The 1st and 2nd Dukes of Montagu

Boughton’s gardens were laid out to impress the eye, for decades the landscape was carefully shaped and teased by the 1^st and 2^nd Dukes of Montagu into a series of stunning vistas, tree-lined avenues and bold water features.

But in 1749, after 60 years of intense creativity, the great House and its Estate passed to families with other substantial properties. Boughton was no longer a family home and nature reclaimed the terraces, the waterways silted up and the landscaped woodlands were adapted to sporting use. For more than 200 years the huge formal gardens were almost lost.

Garden Restoration

The passion of recent generations has fired a major restoration programme in the parkland. We have replanted hundreds of avenue trees (including a mile of limes) and restored the spellbinding series of waterways, lakes and reflecting pools created when the River Ise was first canalised. The man-made Mount has been uncovered, freeing up commanding views of the revitalised landscape and the new 21st century garden.

You can also treat your nose in the Walled Garden with its herbaceous border, flowerbeds and newly created Sensory Garden. The peace and beauty of the Rose Garden and the ancient Lily Pond are well worth seeking out.