Cholmondeley Castle

Home to Lady Cholmondeley, the castle is not open to tourists, but the ornamental gardens are worth a visit nonetheless. We especially enjoyed the beautiful water garden pictured at left, complete with flowering water lilies, and the colourful and unusually fragrant rose gardens. Numerous mixed borders are carefully tended and make for pleasant walks among the many paths and lanes of the gardens. Storm clouds blew up and then away during our visit, providing a changing (and often threatening) backdrop.

After a quick picnic at the lake, and a romp beforehand at the children's play area, we explored the extensive gardens, browsed in the gift shop (part of the castle proper), stopped for coffee and milk at the tea room, and then went on to visit the rare breeds of farm animals, most notable of which are the llamas. We missed the ancient private chapel in the park, yet another reason to return to these gorgeous gardens just a fifteen-minute drive from Nantwich in nearby Malpas.

Accompanied By: Robert and Agnes Kardos
Date of Our Last Visit: September 2003