An interesting cottage garden on different levels.
The rear garden is a series of terraces with a wide variety of plants.
The side garden is given over to vegetables and has a large fish pond stocked with several species of cold water fish.
At the front of the house the garden is sown with a nice variety of herbaceous plants.

Ashcliffe is a garden in a natural setting, bordered by a rock fall stream. Our woodland walk takes advantage of nature with log seats, curios and a small pond. Our sloping site, regrettably, is not suitable for wheel chairs, inludes a large model windmill.

The mature garden at Atherton House is bordered by a natural stream and contains a wide variety of shrubs and trees, including a glorious acer. The gazebo provides a peaceful spot from which to bird watch. The garden is often visited by the peacocks from next door.
 

Ayrefield Lodge is predominantly a cottage type garden divided into several compact plots.
Herbaceous and shrubs, roses and water features, rockery and specimen trees. These together with herbs and vegetable plots provide a continuing interest through all seasons.

The gardens have been developed over the last six years and are still maturing.
At the front of the house there are rose beds made up of traditional English roses with a mix of hybrid tea and floribunda varieties.
To the rear of the house there is a large patio area surrounded by a herbaceous border.
A stream runs through the garden and this feeds a pond that has a marginal planted area.
There are two rockeries that are well stocked and large areas of lawn surround the house.

A magnificent rockery dominated by huge boulders overlooks the car park. Attractive rose gardens and shrubberies to enjoy. Steps rise to a tree-lined meadow with lots of sky and striking views all around.

Reclaimed from marshland in the 1930's for a smallholding, the site is exposed and overlooks the Lancashire plain.
The three quarter acres site has been developed since 1987 by the present owners who are keen 'plants people'.
As a year round garden of trees, shrubs and woodland plants grown for foliage and form included are collections of acers and conifers.
The water feature and rockery development was completed for 2006 and the alpine house and vinery for 2007.

English Cottage Garden in about one third of an acre comprising several different areas.
The most adventurous might like to walk to the pond/woodland area, passing on the way rare-breed hens, an area presently under renovation.
Main garden area is suitable for wheelchair access.

The Village of Dalton and St Michael & All Angels Church – A Brief History

The parish of Dalton comprises a ridge of high land with its north east slopes facing the River Douglas. The highest point of the ridge, Ashurst Hill (174m) commands splendid views of the surrounding countryside for many miles. On it stands the prominent landmark of Ashurst Beacon which was erected at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. With its elevated position above the mosses and lowland plain of South West Lancashire to the west, Dalton attracted settlement from earliest times. It is recorded in the Doomsday Book as Daltone and had assumed its present name by 1212. From being a single possession of the thane Uctred in 1086, the land of the parish had passed into family ownership by the time of the Civil War. Ashurst Hall, the seat of the Ashurst family certainly existed in 1649, probably earlier. A dovecote of that date stands by the pond behind the church.
The parish comprises a mosaic of pasture, woodlands, streams, lanes, banks and hedgerows. Many of the fields are irregular in shape, varying in size and mainly hedged. There are signs of woodland clearances which have taken place over the centuries. Many streams and rivulets fall through wooded cloughs to the River Douglas. Natural ponds abound and the adjacent Leeds-Liverpool Canal follows the course of the river. An ancient network of winding lanes, tracks and footpaths cris-crosses the parish.
The story of the church begins in 1870 when Dalton Tithe barn was converted for use as a church. It held 130 worshippers. The present church was constructed a few years later on ground adjacent to the tithe barn which was originally the orchard of Ashurst Hall. The church was built from sandstone taken from the local “Round O” quarry owned by Lord Skelmersdale. It was consecrated on St. Michael and All Angel’s day, 29th September 1877.
Two years later, a new school was built a little further down Higher Lane using materials taken from the old Tithe barn Church. It was opened on 5th May 1879.
The parish boundaries were extended in 1982 to take in the northern part of Skelmersdale New Town. Following a fire in July 1988, the interior of the church was re-ordered and new chancel furniture constructed in limed oak. In 2001 the new owners of Ashurst Hall acquired the field on the north side of the church and converted it for use as a local amenity. This has provided the car park and green space and is used by the many visitors to the church and school. They also donated a twelve metre strip of land to extend the existing graveyard on the north side. Today, the church is s significant landmark in the local area and is known as “The Church on Ashurst Beacon”.
Not exactly a garden, but during the 'Dalton Gardens' day the church is open for tea and biscuits and a chance to sit down.

The gardens at Douglas Bank have recently had a major replanning and redesign, to create a series of formal areas around the house.
These include a laburnum walk, now underplanted with alliums and lavender, a small herbaceous border and sun terrace overlooking a formal pond and knot garden and fernery to the rear of the property.
Away from the house the established shrubbery borders slope to an area which eventually leads to an orchard bordering the field.

The house was built in the late 50’s for Mr. Edward Barton’s retirement from farming. The original Grange Farm was over the road, however he brought the name with him. The rear garden was given over to fruit and vegetables, notably prize cauliflowers and rhubarb. It is now primarily a family garden with wonderful views over the Douglas valley. The present owners extended the house in 2003, with further hard landscaping in subsequent years.
 

Find the giant willow man, the bronze lady and the family of badgers in this 7 acres of gardens surrounding the 17th. century farmhouse. In undulating grounds, you will see white and blue peacocks roaming free and a pair of barn owls. Limited wheelchair access.

Exactly one mile from the top of Long Heys Lane can be found 'Lower Orchard'
It is a narrow piece of land, with an orchard at one end and a paddock at the other. In between is the 'lived-in' garden, with swirling paths, lawns. shrubs, flowers, trees and tranquility. Wheelchair access for garden part only.

Pinewood extends to some nine acres and is a mixture of formal lawns, borders and a large herb garden flanked by dense pine woods with a developing arboretum, under-planted with wild flowers. There are stunning long views from front and side.

The farm was originally built around the time of the Civil War. It was later acquired by a certain Captain Prescott by winning a bet with Lord Derby. More recently it has been a country restaurant and now a family home in which the present owners live in retirement.

The garden, over a 25-year period, has developed within the tradition of garden rooms linked by paths, with a waterfall, pond, pergolas and sitting areas. The main area slopes away from the side of the house, forming a sunken garden, in the shade for much of the day, sometimes making cultivation challenging. The farthest part is boggy with willow trees, bamboos, expanses of marsh marigolds in spring and bounded by oaks, sycamores and hawthorns.

The entrance to Treetops leads under the room on stilts, down the lawn, past a large terrace with an old oak tree surrounded by stone seating. On the left it expands into mixed woodland and contains a large pond. On the right here are an orchard, flower beds, shrubberies and many winding paths. For the sure footed adventurous there is a path down to the river Douglas and a precipitous one along the right of the property. On the far left is a fence keeping out next door's deer.

Set within a former orchard, this garden was redeveloped some 24 years ago by the present owners. Mature trees surround the many features including a small folly in the dip of the undulating lawns. A reclaimed sleeper bridge crosses a dry stone bed and extensive rockery linking the less mature pasture land featuring a magnificent view to the Fylde Coast. 

A newly developed garden set in four acres with a small lake attracting wildlife all year round. There is a large rockery which follows the slope of the land and a small rockery with a water feature. Planting has been done during the last three years and we await maturity.