The spectacular Grade 2 listed gardens of the 1,200-acre Dartington Hall estate are open all year round and budding with spring life right now. Mats of crocuses are carpeting the lawns outside the White Hart restaurant, and the borders and terraces are bursting into shape.
There’s a real sense of history around these gardens, from a 1,500 year-old yew tree to the famous reclining Henry Moore sculpture, commissioned by Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst in tribute to Dartington’s first arts administrator. Moore’s serene figure quietly spends her days against a row of ancient chestnut trees.
The Sunny Border runs the length of the terraces and has evolved from the 1920s to the present day. There are benches to sit and ponder in the garden, or return to the courtyard for tea or wine at the White Hart or Roundhouse Café.
Accessibility is good along the pathways and there’s a car park on site. Dogs are restricted at Dartington Hall.
