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Tuesday, 25 May 2010 14:06 |
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Karin Joyce and her family explore all that the Burghley House Garden of Surprises and Sculpture Garden have to offer
What more could a child want, on a warm and sunny day, than to run through water fountains, explore historic features and climb amongst the trees whilst surrounded by creative modern sculptures? The Burghley House Garden of Surprises and Sculpture Garden offer all of that and more and make for a brilliant family outing in the Spring and Summer months.
Opened in 2007, the Garden of Surprises was designed with history and entertainment in mind. Mirrored after the Elizabethan Gardens of the first Lord Burghley, there are nooks and crannies for children and adults alike to explore and delight in. My daughter is nearly two years old and immediately dived into the fountains despite the rather cool water temperature. It’s worth noting that a swimming costume, towel, suncream, sunglasses and waterproof shoes are vital to properly enjoy the Garden of Surprises. This is primarily for the children but if you’re a child at heart you may want to come prepared for any eventuality.
Each feature in the Garden of Surprises has its own charm. The Reflecting Pool near the entrance is calm and quiet while next to it sit three bubbling fountains which will draw in even the most hesitant child. There are water pumps to test the bicep strength of every dad and curtains of water which pop out when you least expect it. We struggled to peel away our daughter Ella from the various water fountains scattered throughout the ground. Her favourite place was the large open square with a multitude of fountains. She kept jumping from spout to spout and couldn’t quite decide which one to stand on next. Thankfully the benches around that space allowed for a nice rest while watching our daughter play in the water.
Due to the refreshing temperature of the water and a sunny but cool day, we wrapped up Ella and traipsed into the Sculpture Garden. Surrounded by spring blossoms, Ella led the way as we wandered from modern sculpture to various nature displays. The Sculpture Garden provides the perfect landscape for a sunny family picnic as there are infinite patches of grass just waiting to be occupied and enjoyed. One of our favourite sculptures is “Vertical Face 1” by Rick Kirby. We’ve taken many a family portrait in front of the “man” as we refer to it. On this trip Ella was a bit more wary of the “man” but we still managed a great photo opportunity.
One of the newer finds in the Sculpture Garden is a small waterfall which trickles down below Rick Kirby’s “Vertical Face 2”. My husband and daughter both went exploring in search of more cool water. As we were leaving the Sculpture Garden we found ourselves knee-high in daffodils which entranced Ella. As she waded into the yellow field she did manage to steal a blossom - sorry Mrs. Rock! I do have to commend the new lady of Burghley House, Miranda Rock, for continuing to offer such an amazing source of fun and family entertainment at Burghley House.
Next to the entrance to the Garden of Surprises you will find a small gift shop full of little treasures as well as the Garden Café where you can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee or even indulge in some locally sourced cakes and sweet or ice cream. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, a stop in the Orangery Restaurant is the perfect place for a posh dessert with the little ones before taking leave of Burghley House.
Admission to the Garden of Surprises costs £7.40 for Adults, £3.80 for Children ages 5-15 and £6.20 for Seniors & Students. A family ticket (2 adults/2children) cost £19.50. Included in the price of your Garden of Surprises ticket is admission to the Sculpture Garden. In addition to the one-off admission charges, you can purchase family and individual annual memberships that allow you access to the State Rooms and Gardens throughout the season as well as other benefits.
• You can find out more about Burghley House at www.burghley.co.uk or ring 01780 752451 for more information.
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