Bank Hall Gardens comprise of curtilage at Bank Hall, in Bretherton, Lancashire, England. The gardens contain specimen trees including a yew thought to be the oldest in Lancashire. Many architectural features, statues, low garden walls, conservatory and greenhouses have gone but there are plans to recreate them. The Bank Hall Action Group has tended the grounds since its formation in 1995. The group has planted specimen trees and identified the flora and fauna. The group opened the gardens to the public in 1999 after building a security fence, erecting scaffolding to secure the building and clearing the overgrowth. New varieties of snowdrops, some of which are unique to the gardens were uncovered. After a visit from the Snowdrop Society in 2007 the garden has become nationally known for snowdrop carpets during February.
The gardens open for special events through the year.
History
The gardens were divided by pathways and yew hedges, the smaller gardens included a rose garden, enclosed formal garden, a walled kitchen garden, wildflower garden, arboretum, bog garden and orchards. An arboretum was created by George Anthony Legh Keck who planted specimen trees from around the world. The survivors have been identified and protected. Lady Lilford planted an Atlas Cedar in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Walled Garden
The walled garden contains a greenhouse and potting sheds along the north wall and a heated outdoor wall which runs a quarter of the length of the east wall. The gardeners grew exotic plants and fruit trees in the greenhouses. The apple trees at the south end of the walled garden survived and comprise Laxton's Superb (c.1922), Worcester Pearmain (c.1870), Newton Wonder (c.1890), Bismarck (c.1870), Bramley (c.1809), White Transparent (c.1870), Golden Delicious (c.1914) and Crimson Bramley (c.1913). As of 2013 grafts have been taken off all the fruit trees so that the garden can be restocked with these varieties when the garden is restored. In late 2013 a Mere de Menage (c.1700) tree was found in an old orchard outside the walled garden.
In 1999, the action group cleared the gardens after years of neglect to hold events. It was then the greenhouse was demolished for safety reasons. The boiler room was blocked off in 2007 for safety reasons and concrete beams removed because of deterioration in the potting shed. The Heritage Trust for the North West plans to restore the walled garden, as a 'Heritage Garden' in a separate project from the hall, the greenhouse and potting sheds would become a visitor entrance to the property.
Botanical Variety
Around the estate and flanking the carriage drive are Rhododendron bushes whose flowers are magenta, purple and one specimen has a white flower thought to be Rhododendron decorum ssp diaprepes. Other specimen's include Rhododendron catawbiense and Rhododendron macrophyllum.
There is research into identifying ferns, some of which have grown in the hall since the early 1980s when the roof of the west wing collapsed. The ferns include Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Ostrich fern, Blechnum nudum and Dryopteris filix-mas with more to be identified.
There are several varieties of daffodils, which dominate the grounds after the snowdrops have bloomed. Bluebells appear in shades of blue, purple, pink and white. Bank Hall was known locally for masses of primroses but due to tree planting in the 1980s, they disappeared but are making a comeback.
A giant Clematis vitalba grows over an archway by the north wing of the house has spread to the perimeter fence and created a wall. Carol Klein visited the gardens to view the specimen for Gardeners World as the specimen are usually found in New Zealand and south of England so it is unusual to find it growing in the north of UK. Red campion is common in the summer months in the arboretum, creating a meadow that attracts a variety of butterflies and insects. Since the grounds have been cleared Foxgloves have grown throughout the gardens, some reaching . As of June 2011 the sunken garden hosts the "Foxglove Forrest" which was created in 2010 from the spreading of seeds and established specimen relocated from around the gardens.