Carrick Hill

How many of us, on a Saturday or Sunday morning, ask the question – what are we going to do today?

How many of us answer – I’m not really sure. Well if that’s sounds like you I’ve got a fantastic outdoor space to spend time with the whole family and it’s only 7 kilometres from Adelaide’s CBD.

Set on 40 rolling, tree studded hectares Carrick Hill is an Adelaide icon and Australia’s most intact twentieth-century heritage house museum and garden.

The imposing English manor house was the home of Sir Edward and Lady Ursula Hayward. Completed in 1939, this heritage listed building and ground bequested to the people of South Australia now houses many internationally significant art collections and is open to the public.

Lady Hayward not only had a major input into the design of the home but also the garden.
After spending much time abroad, Lady Hayward wanted to recreate the feel of a traditional British estate complete with rose gardens, sweeping lawns, orchards and open spaces. And she certainly succeeded.

Carrick Hill’s grounds are a joy to spend time wandering and meandering around the formal rose gardens and perennial beds while taking in the views of Adelaide.

Every time I come to Carrick Hill, this is one spot I always admire, it’s the pleached pear arbor. The pear trees planted along this walkway have been trained to cover this structure through a technique called pleaching, which involves weaving and tying branches, to create a flat aesthetically pleasing, thick hedge that simply looks stunning.

The outer grounds, of around 26 hectares was modelled on the traditional English country park, and originally featured groves of trees, including hawthorns, quinces, medlars and nut trees. This area is now a vast space of native bushland for the visitor to explore.

There are so many things to see, do and experience at Carrick Hill plus free entry into the grounds so what are you waiting for? Check out the Carrick Hill website for opening times and coming events. You’ll love it.