SUMMER is a lovely time to visit Scampston Walled Garden – but then again so is spring, autumn and early winter.

Set within the 18th-century walls of the original kitchen garden for Scampston Hall, the walled garden is described as four acres of “plantsman’s paradise”.

The garden had been derelict for nearly 50 years when Sir Charles and Lady Legard, whose son Christopher now lives at the hall, undertook the huge renovation task.

Not content with a traditional restoration project, they set about producing a stunning garden with a contemporary feel.

The restored garden was designed by Piet Oudolf, one of the leading figures in perennial planting, in 1999 and continues to flourish and develop thanks to its team of gardeners assisted by a group of dedicated local volunteers.

Although Piet’s ideas are now much imitated, Scampston has been described as an outstanding example of the way in which he combines his skill as a designer with his authority and knowledge as a plantsman, in what remains his largest private commission in the UK.

The garden is divided into several separate ‘rooms’, with a recently restored Victorian conservatory in the centre which is used as a heritage and learning centre.

Head gardener Paul Smith said the garden was an ongoing project of maintenance, pruning and replanting.

“It is a contemporary garden and the planting is very naturalistic,” he added.

“As well as the staff we have a team of volunteers who are important to the work we do here and help throughout the seasons.

“This year we have been working on the perennial meadow section in the centre of the garden which is a magnet for butterflies and bees, and because of the choice of plants does not require any staking.

“The beauty of this garden is that it is different every week and changes from one season to the next, so there is always something going on throughout the year. That is the nice thing about this style of garden – it has a very long season for visitors to enjoy.”

In addition to the walled garden, the hall grounds also contain 80 acres of gardens, parkland and ‘Capability’ Brown lakes, with several way-marked trails to help visitors explore.

Scampston Hall itself has belonged to the same family since 1690 and was remodelled around 1800, providing one of the finest examples of a Regency country house.

Administrator Anne Ainsley said that with the hall and garden featuring on a number of television programmes – Scampston recently hosted the filming of the feature-long drama An Inspector Calls for the BBC – visitors were coming from all over the world.

“We now have people from Europe as well as further afield and we are expanding what the garden has to offer,” she added.

“The conservatory, which was built by Richardson of Darlington in 1894, has been restored thanks to a £1million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and others and now provides a focal point.”

Anne said the conservatory also housed a series of exhibition rooms which gave visitors the opportunity to discover more about the history of the building and the people who lived at Scampston in the past.

“We are aiming to offer an insight into life at Scampston through the displays and also through oral history recordings,” she added.

“The facility has also enabled local schools to visit as well as offering different courses, talks and special events throughout the season.”

Anne said although parts of the garden dated back to the 17th century, it was a very modern garden which was constantly developing and evolving.

“Our aim is to widen our audience to encourage more people to enjoy the gardens by creating different strands of interests for all ages,” she added.

“A lot of people come here thinking they will spend an hour looking round, but when they actually get here they find they can easily spend the day here enjoying the beautiful surroundings.”

For more information on Scampston Walled Garden, go to www.scampston.co.uk or phone 01944 759111.