Ham House Lavender: Inside the Cherry Garden at Ham

Have you ever smelled a garden before you saw it?

At Ham House it happens at the edge of the Cherry Garden. The beds beside the house are packed with lavender, set in a pattern of low box hedges and clipped cones, with the red brick of the house behind. My photos here are from a summer visit.

Some years the National Trust also lets visitors cut the lavender themselves at the end of the season. This is the garden, how the cutting works, and how to see it.

Where Is the Lavender at Ham House?

The Ham House lavender grows in the Cherry Garden, on the east side of the house. Ham House is a National Trust property on the Thames between Richmond and Kingston. It was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour.

What Is the Cherry Garden at Ham House?

A formal parterre. Diamond-shaped beds are edged with low box and dotted with small yew pyramids, box cones and domes. Most beds are filled with lavender, some with grey santolina. A statue of Bacchus stands at the centre, an original piece from the Lauderdales' garden.

It is a re-creation. The National Trust laid it out in 1975–76 from a plan of 1671, drawn while the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale were enlarging the house. Hornbeam tunnels run down the sides, so you can walk its length in shade.

When Is the Lavender in Flower at Ham House?

In summer. English lavender usually flowers from June into August, and that is when the Cherry Garden is at its most purple. By late August it is fading, which is why any cutting comes at the end of the season.

Can You Pick Lavender at Ham House?

Sometimes. At the end of the season, when the plants are pruned, the Trust has opened the Cherry Garden for lavender-cutting days. In 2023 they fell on four weekdays in August and September.

The dates aren't fixed, and it doesn't run every year. Before you go hoping to cut some, check the Ham House events page on the National Trust website.

How Does Lavender Cutting at Ham House Work?

You book through the National Trust website. The gardeners supply the pruning tools, and no experience is needed.

You cut the spent stems as the plants are trimmed back for the year, and take the bunches home. It is pruning, really, with a souvenir at the end.

What Else Is There to See at Ham House?

The house itself, one of the most complete seventeenth-century houses in the country. William Murray leased it from 1626. His daughter Elizabeth married the Duke of Lauderdale in 1672, and together they enlarged and furnished it. The Tollemache family gave it to the National Trust in 1948.

Beyond the Cherry Garden are the Wilderness and the kitchen garden, and the café is in the Orangery.

Is Ham House Haunted?

It is often called one of the most haunted houses in Britain, with stories of the Duchess of Lauderdale still walking the rooms. Since 2023 the National Trust has moved away from the ghost-tour angle.

Where Else Can You See Lavender Near London?

For fields rather than a parterre, see my guide to lavender fields near London. Across the river by Hammerton's Ferry is Marble Hill House, free to go into.

Richmond Park is just above Ham, and in spring the Isabella Plantation is the place for colour. Or follow the river into town for a summer's day in Richmond.

Visiting Ham House Lavender: Practical Notes

📍 Where: Ham House and Garden, Ham Street, Richmond TW10 7RS. The lavender is in the Cherry Garden, beside the house.

⏰ Opening: In 2026, the garden daily from 10am to 5pm and the house from 11.30am to 3.30pm.

🎫 Admission: In 2026, adults £18, children £9 and families £45. National Trust members free.

🚇 Getting there: From Richmond station it is 1.5 miles along the river path. Or take bus 65 or 371 to Ham Street and walk half a mile.

🚗 Parking: Free at the Ham Street car park, 400 yards away, with a few Blue Badge spaces on site.

☕ Food: The café in the Orangery, 10am to 4.30pm in 2026.

⏳ How long: Half an hour for the Cherry Garden, or two to three hours with the house.

📷 Best time: A sunny day between late June and early August, for the lavender in flower.

🗺️ Nearby: Hammerton's Ferry to Marble Hill runs daily from March to October (£2 for adults in 2026). Richmond Park, and the riverside into Richmond.

Dogs: Allowed on a short lead in the garden, shop and café.

Have you walked the Cherry Garden in July? Would you cut the lavender if the Trust opened it to visitors?

_______________________

Did you enjoy this article? If you'd like to contribute to the running costs of WithinLondon, click the button below:

All photos were taken by Ina/WithinLondon, unless stated otherwise.