Photograph of the new Knot Garden by Geoff Watkins, Aerial Imaging South East.

The Knot Garden

July 26, 2021

The Cathedral has a new knot garden designed and created by Head Gardener Graham Huckstepp.

Popular in Tudor times, the sections were enclosed by low hedging and often contained herbs. The monks who resided here at the Cathedral Priory of St Andrew would have been very familiar with herb gardens, growing them for medicinal and culinary properties although this 21st century example may well contain some colourful surprises.

The garden is planted with lavender, guara and verbena. The colours of these plants work well together and they are vey relaxing and calming to look at and to smell.

The inspiration for the design came from the elaborate ironwork decorating the Great West Door.

Knot gardens are so named because the pattern of their planting looks like a knotted rope. The design is usually in a square frame and made up of a wide variety of delicious smelling plants and herbs.

Knot gardens were originally developed at the end of the Tudor period. Our knot garden is situated very near where Tudor King, Henry VIII, met his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves for the first time.

Graham Huckstepp
Head Gardener

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