Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum

01/06/2026

Main season means new opening hours!

Until September 30th, we are open 10:30 - 18:00 every day, with last entry at 17:00.

Please note:
The Visitor Centre and Rooms will close at 5:00pm. The rooms may be closed for private events - please check before you visit. The Earl Grey Teahouse is open to garden visitors only - last orders will be at 5:15pm.

We hope to welcome you soon!

29/05/2026

Wondering what our team get up to on a Friday afternoon? Weeding, planting, mowing, it’s all going on!

A hive of activity as always here at Howick. Hope to see you this weekend!

27/05/2026

Our favourite spot in Northumberland: Howick Hall

Plan your visit to Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum, where every season reveals something new. Whether you come to pause by rose-lined borders, follow winding arboretum trails, or simply sit with a cup of Earl Grey Tea, we’d love to welcome you.

Step into history and explore today.

22/05/2026

Have you seen Copley Bridge in the Long Walk?

Maria Copley was Henry, 3rd Earl Grey’s wife and she carved all the grotesques on the north side of the church which Henry rebuilt in the 1840s after the previous church burned down. Despite being the eldest of 15 children he and Maria had none themselves. He had a reputation for being rather a curmudgeon but, as my father pointed out, perhaps this was in part due to sadness having grown up in such a large family.

17/05/2026

A dreamy rhododendron series by

At Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum, Silverwood is the place to be for its remarkable collection of rhododendrons, first developed by Charles and Mabel Grey to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in the 1930s. The garden features a wide range of species and notable hybrids, including striking large-leaf varieties and colourful cultivars, many originally sourced from China and the Himalayas.

Flowering typically runs from late March through May and into June, with some species also prized for their dramatic new foliage. Despite occasional Spring frosts, the coastal setting here at Howick often helps protect them, making the display a highlight of the gardens each year.

Come and see for yourself! The gardens are open today 10:30 - 18:00

13/05/2026

Our photo competition closes on June 1st! Tag and Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum on your posts to enter and be in with a chance of featuring in our next Howick Calendar 😍

We’re inviting you to share your favourite photographs taken at Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum, whether captured this year or on a previous visit. You could win a prize and see your image featured in our 2027 Howick calendar!

Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

To take part, simply:
Post one photograph taken at Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum on social media
Tag Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum in your post and
By using this hashtag, you confirm your entry into the competition.

Entries already submitted for the 2025 competition will automatically be included. If you have any new photos feel free to submit those in addition.

Closing date: 1st June 2026
Winners will be announced shortly after the competition closes with the 2027 calendars on sale from July.

We can’t wait to see your wonderful images and the many ways you’ve captured Howick through your lens.

Best of luck to everyone! ✨

10/05/2026

📆 On this day in 1773 The Tea Act was passed by Parliament, an attempt to save the troubled British East India Company and to combat the smuggling of cheap Dutch tea. This act, imposing additional taxes, was hugely unpopular in colonial America and lead to various acts of rebellion, including the famous Boston Tea Party. 📜

Although there are records of tea drinking in England from the 1650's. the marriage of Charles II to his Portuguese bride, Catherine of Braganza is said to have dramatically increased the popularity of the drink, with Catherine's tea drinking habit quickly catching on at court. 👑

As tea drinking became more popular in the British Isles blending teas to find the perfect taste became something of an art. Flavouring tea with Bergamot oil seems to predate Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, but he has certainly become a part of the legend surrounding the drink. Allegedly created to make the best of the water at Grey's home of Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum, Jacksons of Piccadilly claim to continue to provide the original Earl Grey blend after being given the recipe in 1830. Whatever the truth, a nice cup of tea is still the traditional British cure-all whether served with milk or lemon! ☕

Enjoy the perfect cuppa with one of

Find a guide below! ⬇

📷 Laura (Tours with Laura) & Tess (Tours with Tess) having a nice cup of tea in the Earl Grey Tea Room at Howick Hall, Northumberland. Image via Laura Rhodes.

Institute of Tourist Guiding FEG Tourist Guides World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations. (WFTGA) VisitEngland Visit Northumberland