Oxnead Hall has 15 acres of exquisite gardens. The gardens were originally laid out in the 1580s by Clement Paston, and were later enhanced by William and Robert Paston. They are of Italian Renaissance styling, featuring a central parterre with tiered terraces, a lake, a water garden, river frontage, a walled kitchen garden and a woodland garden. The whole makes up an exquisite peaceful and elaborate garden in this quiet and peaceful corner of North Norfolk.
The parterre is set out with manicures box hedging and yew trees in a formal style influenced by Tudor knot gardens. It is flanked by a triumphal arch which dates to 1580, an orangery, a beautiful herbaceous border, and a viewing mound. The central fountain is a copy of the original which is now at Blickling Hall! The original tiered terraces lead down from where the Hall once stood overlooking the parterre and the lake beyond.
The Water Gardens have been formed from the original moats which surrounded an earlier Medieval manor. They now have a more than passing resemblance to the Water gardens of Monets paintings, complete with ornate bridges, water lillies, and spring blossom trees.
The lake sits majestically between the parterre and the river. It offers wonderful reflections of the house and parterre and attracts a huge variety of wildlife, including swans, kingfishers, egrets and geese and ducks.
The 16th Century walled garden is nestled between the Hall and the Church. Flowers for the venue and produce specially selected for Oxnead's kitchens are grown here.
The Woodland Garden slopes gently away from the church down to the river. Dappled sunlight shining through the trees and the sound of birdsong make this a truly magical part of the garden.
The estate gardens lead down to the beautiful River Bure which meanders through this peaceful part of north Norfolk on its way to the sea, unchanged for centuries. It is a haven for wildlife, including birds, fish and otters, and can be enjoyed from a long island which sits between the lake and the river.