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Our History

The Easton Estate has supported a rural way of life for centuries, providing a home and workplace for generations of families. And although times have changed as the years have passed, in our little community some things have stayed constant – working hard to keep the Estate healthy, revelling in the beauty of our unique landscape, and breathing in the sweet scents of the seasons when each day is done.

The Easton Estate’s story begins in 1561 when the Cholmeley family took up residence here. Life as a rural estate in the 16th Century meant a whole community working and growing together. Something which holds true to this day. 

Some members of the team still call the Estate’s limestone cottages home and members of the Cholmeley family are at the heart of everything that happens here, from the look and feel of our holiday cottages and the illustrations that adorn our own range of products in the shop, to the handmade baked goods in our Applestore tearoom.

In recent years the family and community at Easton have dedicated their focus to restoring the Estate’s historic spaces so it can continue to thrive in the future. 

From family home to soldier’s sanctuary

For most of its history, life revolved around Easton Hall, a home for generations of the Cholmeley family. 

In their original incarnation, the gardens were a series of walled enclosures framing the manor house. As eras passed, the gardens were modified, from the overlooked walled gardens for Tudor and Jacobean tastes, to Victorian garden design that created borders, ornamental stonework and glasshouses. 

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Estate was featured in the pages of Country Life magazine and received a visit from the former US president Franklin D Roosevelt. His words about Easton still resound today: “A dream of Nirvana…almost too good to be true.”

The global events of that century left Easton permanently changed. The hall and grounds were a natural sanctuary for injured soldiers convalescing during World War I. During World War II, the Estate was used as a barracks, during which time a large amount of damage was sustained, leading to the eventual demolition of the hall in 1951.

Easton today

Careful restoration and transformation since the early 2000s has brought Easton and its Walled Gardens back to life, for the community and the local environment.

In our historic spaces, new experiences are waiting to be discovered. 

Listen out for the sound of skylarks and blackcaps and look out for the blues, greens and oranges of the butterflies in the meadows. Soak up the scents of The Pickery. Escape the daily routine for the night, or three, in one of our cottages or pick-up a collection of our seeds to take a little peace of Easton home with you.

Stay

Visit our dedicated site for holiday cottages in the gardens and the nearby village, Burton-le-Coggles.

The Gardens

Down the lane, through the gate, beyond the wall. And breathe.

Work With Us

Want to join the team?