BeautifulGardens
& Estate
Take a moment to breathe, surrounded by nature’s beauty
You can’t miss the rhododendrons
Experience the outdoors at Ushaw
Thirty acres of beautiful park, gardens and woodland – just four miles from historic Durham City.
Whether you’re pushing a buggy, holding hands or exercising a furry friend, Ushaw’s gardens and grounds are a delightful place to unwind and leave your worries behind.
You’ll find space to roam and recharge, in amongst inspirational art, wildlife carvings, vibrant flower gardens and wildlife meadow.
Highlights
- Accessible formal gardens
- Woodland and estate walks
- The Bounds – open green space for play and events
- Woodland Play Park for children under 6
- Dog-friendly (dogs on leads welcome)
- Outdoor events and exhibitions
- Historic Georgian Quadrangle
The Story of Ushaw's Gardens
Our gardens tell Ushaw’s story perfectly. Once a community of faith, reinvented into one of Durham’s best visitor attractions, open for all since 2014.
When the seminary closed, its gardens fell wild and overgrown.
After lying abandoned and unloved, volunteer gardeners and friends of Ushaw set about saving them.
As we continue to restore them we love to see visitors perching on our benches with a good book, sharing stories over coffee and soaking up fresh air and freedom.
Our goal is for the gardens to not only be a wonderful place to visit, but also a chance to see a wide variety of plants, both common and unknown, just how the Victorian’s saw their gardens.
We have a long term programme to bring our rhododendron collection back to life, but already in May-June they burst into spectacular colour.
Old photographs show these magnificent plants as tiny shrubs as far back as 1865.
Discover The Way of Light
Take a journey through a contemporary pilgrimage on the Way of Light Northern Saints Trail which passes through Ushaw.
Blooming
Good Selfies
Our gardens bloom bright and provide a stunning selfie spot in front of the main house, St Cuthbert’s Chapel and our Library.
Wander a little further, past unusual trees like our Holm Oak, Monkey Puzzle, Weeping Ash, Sweet Chestnut and Purple Beech.
Dotted around are animal carvings, the work of acclaimed carver Tommy Craggs, using wood from a sweet chestnut uprooted during Storm Desmond.
Take Some Time
The Clock Quadrangle is currently being transformed by contemporary artist Rebecca Chesney
Wander in the Wolf Wood
Some historians believe Ushaw comes from the Anglo-Saxon term “Ulfs Shaw” meaning Wolf’s Wood.
There are a range of walks being developed through the estate starting at the main house and through our willow fields or Ushaw Park. From beautiful old woodland to views across to Durham Cathedral (more details coming soon).
Everywhere you’ll find clues to our enchanting past. The Beech trees at the bottom of drive were planted in 1800 to shield against the wind and keep building works secret from nosy neighbours. On the eastern drive, the holes of a forgotten golf course now lie under fields and pasture.
