Brodsworth Hall and Gardens

About Brodsworth Hall and Gardens

Brodsworth Hall was built between 1861 and 1863 for Charles Sabine Thellusson, to designs by the London architect Philip Wilkinson, and by the end of the 1860s its formal gardens had been fully laid out. The family's fortune went back to Peter Thellusson, a banker and merchant whose wealth was partly linked to the transatlantic slave economy. The house stayed in the family until the death of its last resident, Sylvia Grant-Dalton, in 1988.

English Heritage took over the estate in 1990, when it had fallen into disrepair. The house has been conserved much as it was found, while over the past 30 years the gardens have been returned to their Victorian formality. In 2026 Brodsworth was named Great British Garden of the Year.

What to see

• Formal gardens with bright bedding schemes and clipped topiary.
• The fern dell, crossed by bridges, and the wild rose dell.
• The Target Range, restored with intricate paving, colourful beds, a summerhouse and a Classical eyecatcher.
• Miss Pam's Garden, a private garden recreated using historic maps and ground-penetrating radar, with 500 to 600 new shrubs and trees.
• Quirky garden buildings, including an 1864 privy.

Planning your visit

Brodsworth is near Doncaster; follow the brown signs. There is a tearoom in the servants' wing and an outdoor play area themed on the family's history. Tickets are valid all day.

The upper floors of the hall are currently closed, though the ground floor and the rest of the site are open. The hall itself closes for the winter, but the gardens stay open year round. Remember that dogs are not allowed on site.