Open daily until 31 October 11.00 – 4.30
The gardens will be open for weekends only during March
Open Daily from Sat 28th March – 1st Nov – 11.00 – 4.30
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?
We are at that precious and magical moment in the Gardens when many of the early spring bulbs are still in their fullest glory – swathes of daffodils, clumps of hellebores, even snowdrops – and now the more flamboyant camellias and magnolias have joined in, and are flowering in profusion. Spring has most definitely sprung – and is springing all around us.
Everywhere you turn, something is coming into flower, whether it is the delicate blossom of Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’ (pictured below) or the ostentatious blooms of Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’. Every day that you walk through the Gardens at this time of year, you spot something new.
The Spring Border in the Kitchen Garden is at its very best at the moment. It is brimming over with primula, hyacinth, hellebores, tulips, daffodils and more. For some reason, it is just not possible to capture this effectively in a photo, nor of course the scent that you catch when the weather is warm. The only answer is to come and visit soon.
News and Events
Annual Spring Plant Fair
Bank Holiday Monday – 4th May
Hergest Croft Gardens will welcome gardeners, plant lovers and families alike to its Annual Spring Plant Fair on Bank Holiday Monday 4 May 2026, celebrating 30 years of one of the longest-running and most respected plant fairs in Herefordshire and the West Midlands.
Taking place from 10am to 4pm, the fair will bring together more than 65 exhibitors including specialist nurseries from across the UK, offering an exceptional selection of rare and unusual plants, shrubs and trees. From seasoned collectors to enthusiastic beginners, visitors will find expert growers on hand to share knowledge, advice and inspiration. Furthermore, there will be a wide selection of local craft exhibitors together with artisan food and drink suppliers.
This year’s fair coincides with one of the most beautiful moments in the gardening calendar. The 70-acre gardens will be alive with colour, with rhododendrons, camellias, peonies, tulips and early summer blooms creating a spectacular backdrop to the event. Admission is £9.50, which includes automatic entry to the gardens for the day.
Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing and PR at Hergest Croft Gardens, said:
“Reaching the 30th anniversary of the Spring Plant Fair is a tremendous milestone for us. It’s a wonderful celebration of plants, people and the passion for gardening that brings visitors back year after year. it is testimony to the quality of our exhibitors that sees the fair growing in size and stature year on year”
With its welcoming atmosphere and outstanding setting, the Spring Plant Fair remains a much-loved highlight of the gardening year and a perfect Bank Holiday day out – Under 16’s are free too!
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!
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.”
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
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