***************************************************************** * Gardens-Guide.com * 250,000 UNIQUE VISITORS in 2011 * 2,000 garden pages viewed per day from March to September 2011 * * 1,000+ Page Views! - One-Quarter of all gardens listed on Gardens-Guide.com * were EACH viewed more than 1,000 times in 2011. * * 500+ Page Views! - HALF of all gardens listed on Gardens-Guide.com were * EACH viewed more than 500 times in 2011. * ***************************************************************** *** UPDATE FORM *** Walmer Castle Gardens 1) Please COPY the entire FORM BELOW 2) Make any changes in BRIGHT RED -OR- mark changed Section Headers with: *** 3) email the ENTIRE FORM UPDATED backto us: wd (at) armchair-travel (dot) com **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** *** also - SEARCH ENGINE BOOSTING for both YOU and Gardens-Guide.com *** If your webmaster could place a link from your own website directly to your page on Gardens-Guide.com, this will improve it's rankings in Google and other search engines. Please use the following format and info on your own site to link to your page in Gardens-Guide.com: at Gardens-Guide.com http://www.gardens-guide.com The premiere directory of open gardens in the UK and Ireland today Ask your friends and suppliers as well to link to your page in Gardens-Guide as well. Every link we get into your page helps rankings for both of us in search engines. **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** Garden Name: Walmer Castle Gardens Last Modified: 11-01-2012 Garden ID: 0426 pic: 0426_WalmerCastle.jpg NOTE: If this says "missing", then please send us a picture for your page which is at least 1000 x 1000 pixels in size. Thanks! Owner: Peter Jailler Address: Kingsdown Road Deal Postcode: CT14 7LJ County: Kent tel: 01304 364288 fax: website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/walmer email: Hasna.Begum //at// english-heritage.org.uk English Heritage Grade: II Opening Times: (2010 dates) 1st Apr - 30th Sept; daily; 10am - 6pm (closes 4pm Sat) 1st - 1st Nov; Wed-Sun; 10am - 4pm 2nd Nov - 28th Feb; Closed 1st -31st Mar; Wed-Sun; 10am - 4pm Closed when Lord Warden in residence 9th -10th July and to 1pm on 11th July Best Times of Year to Visit: May - Sept To see: Formal gardens and Queen Mother's Garden. National Collection: National Garden Scheme days: No Comments: Parties / Coaches: Yes Comments: Viewing by Appointment: Yes Comments: Preferably House Open for Viewing: Yes Comments: Admission Prices: (2010 prices) Adult £7; Concession £6; Child £3.50; Family ticket £17.50 Group discount of 15% for 11+ people Parking: Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: Yes Shop: Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes Teas: Yes Refreshments: Yes Picnics: Yes Dogs allowed: No Only on Lead: No Events: Yes Other Facilities: Audio tours and Guided tours. Features: Home of Lord Warden of Cinque Ports. William Pitt and Duke of Wellington Museums. Designer: Lady Hester Stanhope. Penelope Hobhouse Description of Garden: The gardens, alike to the castle, have seen much development since the most influential work of William Pitt the Younger (Lord Warden from 1792-1806) and his niece, Lady Hester Stanhope. Their horticultural prowess is visible in The Oval Lawn and The Glen. In the latter, visitors will soon be able to wander amongst the trees and peer into the fern clad hollows which Lady Stanhope designed. This informality is balanced by The Terraces, designed by William Masters in 1866. Beyond are both meadows and woodland walkways. Leading back towards the castle, itself an enthralling visit, are both The Broad Walk, lined with a double herbaceous border, and The Holm Oak Avenue- a feature added for Lord Granville (Lord Warden from 1865- 1891). The most recent addition to the gardens is the Queen Mother's Garden. Designed by Penelope Hobhouse to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's ninety-fifth birthday, this garden also pays homage to the Queen Mother's role as Warden of the Cinque Ports, and, as such, of Walmer Castle. It seems fitting that her enthusiasm for Walmer was shared by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who graced the Duke of Wellington with their presence for an entire month. History: The castle was built in 1539 as one of the Cinque Ports, which Henry VIII intended as protection against Spanish and French invasion following his break with the Roman Catholic Church, but its defences have never, in fact, been put to the test. It does, however, serve as the official residence of the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports, a title that originally involved the control of the five most important medieval ports on the south coast. As a result of this martial role, the gardens were overlooked until Earl Granville transformed Walmer Castle, greatly improving the grounds at the same time. His ideals, coupled with those of Pitt and Stanhope, were pivotal in the development of the gardens. The features they created, and the now bloom-filled moat, reflect Walmer's newest role as a historic but also beautiful monument. Local Inns: Griffins Head, Chillenden Accomodation: Magnolia House, Canterbury Harbourside B&B, Folkestone Restaurants: Sandgate Hotel Restaurant, Folkestone Village/Town/Sightseeing: Dover Castle Dover Down House, Kent Osborne House, IOW