Larnach Castle & Gardens in Dunedin, New Zealand

When I visited Larnach Castle, I thought I knew exactly what to expect: a historic folly of a building surrounded by established trees and decorated with the occasional Victorian flower bed.

The castle was somewhat as expected, as I’d seen lots of pictures, but the gardens were a complete surprise. They have been nurtured and expanded over the past 50-plus years by owner Margaret Barker. There is a number of fascinating sections, including a South Seas garden, a rediscovered rock garden and a formal raised lawn – The Green Room  – which leads through a laburnum tunnel to views of distant Dunedin.

History

Larnach Castle was the dream of Australian-born merchant banker and politician William Larnach, who became head of the Bank of Otago in 1867. He purchased the site on the Otago Peninsula in 1870 and began building the castle-like mansion. Artisans from around the world were brought in to decorate the neo-Gothic structure. Larnach lived there with three successive wives and their children until 1898 when, after a series of financial failures and rumoured scandals, he took his own life in a room in New Zealand’s House of Parliament. 

The property subsequently passed through a series of owners and periods of abandonment until it was purchased by Margaret Barker and her husband Barry in 1967. The young couple moved into the draughty, unheated building and began its restoration while raising their family.

In the process of clearing engulfing plant growth from the site, Barry uncovered the long-buried rock garden. Margaret says it was this discovery that set her off on her gardening apprenticeship. Since then, she has progressed to become a master gardener. She was adding New Zealand plants to her garden well before gardening with natives became a trend. Travels to gardens in various parts of the world have also inspired her work.

In the late 1990s, a tour to the Chatham Islands encouraged her to establish the South Seas garden using plants from New Zealand, its offshore islands, Lord Howe Island and the coast of Chile. Gondwanaland plants feature in other parts of the garden, including The Field, where Southern Hemisphere beeches (Nothofagus spp.) cosy up to the related European beeches (Fagus spp.).

Today

The Larnach Castle gardens aren’t just a feast for serious horticulturists; there really is something for everyone. An Alice in Wonderland theme will have children hunting for the stone Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts throne, the Curious Door and the bronze statue of Alice. All the flowers throughout the gardens provide close to year-round colour, and there’s even the occasional snowfall in winter.

Larnach Castle has been classed as a Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. Guided tours, ghost stories, history presentations, high teas and a ‘shoplet’ are also on offer. There’s accommodation for visitors who want to stay for more than one day.

Need to know

Larnach Castle & Gardens is open every day, including public holidays. You can visit the castle from 9am to 6pm and the gardens from 9am to 7pm between October 1 and March 31, and 9am and 5pm between April 1 and September 30. Entry is $45 for adults and free for children. The site is located at 145 Camp Rd, Dunedin, about a 20-minute drive east of Dunedin City. If you don’t have a car, look on the website for rental car and local tour company options.

For more info go to www.larnachcastle.co.nz

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Header image by Lanarch Castle