page_title: Bank Hall Gardens
section_title: Botanical Variety
hierarchical_section_title: Bank Hall Gardens / Botanical Variety
context_page_description: Bank Hall Gardens comprise 18 acres of curtilage at Bank Hall, in Bretherton, Lancashire, England. The gardens contain specimen trees including a yew thought to be the oldest in Lancashire. Many architectural features, statues, low garden walls, conservatory and greenhouses have gone but there are plans to recreate them. The Bank Hall Action Group has tended the grounds since its formation in 1995. the group has planted specimen trees and identified the flora and fauna. The group opened the gardens to the public in 1999 after building a security fence, erecting scaffolding to secure the building and clearing the overgrowth. New varieties of snowdrops, some of which are unique to the gardens were uncovered. After a visit from the Snowdrop Society in 2007 the garden has become nationally known for snowdrop carpets during February.
  The gardens open for special events through the year.
context_section_description: Around the estate and flanking the carriage drive are Rhododendron bushes whose flowers are magenta, purple and one specimen has a white flower thought to be Rhododendron decorum ssp diaprepes.  Other specimen's include Rhododendron catawbiense and Rhododendron macrophyllum.
  There is research into identifying ferns, some of which have grown in the hall since the early 1980s when the roof of the west wing collapsed. The ferns include Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Ostrich fern, Blechnum nudum and Dryopteris filix-mas with more to be identified.
  There are several varieties of daffodils, which dominate the grounds after the snowdrops have bloomed. bluebells appear in shades of blue, purple, pink and white.
  Bank Hall was known locally for masses of primroses but due to tree planting in the 1980s, they disappeared but are making a comeback.
  A giant Clematis vitalba grows over an archway by the north wing of the house has spread to the perimeter fence and created a wall. Carol Klein visited the gardens to view the specimen for Gardeners World as the specimen are usually found in New Zealand and south of England so it is unusual to find it growing in the north of UK. Red campion is common in the summer months in the arboretum, creating a meadow that attracts a variety of butterflies and insects. Since the grounds have been cleared Foxgloves have grown throughout the gardens, some reaching 12 feet (3.7 m). As of June 2011 the sunken garden hosts the "Foxglove Forrest" which was created in 2010 from the spreading of seeds and established specimen relocated from around the gardens.
  Snowdrop were uncovered when a small area of garden was cleared. They have reappeared as carpets covering large areas of the leisure grounds from January to March each year. They were introduced to the gardens after the Crimean War in 1856 and have since spread across the estate. The snowdrops have cross pollinated and the variety has expanded, some of them are rare and have been removed off-site for protection until the hall is restored. New displays and paths were created for the 2010 season. Throughout February the gardens opened on Sundays for visitors to view the snowdrop carpets spread over the estate. In 2007 the United Kingdom Snowdrop Society visited the gardens and viewed a temporary display of rare snowdrops brought back for the occasion.
  The oldest tree on the estate is an English yew, which is over 550 years old, predating the current buildings on site. It is said to be the oldest in Lancashire. The tallest is a wellingtonia which towers over the woodland. There are numerous coast redwoods, including a fallen specimen believed to be one of only two in the UK.
  There are two dawn redwoods, which, because of their size are thought to date the early 20th century when explorers brought specimens from China to Kew Gardens. Horse-chestnuts can be found in the grounds but the most prominent is by the River Douglas.
  A Lebanon cedar on the tower lawn was cut down in the 1980s was replaced by a new specimen in the arboretum. Lime trees flank the driveway to the front entrance and Maiden's Walk. Three magnolia trees are growing out of the foundations of the east wing. Originally they were planted to grow up the wall.
  Other trees include atlas cedar, atlantic white cedar, beech, cherry tree, Chinese Swamp Cypress, common yew, Chinese Yew Deodar cedar, hawthorn, Japanese red cedar, Chinese Juniper, holly, hornbeam, Irish yew, oak, Scots pine, silver birch and sycamore which have damaged other trees because of their fast growth and competition for space. A woodland management program removing diseased and weed trees is in operation. In 2011 the 101st yew tree was planted along with a Ginkgo biloba to commemorate the Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.
caption: Bank Hall daffodils, April 2009
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