The Garden Company: Redesigned Long Garden at National Trust Cliveden

Blending heritage with modern design thinking, James Scott – MD and Principal Designer at Accredited Contractor, The Garden Company – has recently led a transformative redesign of The Long Garden at National Trust property Cliveden in Buckinghamshire. Appointed last year to reimagine the iconic space, James and his design team have drawn inspiration from the original vision of pioneering 20th-century garden designer Norah Lindsay, while infusing the garden with a bold, contemporary planting style. The redesign not only honours the garden’s historic roots but also tackles several modern environmental challenges. Now fully completed, the revitalised Long Garden is officially open for visitors to explore and enjoy.

James commented:

‘What I really hope is that when people visit they will find it a very immersive, tranquil experience.  There will be all-year interest and at the height of summer there will be some large,  dramatic herbaceous plants making people feel that they are ‘in’ the space rather than simply going through it.  I hope people will thoroughly enjoy this experience’.

The Garden Company design team has worked closely with Cliveden’s Head Gardener, Anthony Mason, throughout the project. Cliveden is a popular visitor attraction, attracting around 0.5m people annually and well-known for its beautiful gardens, grounds and country house. The estate spans 376 acres, with about 180 acres dedicated to gardens, which are designated as Grade I listed.

Design process

The new Long Garden design includes some key changes: replanting four central flower beds with a more modern scheme, replacing the central path – currently covered with artificial grass - with indigenous sawn York stone paving and replacing the old box hedging with more resilient Yew hedging.

The new planting scheme for the central flower beds has a main season of interest from spring to autumn, and consideration has also been given to the winter months. Given the seasonal interest required for year-round National Trust visitors, particular emphasis has been given to plants that have several attributes at different times of year – for example, winter seed heads as well as summer flowers.

The new sawn Yorkstone path is wider, providing more space and accessibility for visitors. Hand-dressed edges will create a more crafted and aged look, aligning with the aesthetic of the Cliveden estate and the house’s Victorian heritage.

For more information about The Long Garden project, visit here: The Long Garden Conservation Project | National Trust