Gardens
Enjoy the spectacular colours and delicate fragrances of some of
Britain's finest gardens - from pretty cottage plots to colourful seaside
displays and grand country estates
Historic Gardens (part 1)
Start your journey through the centuries at Cressing
Temple (nr. Braintree) - where the walled garden is
beautifully recreated from medieval and Tudor
times. Wonderful 17th C. gardens have been
exquisitely restored at Hatfield House, including the
knot garden in front of The Old Palace - where Queen
Elizabeth I spent her childhood. Helmingham Hall
(nr. Ipswich) has splendid Grade I listed examples,
including the breath-taking walled kitchen garden.
Rose lovers should not miss Mannington Hall
(nr. Aylsham), home to thousands of classic varieties
from the 15th C. to the present day. The great formal
gardens of the 17th C. were modelled on extravagant
Dutch and French designs - the inspiration for Wrest
Park at Silsoe (nr. Luton) with its canals and follies.
The Stuarts loved the French designs too, and
at Blickling Hall (nr. Aylsham) you can see a broad
avenue flanked by formal parterres, which is typical of
this period. Felbrigg Hall (nr. Cromer) is noted for its
kitchen garden and orchard, where fruit and
vegetables were produced for the 17th C. household.
In the 18th C. formal parterres, beds and topiary were swept away in favour of wide
open landscapes - the most famous proponent being Lancelot ‘Capability' Brown
(1716-1783). He rose from humble origins to become the most influential
landscape gardener in Britain. Brown used focal points such as obelisks and
temples to link traditional gardens with the great deer parks beyond. Admire his
work at Audley End House (nr. Saffron Walden) and Ickworth at Horringer
(nr. Bury St. Edmunds). Brown is buried at Fenstanton (nr. St. Ives).
The grounds of Wimpole Hall at Arrington (nr. Royston) are another remarkable
example of a classical 18th C. landscape, complete with serpentine lakes and a
folly. It bears the hallmarks of Humphrey Repton (1752-1818) - who followed in
'Capability' Brown's footsteps as one of the greatest English landscape gardeners
of the 18th C. Born at Bury St. Edmunds, and buried at Aylsham - Repton brought
gravel walks into his gardens and reintroduced separate flower gardens nearer to
the house. The Swiss Garden at Old Warden (nr. Biggleswade) is an outstanding
example of how ornamental gardening and picturesque architecture were
combined in the early 19th C.
Historic Gardens (part 2)
The Victorians favoured flowers en-mass - with
bedding plants raised for public spaces, such as
today's Colchester's Castle Park, The Embankment
in Bedford and the award-winning Abbey Gardens in
Bury St. Edmunds. Seafront gardens also became a
popular place to stroll, with noted examples at
Clacton, Felixstowe and Southend. Other outstanding
Victorian gardens, include the summerhouse and
roses at Peckover House in Wisbech and
Somerleyton Hall (nr. Lowestoft), renowned for its
yew hedge maze. At Royal Sandringham (nr. King's
Lynn) you can see the Queen's favourite blooms.
On a smaller scale, the Edwardian Benington
Lordship Garden (nr. Stevenage) has
gorgeous herbaceous borders and a rockery. The
plot at nearby Knebworth House evolved since
the days of Queen Elizabeth I - and the herb garden
was a project of Gertrude Jekyll, one of the most
influential 20th C. gardeners. Anglesey Abbey at
Lode (nr. Cambridge) is noted for its snowdrops,
plus summer borders and dahlias. It has become
one of Britain's most beautiful 20th C. gardens.
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Specialist Gardens
True plant enthusiasts should start at Cambridge University Botanic Garden,
a 40 acre oasis, including tropical glasshouses and nine national collections. More
rare and unusual plants await visitors at Myddelton House Gardens in
Enfield - collected by expert botanist and author Edward Augustus Bowles
(1865-1954). Look out for the award-winning collection of bearded iris.
Great gardeners of the region include: Alan Bloom, who in 1953 pioneered
island beds for hardy perennials at Bressingham (nr. Diss) - today you can see
his celebrated Dell Garden. The equally impressive Foggy Bottom with its
all-season colour was created by his son Adrian. Planting in challenging dry and
damp soil in both sun and shade were pioneered by Beth Chatto at her famous
garden in Elmstead Market (nr. Colchester).
Dedicated to the ‘Queen of Flowers' - The Gardens of the Rose at Chiswell Green
(nr. St. Albans) has over 8,000 roses on display, complemented by a rich variety of
companion plants. More roses at the impressive RHS Garden Hyde Hall in
Rettendon (nr. Chelmsford), with its sweeping panoramas, inspirational
horticultural styles and year round interest and colour. Whilst at East
Ruston Old Vicarage Garden (nr. North Walsham), the owners have created a
microclimate miracle, featuring treats such as a desert wash and tree ferns.
Discover nine centuries of green-fingered history at Stockwood Discovery Centre
in Luton, including a sculpture garden featuring the works of Ian Hamilton Finlay.
More impressive sculptures in The Gibberd Garden at Harlow, where around
80 examples are set amongst glades, groves and ponds. The 200 year old
Elgood's Brewery at Wisbech, includes a four acre garden with specimen trees
and water features. Finally, head to Heacham (nr. Hunstanton) to smell the rich
fragrance of English lavender wafting across the purple fields of Norfolk Lavender
Enjoy a wander through the perfumed gardens.
The countryside becomes a patchwork
quilt of colours in the Summer - from the
vibrant yellows of the oilseed rape, the
field mustard and the sunflowers, to the
blues and purples of flax and lavender
Nature's Gardens
One of the region's most vibrantly colourful sights is
purple heather mixed with bright splashes of yellow
gorse at Dunwich Heath (nr. Saxmundham) on the
unspoilt Suffolk Coast. A wildlife haven - Pensthorpe
(nr. Fakenham) has a dazzling Millennium Garden of
perennials and grasses, designed by plantsman
Piet Oudolf. Whilst the Wave Garden harmonises
beautifully with the changing seasons.
Spring is a good time to visit Fairhaven Woodland
and Water Garden at South Walsham (nr. Norwich)
to see the UK's finest collection of naturalised
candelabra primulas. This is also a great place for
magnificent Autumn colour too.
The Victorians adorned trees, and collected many
species from abroad - leading to the development of
the arboretum. Marks Hall (nr. Coggeshall) has a
tree collection originating from every temperate
area of the world. Walk along the double rowed
avenue of giant Sequoias, planted in the 1800's to
honour the Duke of Wellington in Lynford
Arboretum at Mundford.
Laid out by 18th C. landscape gardener Humphry Repton, there are fabulous
coastal views, rhododendrons and azaleas at Sheringham Park More spectacular
woodland planting can be admired in Hoveton Hall Gardens at Wroxham. Around
100 species of birds have been spotted here, along with the elusive White Admiral
butterfly. Water and wildlife are the themes for Gooderstone Water Gardens
(nr. Swaffham), where 13 bridges span ponds, waterways and a sparkling
trout stream. See colourful bog plants, mature trees and border perennials.
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Calendar of the Seasons
Start the year with spectacular displays of snowdrops
in the region. Spring sees our civic parks and
gardens noted for their masses of daffodils, whilst
ancient woods are carpeted with bluebells.
The countryside becomes a patchwork quilt of
colours in the Summer - from the vibrant yellows of
the oilseed rape, the field mustard and the
sunflowers, to the blues and purples of flax and
lavender. Fenland fields are resplendent with bright
cutting flowers, such as roses, Sweet William and
gladioli. Heathland comes alive with colourful
heather and gorse, whilst our saltmarshes are
covered with the purple of sea lavender.
Bright red poppies dot the landscape - with a part
of North Norfolk (around Overstrand) once known
as ‘Poppyland'. It got its name from the 19th C.
travel writer Clement Scott who described the fields
ablaze with poppies at harvest time. Autumn
brings wonderful walks amongst the vibrant rustics
and gold's of our ancient forests and woodlands.
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Garden Events
Throughout the year, the East of England has a wonderful selection of
garden-related events - from a tour with the head gardener at our stately homes,
to traditional country shows and fetes with their gardening competitions.
Enjoy the spectacular displays at flower festivals, or be a real ‘nosey parker' and
explore the secret gardens of our picturesque villages - such as Woburn,
Aldham (nr. Colchester) and Chelsworth (nr. Hadleigh). Look out too for the
Wisbech Rose Fair and Sandringham Flower Show (nr. King's Lynn).
The National Gardens Scheme raises money for many deserving causes by the
opening of private gardens throughout the region. Invitation to View is another
scheme which allows you to enjoy private tours (normally with the owner) of historic
houses and gardens not normally open to the public.
Click here for our full listing of garden-related events
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Click here for our full listing of gardens and historic houses to visit.
