Today the estate has over 60 acres on which to walk, ramble, sit and enjoy. Nature lovers, horticulturalists, artists, photographers and visitors can find something to give them pleasure on their visit at anytime of the year. The scene on the grounds is constantly changing in colour and texture month by month.

The house and gardens have been in the same family since 1066.

It was Brigadier A.G. Heber-Percy who was the life force of the gardens in the early 1920’s when he began his innovative garden design. At the same time it was one of the largest and more unique gardens in the country due to his introduction of unusual plant species thought not to be able to survive in our climate.

The garden’s development with the construction of the ponds, waterfalls and secret glens went from 1921-1950ish. The Brigadier died in 1961.

In 1966 his son who had grown up in the house since the age of 19 and still resides there, followed in the same tradition of his father and continues to enhance the gardens and parkland with a maximum of 5 gardeners which is quite a feat in horticultural circles.

Over the years Mr. Heber–Percy relates that seasons have started to come earlier and the climate is not as harsh on the plantings. As he watches his gardens grow and mature he has seen many changes environmentally.

The gardens have ancient trees protecting more delicate species in the seclusion of the glens and parklands.

The pools which are spring-fed, never freeze and the early morning mists seem to help create and environment conducive to growing more exotic species.

Although you are given a route map, you have as many options to view the garden as you have mobility abilities and time.

There are good firm, flat gravel paths as well as the woodchip woodland paths, meadows strolling, secret paths less travelled and benches for sitting.

The benches give the visitor the opportunity to sit and take in the colours, activity (wildlife or human) and ambiance of the gardens from any vantage point.

There are a series of garden ponds, marshes, dams, waterfalls and streams affording glimpses of a wide variety of insect life, trout and waterfowl. Hodnet is famous for its black swans.

On you walk your options are endless, you can view the folly, the main pool, the water garden, the kitchen garden, the interesting Victorian tearoom, the house with its herbaceous borders and 100 ft. look down to the big pool. Or- you can venture further and you can stroll the meadows or walk along the string of ponds to the secluded top woodland pools and streams, the bluebell woods and more seclusion. The latter is the more natural part of the estate where the former is the more formal laid out part of the gardens.

To find the folly you must find the north drive of the house and gaze along the lime tree lined drive to the end. In a field across from the drive you will see 3 columns and a partial portico. This was placed as a memorial to Brigadier Heber-Percy (died 1961). The feature was actually part of another great estate, Apley Castle in Wellington and was saved during the house’s demolition.

The wisteria-clad back wall of the house with its lavender lined steps and herbaceous borders is a good place to view the pond and plantings on both sides of the water as well as the dovecote (1656) which is set on a hill in grazing pastureland.

The selection of plants and trees is enormous and have been planted so that no month in the year goes without colour and texture. The unusual plants are a treat to find. There is a Berberis darwinii in the garden (brought back by Charles Darwin on his famous voyage of discovery on the Beagle in 1835. Every plant holds a bit of history, whether it’s the plant’s origin, who discovered it, whose garden it came from or its own unique structural features.

A walk in the water gardens is like a walk into a fairy glen with candelabra primulas; iris; astilbies of red, pink and white; but the Gunnera is the most fun. The giant plant produces leaves about 10 foot across with stems up to 15 foot high and standing under them protects you from sunshine or showers.

As you leave the water gardens and walk towards the main pool, look to your left for the large statues of cranes introduced in 2003 in an attempt to deter the herons from consuming all the fish. When I visited I did see some trout basking in the sunlight, so perhaps it will work, if only temporarily, until the herons notice the cranes don’t move about too much.

You can wander from one garden environment to another as you explore the grounds. The guide book has a full plant listing as well as indications as to the best time of the year to view them.

Walking towards the dovecote you will pass a very fine timber frame barn built in 1619 and thought to be perhaps Shropshire’s finest example.

The traditional walled kitchen garden is really fun because there are so many varieties of fruits and vegetables growing outside and in the green houses. There’s asparagus, to artichokes in full flower, real sweet corn and squashes, sweetly scented peaches, espalier fruits on the walls and flowers for cutting for the main house. There is also the opportunity to purchase plants to take home.

The tea shop and gift shop used to be the stables and is an interesting adventure into when the English explored the world and developed colonies.

“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my” and much more are mounted on the walls as trophies brought back from exotic places of travel.

Although it is not everyone’s cup of tea to see such trophies, you must remember that they were all collected a long time ago.

All of the wild game and birds are mounted with the breed, date and location of the capture and although it’s not a teddy bear’s picnic, it would make a good geography and natural history lesson to try to find the places on a map and learn about the various breeds. The oldest date I could find was 1875.

There are also hatchets, shields, spears, swords, arrows, drums, and huge fish.

In good weather you can have tea in the patio instead of the tearoom.

The present Hodnet Hall was not the only residence on the property originally. In the beginning there was Hodnet Castle, a motte and bailey castle and if you look in the field by the car park, you can still see the mound.

There was also a house on the tearoom side of the pond which they gave up because it was decided to be too damp and shady.

The present house (not open to the public) was built in its location because of its high vantage point and good sunlight. It was built in 1870 in an E formation, neo-Elizabethan design. The architect for the house was Anthony Salvin. The house has mullioned windows and the present Heber-Percy family thought that it needed restoration rather than the full 72 rooms, so removed the top floor of the building in order to preserve the rest.

History abounds at Hodnet in the garden design and development and the families that have loved it enough to never have let it leave their family unit.

Hodnet is not a place to rush through, there are benches for sitting in sun or shade, in the centre of activity or in seclusion of the woods-listen to the birds in the trees, the waterfowl talking and splashing, bees buzzing, the wind in the trees and the water flowing and go home with a sense of peace and thankfulness for the Heber-Percy Family’s willingness to share the specialness of Hodnet with the public.