William Hartland Banks and his wife Dorothy began laying out Hergest Croft in 1895 on a hillside above Kington, planting trees and shrubs bought directly from the French nurseries Vilmorin and Chenault. Five generations of the Banks family have since extended the gardens to 70 acres, now holding National Collections of maples and birches and more than 130 trees registered as Champions for their size or rarity. The Azalea Garden and Park Wood, a valley of mature oak and rhododendron reached across open parkland, sit apart from the formal areas around the house. Maples Tearoom serves light lunches and cream teas across two indoor rooms and a covered veranda. The gardens open daily from late March to early November, with dogs welcome on leads.
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