Walled Garden

Preston Hall Walled Garden is a beautiful example of an 18th century walled garden.

Believed to have been built in 1806 just after the house was completed, it remained relatively untouched until it was remodelled by Cecelia Margaret Callander (CMC) in around 1885. The original garden was built to supply fruit and vegetables for the main house and the flower garden, which appears to be added at a later date, was created to supply flowers for the numerous guests that would stay with the family at Preston Hall.

The most notable feature of the walled garden is the two gazebos. One gazebo is a staircase that leads up to a walkway and into to a small octagonal room in the second gazebo. This room was used by Cecelia to have afternoon tea whilst watching her gardeners hard at work. Behind the walls are two cottages. The closest cottage was the home of the Head Gardener and beyond this was the Garden Bothy. This was used as accommodation for the gardeners. At the peak of the garden’s life (in about the 1890’s) there were over 15 gardeners working. The garden continued to bloom until the 1970’s, when it became too expensive to maintain.

In November 2010, the Callander family received and knock at the door. Richard Edward had heard of the derelict walled garden and asked if he could see it. Looking for a restoration project, he soon made his mark and transformed the overgrown jungle into what can be seen today. The design and dedication of Richard created the foundations for the magnificent garden that can be seen today.

In October 2021, Kate Danesh joined the team as Head Gardener having worked at both Edinburgh Zoo and The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Kate has formed a talented team around her, and is making her mark on the garden year on year. Her knowledge and expertise can be followed on her monthly blog post.

Private Tours can be arranged for groups of 10 or more people. For further information please get in touch.