Trentham: Nature, Gardens and History

Trentham Lake and the Italian Gardens lie at the heart of Trentham Gardens. In Trentham, landscaped garden spaces, wildlife and historic buildings come together to offer different themes for your stay.

Nature and landscape

Trentham Lake is one mile long and was landscaped by Capability Brown. It is surrounded by woodland, wildflower meadows and naturalistic planting by Nigel Dunnett. The lake and planting give the garden landscape different accents: here, Brown’s design of the water meets a naturalistic planting scheme.

The wider landscape of the Trentham Estate offers woodland and lowland heath, linked by paths. Public use of the woodland paths is encouraged, subject to the Estate’s rules. This means the nature theme extends beyond the landscaped garden areas into the wider Estate landscape.

Trentham Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-roaming Barbary macaques; the number may change over time. Its wildlife offers a different focus from the landscape around the lake: Barbary macaques are the main attraction in the Monkey Forest, while water, woodland, meadows and planting shape the scenery around the lake.

Garden design and history

At the top end of the Italian Gardens stands a statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa. It is a copy of Benvenuto Cellini’s masterpiece from the 1550s; the original is now in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The statue thus connects a specific spot within the gardens with a work of art whose original is in Italy.

Trentham Hall is also represented by its surviving structures. The surviving remains of the grand entrance and conservatory were designed by architect Sir Charles Barry and built by James Trubshaw between 1833 and 1842. They offer a glimpse of the estate’s design and building history.

The Green Route is a heritage walk around surviving buildings on the Trentham Estate. The Black Route, by contrast, follows the route of the former Trentham Park branch line. The difference lies in their historical focus: the Green Route takes in the surviving buildings, while the Black Route follows the former railway line.

Activities at Trentham Gardens

The Trentham Fairies Trail leads through the gardens. Visitors solve clues and discover fairy sculptures along the way. An outdoor adventure play area gives children the chance to climb, slide, balance and explore the natural surroundings.

The disc golf course at Trentham Gardens is set in a woodland area, has nine holes and is available all year round. Another way to experience the gardens is a 90-minute guided bus tour with a member of the horticultural expert team.

The activities differ in type and duration: the trail focuses on clues and fairy sculptures, disc golf on its nine holes, and the bus tour on a 90-minute guided experience. When choosing, you can weigh up a discovery trail, an activity in the woodland area and a guided tour of the gardens.

Discover more destinations: Barton Under Needwood, Perton, Pattingham, Longnor, Burton-upon-Trent, Rolleston-on-Dove, Eccleshall, Meerbrook.

For the wider travel overview: Staffordshire.