The garden at the National Trust Prior Park Landscape Garden is open again, with tickets going on sale on Prior Park Landscape Garden’s website every Friday morning. Members can book for free, while non-members will need to pay when booking.
Things may seem a little different in the garden, but there are measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors. There is a one-way system around the garden to help manage social distancing and the flow of people, toilets are open and regularly cleaned throughout the day, and there are staff on hand to help answer any questions.
It’s been a quiet three months without any visitors and staff, but lockdown has allowed wildlife to flourish and there is lots to see when visiting through the summer months. Ducklings have taken over the Serpentine Lake and enjoy popping by Visitor Reception; the resident kingfisher is whizzing through; and if you’re lucky enough you may spot the heron by the lower lakes and the occasional deer.
Due to the ongoing Dams Project, the cattle aren’t grazing in the meadow, which means the wildflowers are looking particularly beautiful, especially the orchids. Although the Tea Shed is not open, the meadow and the bank by the lakes make the perfect spot for picnics, as well as enjoying the sight of the infamous Palladian Bridge.
For children seeking a bit of action, there are diggers to spot trawling up and down the pasture from the top of the garden to the lower lakes, as they help to restore the 18th-century dams. Visit through the summer months to see how the construction progresses.