Testimonials

  Really enjoyed our visit to Stone Lane. Very different form normal gardens but beautiful. Very interesting pieces to see in a lovely setting.

  We decided to take my 90 year old mother around Stone Lane gardens which is literally a 5 minute drive from our home. There is an honesty box for the... read more entrance fee of £5 per person in one of the sheds.

We arrived shortly after the gardens had opened and there was only one other car in the large car parking field.

The gardens are very tranquil with lots of sculptures and statues situated in amongst the planting.

The garden is vast and quite hilly in some areas which would be difficult to negotiate if you are not able bodied.

The bog and water garden area is under construction and repair and there is a notice for donations to help fund the restoration project.

There are lots of interesting plants and the garden would be worth visiting at various times of the year to see the different plants in bloom.

Well worth a visit.

  Tuesday 18 August 2020, My husband and I decided to visit Stone Lane Sculpture Gardens in Chagford. Stone Lane Gardens are a spectacular 5 acre woodland and water garden on... read more the edge of Dartmoor National Park that enchants and inspires in all seasons of the year. It is famous for its National Collections of Birch and Alder trees.

Stone Lane Garden is threaded with pools and streams, while gleaming tree bark in myriads of shades are enhanced and complemented by a varied tapestry of shade-loving plants.

Stone Lane Garden started life back in 1971, as a place for Kenneth Ashburner to start planting the birch and alder trees he was starting to acquire on his trips abroad as well as trees given to him by other collectors. Over his life Kenneth collected more seeds and as the plants outgrew his nursery, so he planted them out in the garden.

Kenneth’s gradual and artfully planned landscaping created the framework of the garden you see today. It is a garden crammed full of unusual and beautiful trees, many of them rarely seen in the United Kingdom. Stone Lane Garden is not just a National Collection; it is a reminder of a world too precious to be ignored.

Stone Lane Garden is also a sculpture garden, and every year they hold a ‘The Mythic Garden’ Sculpture exhibition, this year was its 28th celebration. It is an important showcase for West Country artists, and is held annually at the gardens within the beautifully landscaped National Collections of Birch and Alder trees.

Amongst groves of trees, pools and streams, individual sculptures can be seen within their own natural ‘frames’. The gardens create a magical setting for this exhibition, and are a photographer’s paradise. My husband and I took loads of photographs, as the sculptures are tucked away around every nook, cranny and corner all around the gardens and are a joy to discover and find.

Whilst all sculptures were good my favorite was bunch of ‘Copper Roses’, they we so lifelike you just wanted to go and pick them. My husband’s was a wooden sculptured ‘Rabbit Face’ a bit like The Mad March Hare.

The 2020 ‘Mythic Garden’ exhibition showcased artists from Devon, Surrey, Hampshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. It showcased work as diverse as a naked pottery lady sitting in a boat suspended from the trees to owls sculpted in wood and marble and in media ranging from manmade materials to glass and ceramics.

Mark and I spent most of the afternoon wandering around this wonderful and creative garden. It even inspired me to write two poems here called ‘Tales On The Breeze’ and ‘At Alice’s Place’. We left here as the garden closed .

We visited this garden the year previously, and we hope to visited it again in 2021, as the sculpture exhibition is really lovely to visit, even though there we not so many sculptures this year due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

If you like gardens then this is definitely a place to visit when you are in the area.

  You can enjoy a peaceful walk through the tree collections. Parts of the water gardens were waterless and there were very few flowers at this time in summer so it... read more might be better for a spring visit. Disappointing that there were not good views over the surrounding countryside as the trees have obscured them all now. A little judicious pruning would make all the difference.

  We had a wonderful visit, very tranquil gardens with great views of the moor and sheltered spaces with seating. If you love Birch Trees this place holds the RHS national... read more collection. A beautiful water gardens.
A recent addition are the Tea rooms with outdoor seating! A friendly welcome and great service from the volunteers who ‘person’ the cafe. COVID 19 safety was very evident and made us feel safe whilst we enjoyed our cream tea.
Do go and visit!

  What a wonderful garden, so unusual, never know what is around the corner. Unusual sculpture, water features and quirky things dotted about.

  We visited today very quiet and beautiful with an adventurous toddler. We expected to stay about an hour and were surprised the time went so quickly and were there for... read more two hours. Friendly greeting and goodbye. Loved the art installations of birds in the trees on arrival and finding all the sculptures and structures. Lovely pools and stream, we all enjoyed crossing the many little bridges and wildlife. We would love to visit again and would recommend this beautiful place

  Beautiful informal gardens, with winding paths and sculptures. Very peaceful, ideal if you are feeling stressed. Small cafe with some outdoor seating. We went in July 2020 at the... read more time of the pandemic so it was a flat rate of £5 per person, children free. Pay online in advance or by phone or cash when you arrive. Be aware that the road up to the gardens is very narrow with very few passing places. We returned via the road to Castle Drogo, which is a better road. If you wanted a day out you could visit both in one day as they are only 10 mins apart.

  My partner and I got a little lost on the way trying to find the designated car park, as the route we were following using Google Maps took us directly... read more to the courtyard opposite the entrance to the gardens. Signs at the courtyard indicated that this was being used as a disabled car park, and we did not pass any signs on our way in indicating where the main car park was.

We just drove into the courtyard briefly to try to find a member of staff to help us. My partner got out of the car and had a look around to try to find someone to assist, but the only person around was a lady in her front garden opposite the entrance to the gardens, who appeared to live in said house within the courtyard. My partner very politely asked if she knew where the car park was, but this individual was EXTREMELY RUDE and hostile to my partner, and shouted at her to follow the signs over and over again, which my partner tried explaining were not visible to us on the way that we entered the area. She continued being volatile to my partner, who ran back to the car in tears. We almost drove the hour it took us to get there back home instantly, as we were made to feel very unwelcome and upset.

I appreciate that the neighbour may be unhappy that people are encroaching on her quite area, especially with the current pandemic, but the gardens were open - it was the second day of the opening of the new exhibition. We were appalled by her behaviour - being kind costs nothing. I expect we weren't the first people to be on the receiving end of her abuse and I am sure that it is detrimental to the charity and all the hard work it puts into the gardens.

When we both calmed down, we decided that we would try to find the car park and enter the gardens because we didn't want to give the unkind neighbour the satisfaction of turning us away.

The gardens themselves were absolutely beautiful, so peaceful and tranquil, and the art within the gardens complimented the beautiful natural surroundings, adding a certain magic. My partner and I spent just under 4 hours taking our time to enjoy and explore all within the gardens and we found the suggested donation of £5 per adult to be reasonable.

It is a shame that our day was momentarily spoiled by one individual. I suggest that a member of staff have a conversation with this woman to identify her issues, and that for those relying on Google Maps to find this fairly hidden gem to improve signage so that the car park is more easy to navigate to, because you do not want to ask the neighbour for directions!!