NTS Broughton House & Garden
12 High Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4JX
Broughton House stands in the heart of Kirkcudbright, a historic town and former artists’ colony on the Galloway coast, southwest Scotland. The Georgian townhouse is the former home of Scottish painter E A Hornel, artist, collector and best known as one of the ‘Glasgow Boys’. Here you can see his paintings and those of his contemporaries, as well as visiting his impressive gallery, studio and extensive library.
In the closely packed streets at the heart of Kirkcudbright there is little evidence of green space, so the garden at Broughton House comes as something of a surprise. The house looks out over Hornel’s Japanese-influenced garden, which backs on to the River Dee. Hornel was inspired by several trips to Japan, which is evident in many of the garden features.
The enchanting garden was designed and maintained by Hornel between 1901 and 1933. As well as inspiring many of Hornel’s paintings, the garden is a work of art in its own right. It is laid out in a series of ‘garden rooms’ with narrow winding paths leading you from room to room. You can feel the intimate and quite magical atmosphere that prevails throughout the garden. It is full of colour, mostly herbaceous, mature apple trees and an Edwardian glasshouse with old pelargonium varieties, as well as a fruit and vegetable garden. The recently named hardy orchid Dactylorhiza 'Tizzy Hornell' was selected and named after Hornel’s sister Elizabeth, who was also a keen gardener.
Hornel’s passion for collecting is evident in the many stone features, which enhance the decorative quality of the garden. These include five sundials, curling stones, querns, stone troughs and many architectural fragments, providing interesting focal points for visitors.
Website: www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/broughton-house
Telephone: 01557-330437
Opening times: 1 Feb–28 Mar, Monday to Friday, 11.00–16.00 (admission by honesty box). 29 Mar–31 Oct, daily, 10.00–17.00 (last entry 16.30).
Admission costs: Members: Free, Adult: £8.00, Concession: £7.00, Child: £2.50, Family: £17.50.
Garden of the Week is in association with Discover Scottish Gardens. For more information, advice and day-out ideas, visit discoverscottishgardens.org
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