Eight of our group enjoyed a sunny visit to Thornbridge Hall Gardens, near Great Longstone in Derbyshire.
Thornbridge Hall is a large Grade 2 listed country house, which many of us remembered as a Sheffield City Council owned Educational Residential centre until the 1990’s.
It is now privately owned and the current owners have redeveloped the 19th century gardens over the past 20 years. They now include Orangery, Kitchen gardens, a Knot garden and cascades.
In the Orangery we discovered an amazing climbing plant, which had us all puzzled until Ann resorted to her Plant ID app. to identify Giant Dutchman’s Pipe!
The vegetable gardens were looking very productive and the long borders in full bloom.
A paper-bark maple with cinnamon-coloured bark, which was peeling in thin papery layers, was both tactile and beautiful.
After exploring all the gardens we couldn’t leave without tea, cakes and ice cream in the cafè.
Another Grand Day out during the hot summer of 2025!