THE CASTLE OF TREMATON

The Garden of House of Hackney

First built in 1066, Castle of Trematon still marks a threshold. Beyond its ancient walls lies a different way of seeing - one where Nature is not the backdrop, but the guide.

Perched above the River Lynher in Cornwall’s Tamar Valley, Trematon is a rare, secluded world within worlds: a nine-acre estate of ancient woodland, orchards, and sub-tropical gardens, rich in biodiversity and layered with history described by The Times as ‘the most romantic garden in Cornwall’.

For us, this is more than a place. It is the garden of House of Hackney.

A RETURN TO THE LIVING WORLD

After years in Hackney, East London, our founders, Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle, were invited to become custodians of this special place. What began as a move from city to countryside became something deeper: an immersion in Nature’s rhythms. Growth, decay, rest, renewal; cycles that underpin all life.

Here, the founders began to observe Nature not just as inspiration, but as a teacher.

A living system with 3.7 billion years of intelligence.

The most enduring operating model there is.

WHERE WONDER TOOK ROOT

It was here, in these gardens, that the first seeds of WONDER GARDEN, our apothecary collection, were sown.

The quest was simple, yet profound: to reawaken a sense of wonder in the natural world, and to invite others to see themselves as part of it, not separate from it.

Guided by the land, Frieda and Javvy began planting not just for beauty, but for biodiversity and belonging. Wildflower meadows were encouraged to return, rich with pollinator-friendly species. Medicinal herbs - rosemary, sage, lemon balm, calendula, and nettle - were cultivated for their healing properties. Native species were reintroduced alongside more unexpected, sub-tropical plantings that thrive within Trematon’s unique microclimate.

The planting and tending without pesticides but instead using Nature’s principles, became an act of restoration and Nature bounced back.

Each garden bed became an experiment in how to work with Mother Nature, not against her.

From this living, evolving landscape, WONDER GARDEN emerged.

DISCOVER WONDER GARDEN

LEARNING FROM NATURE

Through the gardens, orchards, and soil, a new way of thinking began to take root. One grounded in interdependence, adaptability, and regeneration.

These learnings did not remain within the bounds of Trematon. With the House of Hackney team, they became the foundation for a different way of doing business: one that moves beyond extraction, and instead seeks to restore, replenish, and give back.

Nature became not just muse, but mentor.

A LIVING ESTATE

Today, Trematon is stewarded as a living ecosystem. Biodynamic principles guide the care of the land, supporting soil health, biodiversity, and seasonal rhythms. The gardens hum with pollinators, birds, and native species; orchards bear fruit; herbs are gathered for teas and remedies; and life unfolds in abundance.

The interiors draw from the enchanted garden outside - Nature at her most surreal, layered with antiques, craftsmanship, and the enduring beauty of William Morris textiles. Throughout, there is a sense of harmony between inside and out, past and present in continual relationship with the natural world.

STEWARDSHIP NOT OWNERSHIP

We see ourselves not as owners of Trematon, but as its custodians.

Temporary caretakers of a place that has existed long before us, and will continue long after.

This belief extends beyond the land. It shapes how we think about House of Hackney itself: not as something to extract from, but as something to tend. A vessel through which we can honour natural resources-these sacred elements-and ensure they are cared for, respected, and renewed.

Our role is to be a link in the chain of continuity.

To take what we have inherited, care for it well, and pass it on, restored and enriched, to future generations.