Bishop’s Hall: The Landscape Design Journey
Set in the Oxfordshire countryside, Bishop’s Hall is a restored Grade II listed estate dating from the 19th century. Collaborating with HollandGreen’s Architecture and Interiors teams, our Landscape Design Studio is reimagining the grounds as a layered estate garden—one that will respect the period character, support modern family life, and prioritise biodiversity.
Understanding the Vision
The clients are seeking to create a legacy home—one built to last while fostering a strong connection to the surrounding landscape. Our role is to revive the existing gardens, restore key outdoor structures, and introduce new spaces for family living, entertaining, and retreat—all within the estate’s heritage context and natural setting.
The brief emphasises a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. Large glazed openings in the extended kitchen and Coach House will bring light inside and open onto the gardens. The landscape will respond with carefully planned vistas, paths, and points of interest that unfold across the estate, encouraging exploration and engagement.
Designing for Heritage and Habitat
The gardens possess traditional features, including formal lawns, a historic rose walk, and mature trees framing the views. However, areas such as the overgrown log store, deteriorated garages, and unused tennis court are currently underutilised and disconnected.
Our approach is to revitalise these spaces and introduce purposeful zones supporting family life and enhancing the estate’s natural flow. Formal garden areas will be restored and extended, with borders restructured to reinforce the original lawn layout. Beside the Coach House, a new outdoor living space with a covered oak-framed veranda, kitchen, and dining area will provide for entertaining. A swimming pool and recreational lawn will extend the rural setting. The historic Apple Store will be refurbished as a gym, surrounded by native planting and a regraded garden approach. New walking paths through the poplar wood and paddocks will create direct connections with the wider landscape. Materials are being chosen to complement the architecture—soft limestone paving, gravel paths, and reclaimed timber details will give the garden a refined, understated quality.
A Regenerative Approach to Nature
Biodiversity is central to the design. Working with ecologists and arboriculturists, we are identifying low-value ecological areas suitable for intervention without disrupting habitats. The pond will be restored and extended to support amphibians, birds, and pollinators. Wildflower meadows will be introduced across the northern paddocks, providing seasonal colour and pollinator habitats. Tree and hedge species are being selected for resilience and adaptability to future climate conditions. Demolition materials will be reused onsite as log piles and habitat mounds to boost ecological diversity. Sustainability informs all choices, from locally sourced materials to planting strategies designed to evolve with the landscape.
A Seamless Connection Between House and Garden
At Bishop’s Hall, architecture, interiors, and landscape will merge into a unified whole. The garden will extend the home, providing spaces for gathering, moments for pause, and a strengthened connection to the land. This will be a garden crafted for lasting enjoyment, where heritage and nature coexist in refined balance.
What’s Next
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Whether you’re looking to design a beautiful country estate or a unique urban garden, our expert Landscape Designers are on hand to create a space bespoke to your needs, designed to create wonderful moments and memories for years to come. Get in touch to find out more.