Kiftsgate Court Garden, Chipping Campden

Kiftsgate Court Garden is a privately owned and family-run garden situated near Chipping Campden, immediately adjacent to Hidcote Manor Garden. Unlike its famous neighbour, Kiftsgate has developed along different horticultural principles, representing a more intimate and personal approach to garden making. The garden was established in the 1920s and has been continuously tended by successive generations of the owning family, resulting in a landscape that blends formal structures with exuberant planting and a strong emphasis on colour and texture.

The garden is particularly renowned for its roses, including the famous Kiftsgate Rose (Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate'), a vigorous climbing variety now planted in gardens worldwide. Beyond the rose gardens, visitors encounter carefully composed borders bursting with perennials and shrubs, woodland walks, and unexpected vistas across the surrounding Cotswold landscape. The more relaxed and exploratory feel of Kiftsgate complements the architecturally precise rooms of Hidcote, offering visitors two contrasting yet equally rewarding garden experiences within walking distance of each other.

Visiting both gardens in a single excursion allows travellers to appreciate two distinct philosophies of twentieth-century garden design: Hidcote's revolutionary compartmentalisation and Kiftsgate's emphasis on naturalistic planting within an intimate family setting. The gardens' proximity to Chipping Campden and their accessibility by public transport make them ideal destinations for those following the Stratford to Moreton-in-Marsh journey with an interest in horticulture and designed landscapes. Together they represent a significant chapter in the development of English garden design during the modern era.