Cascades Gardens. Bonsall, Derbyshire.

Nestled in the hills of Derbyshire in the old historic mining village of Bonsall, a great discovery was made. For buried deep into the cliff side under a dark, dense and suffocating veil of hogweed, brambles, stinging nettles and ancient Elderberry trees lay hidden a gardener’s land of dreams.

Rescue finally came to this wild four-acre plot in 1996 when garden enthusiasts Alan and Elizabeth Clements moved into ‘Cascades’. Alan and Elizabeth discovered the lost garden after peering over a wall whilst out walking. It was for them like finding their very own Lost Garden of Heligan, it was everything they had been looking for. And so began Alan and Elizabeth’s ten year long restoration project on this very special historic garden.

After a decade of digging, planning, building, pruning and planting, the main elements of restoration have been completed. Set on many undulating levels the garden incorporates the old workings of a corn mill as well as an ancient lead mine. The garden paths meander alongside the watercourse, which at one time would have fed the waterwheel to grind the corn. This now culminates with an enchanting 15ft waterfall fed by a beautiful pond set right at the far end of the garden.

To the opposite side of the garden, stretching skywards is a steep cliff, incorporating what was once a working lead mine. Upon this an arboretum has been planted where you will find more paths. Ensure to take time on your climb up the glebe to fully appreciate the spectacular array of perennial plants and flowers below harbaceous. The cliff top is the perfect place to catch your breath and take in the stunning views of the countryside. Take a moment to pause and fully appreciate nature’s glory.

The garden now boasts hundreds of different varieties of perennial plants all of which have been sourced from as far as North Scotland to Plymouth and all counties in between. Over the years the collection of plants have been found during Alan and Elizabeth’s many plant hunting weekends. Alan has also been able to fulfil one of his other ambitions and has set up his own A to Z perennial plant nursery.

The inspiration for the renovation of this garden has come from many different influences. In particularly from the pioneering herbaceous perennial gardener Alan Bloom with whom Alan follows his great passion for perennial plants and borders. Alan is enthusiastic about locating plants and flowers in their natural settings, planting them as they would have been in nature as well as reintroducing native wild flowers to the landscape. Another of the couple’s major influences in the planning of Cascades has come from their visit to the famous Zen Buddhist temple, Daisen-in, Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, Japan. It was here that both Alan and Elizabeth were inspired to integrate the natural scenery with a very subtle mix of artificial landscaping. The garden has taken full advantage of all the dramatic natural land contours and blends beautifully with the helping hand of human nature. As time goes by Cascades continues to change, develop and mature.
There is a wonderful ambiance of calm captured in this garden, where a spiritual oasis has been created, a sanctuary of relaxation and reflection. It is one of Derbyshire’s best-kept secrets and most definitely worth a visit.