A brief history of the gardens
The house now known as Shandy Hall dates from around 1430 and would certainly have had a garden to supply the inhabitants with herbs and vegetables. The house has been lived in continuously for nearly 600 years by various families who have changed and developed the shape and character of the gardens.
The house became a parsonage in the early eighteenth century. Laurence Sterne came to live at Shandy Hall when he was appointed Perpetual Curate in 1760. Between his clerical duties and his writing he would also work in the garden. While he was vicar in Sutton-on-the-Forest, Sterne had written about planting peaches and nectarines there. However, he does not say if he was successful!