The best english garden getaways
Spring is starting to bloom here in the UK and, now more than ever, time spent outdoors and in nature is certainly time to cherish. We’re blessed with many fine English gardens - here are three delightful getaways where the garden is a big part of the draw - for when we can travel again!
Gravetye Manor, Sussex
Not only are the historic gardens here completely exquisite year-round, but Gravetye also has a fabulous restaurant that is glass fronted, so you can enjoy some of the delicious produce grown in the very grounds (expertly prepared by Michelin chef George Blogg), all the while feeling as if you are almost sitting in the garden. Even the art work has been designed to reflect the grounds. Originally created in 1885 by visionary gardener William Robinson, the historic gardens at Gravetye are considered to be one of the most important in England. Today, head gardener Tom Coward and his team continue to innovate, approaching the landscape as one which celebrates nature, rather than controls it. Explore the flower garden, the amazing walled kitchen garden, orchards, meadow and croquet lawn. It’s a heavenly place.
Gravetye Manor. Photography credit - Claire Takacs
Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
The first creation of revered garden designer Rosemary Verey in the 1950s, the gardens at Barnsley House are a beautiful example of a classic English country garden. Perhaps best know for the iconic Laburnum Walk, the gardens are also home to a lily pond, a knot garden, a lime walk, and a bountiful kitchen garden which supplies much of the produce found on the menus at the hotel. Verey’s style can very much still be admired today, with her structure of formal framework underpinning a generous abundance of planting. Barnsley House offers private garden tours led by head gardener, Jennifer Danbury, for those who want to learn more.
Barnsley House. Photography credit - Barnsley House
Tresco Abbey Garden, Isles of Scilly
Just 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall is a sub-tropical paradise. Tresco Abbey Garden was created in the 19th century by Augustus Smith, around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey. Today the garden is home to over 20,000 plants from 80 countries, from Mediterranean climate zones to shores as distant as Brazil and New Zealand. Majestic palms tower over succulents and tropical flowers - all without the glass of a hot house. There are plenty of places to stay on Tresco, including some lovely holiday rentals, and the 16 bedroom New Inn, and you receive complimentary entry to the garden when staying on the island.
Tresco Abbey Garden. Photography credit - Andrew Roland