Highgrove is famed for its magnificent Thyme Walk. Apart from its rarity, it is exceptional on account of its scale and the many different varieties of thyme grown.
Mature golden yew, clipped by the garden team into eccentric shapes, line the Thyme Walk, creating a whimsical aesthetic. Planted with varieties of thyme and interspersed with golden marjoram and primroses, the walk is bound on two sides by a pleached hornbeam hedge.
This impressive avenue draws the eye towards the house and the Terrace Garden. At the other end of the Thyme Walk is the Lily Pool and the bronze ‘Borghese Gladiator’ statue which was given to HRH The Prince of Wales by Lord Cholmondeley.
The Thyme Walk and surrounding lawns are enclosed by a striking clipped yew hedge. Designed by Sir Roy Strong, the hedge is trimmed once a year in the autumn over a period of around six weeks.
HRH The Prince of Wales has incorporated topiary into the Thyme Walk. It is cut once a year in the autumn.