Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Park

Head Gardener's Comment

Towneley Hall is now Burnley's Art Gallery and Museum set in a large park between the town and the countryside. In 2010 a Lottery funded restoration progranmme will be completed.

There are woodland walks, avenues.and formal gardens and monuments including a medieval cross,an ice house and a Monks Well.There is a demonstration sustainability and permaculture garden in the old walled garden(Offshoots 01282 450270 ).

History

Elements of a Baroque garden (avenues, a fomal pond dating from before 1735 and an area known as the Wilderness)remain but much of the Park shows the influence of Charles Townley in the late 18th century. and the informal English landscape gaarden style.Today it includes an early 20th century. bedding out scheme and Children's play areas.

Plants of Note

Every year a bedding scheme in the Italian Summer is planted for spring and summer. There are several ancient oaks and many yew trees and a mulberry which was formerly trained on the wall at the back of the Hall.

There are many early rhododendrons , some dating from 1845, on the woodland walks.