Walled Kitchen Garden

Reimagined by designer Ann-Marie Powell, our Walled Kitchen Garden is integral to everything we do at Isca, our striking new glasshouse restaurant.

Originally built in 1906, this one-acre, south-facing walled garden is enclosed by historic sandstone walls and entered through west-facing gates. It has been transformed into an innovative biodynamic kitchen garden that blends heritage with contemporary sustainable growing practices, creating an immersive “edimental” landscape where ornamental beauty and edible productivity exist side by side.

The design restores key historic features, including espaliered heritage fruit trees along the original walls and red brick pathways that guide visitors through abundant planting. These lead through collections of rare and unusual plants from around the world, continuing our long tradition of plant collecting and botanical exploration.

Bringing the garden to the plate

In a nod to biodynamic principles, the garden is divided into four quadrants inspired by the elements – earth, wind, fire and water – inviting guests to wander and enjoy seasonal drinks before dining, surrounded by the plants that shape the menu.

An edible wildflower meadow beneath a historic apple orchard and a vine arbour tunnel add layers of biodiversity, texture and seasonal interest.

The Walled Kitchen Garden forms a seamless extension to Restaurant Isca, inspired by our Victorian glasshouses of 1906 and the architectural detailing of Borde Hill’s mansion windows. Together, they create an immersive garden-to-plate experience, where seasonal produce is harvested just steps away from the kitchen.