The Menagerie at Horton was designed by Thomas Wright of Durham as a folly for the park of the third Earl of Halifax's great house (now destroyed). After two major restorations of the house in the last thirty years, the Menagerie garden has been much extended and enhanced by the present owners.
Imaginative and sometimes dramatic planting of the five acres has resulted in one of the most original and enjoyable gardens in England. The walled garden, created during the last few years, is a major addition to the scheme, which includes woodland, water and wild plantings as well as more formal beds and vistas. There is also a shell grotto, gothic arbour and chapel.