialising in nature and landscapes, Miranda is particularly known for her complex, multi-layered linocut prints, which explore British hill ranges from unusual perspectives. Her work typically begins as plein-air sketches made outdoors, before being developed in the studio into prints with a distinctive painterly quality, blending abstract and realistic elements. Strongly influenced by the textures and erosive forces shaping the rural environment, her practice reflects a deep engagement with landscape and place.
An emerging figure in the UK art scene, Whitten-Walker was the 2025 recipient of the h.Art Emerging Artist Bursary Award, having shifted to full-time art in 2024 from a career as a biologist. She is a self-taught artist, a Fellow of the RSA and a member of Aberystwyth Printmakers. Her work has been exhibited widely across the Welsh Borders and beyond, including in Ironbridge and at Liverpool’s Bluecoat, and has featured in publications by the BBC and Oxford University Press.
Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing and PR at Hergest Croft Gardens, said:
“Miranda’s work speaks beautifully to the spirit of Hergest Croft – it is rooted in landscape, shaped by observation and enriched by time spent outdoors. Her residency will offer visitors a deeper, more reflective way of experiencing the gardens, while strengthening our commitment to creativity, heritage and community.”
Horticultural Highlights from Hergest with award-winning Senior Gardener, Rowan Griffiths.
Welcome to our new Hergest Croft Gardens video channel where each month we will be discussing various seasonal elements of the gardens – Enjoy
Capture the moment for an enduring memory!
We are delighted to announce a commercial partnership with Laura Shepherd Photography
Whether it is a special occasion, celebration or just a memory, record that intimate moment using Hergest Croft Gardens as a stunning location or back drop. We have over 70 acres of gardens and parkland with a huge variety of beautiful photographic scenery to choose from!
Contact www.laurashepherdslensphotography.com
