Garden exhibition charts 250 years of change

16:51 20th October 2011

Greenhouse enthusiasts might be interested to learn a garden exhibition at Arley Hall, Cheshire, is charting the changing face of horticulture over the last 250 years.

It shows the evolving fashions of gardening at the Hall, as well as its links to the family that have owned it for more than two centuries.

Jane Foster, who helped put the historical record together, told the Knutsford Guardian that Arley Hall is unusual compared to most large gardens as it has belonged to the same family throughout its history.

"There have been no professional garden designers throughout the years - the family's passion for the gardens has shaped what you see today," she added.

Arley Hall has been in the family of Lord Ashbrook - the current owner - for 500 years.

Last month the garden was awarded a prestigious prize at the European Garden Heritage Awards in Germany at the Centre for Garden Art and Landscape Design.