Top 10 Gorgeous Gardens

From the world famous to the well-kept secrets, here are some gardens along the Great West Way where you won’t be able to help but stop and smell the roses…

Iford Manor Gardens
For Iford Manor Estate’s remarkable gardens we have Harold A Peto to thank, a visionary architect who sought to fuse the style of the Italian gardens he’d admired on his travels with a series of attractive buildings. Cypress trees, sweet-smelling lilies and draping branches of wisteria all have their place. Set on a steep hillside, the garden offers inspiring views of the Wiltshire countryside. For a truly special treat, book an evening champagne tour of the garden with the owner, or stay in the gorgeous cottage on site (opening 2021) for a real immersion in the hidden, timeless beauty of the Iford valley.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 
For an unforgettable horticultural experience, make a beeline for Kew Gardens. For a quick and easy way to see the vast UNESCO World Heritage Site, hop aboard the Kew Explorer Land Train, which will wizz you round the main sites in around 40 minutes. Current highlights of any tour include the Palm House, built with a rainforest climate to nurture the plant life brought back by Victorian botanists; The Hive, an immersive experience that echoes the life going on inside a real beehive; and The Princess of Wales Conservatory, which is packed with all sorts of prickly curiosities from cacti to carnivorous plants. 

Cliveden House 
The gardens of 300-year-old Cliveden House hold just as much interest as the house - itself known for exuberant high society parties, political scandals and, most recently, its connection to a certain royal wedding. Meander through the 6-acre Parterre, with its distinctive triangular beds, be uplifted by the fragrant intermingling of fresh spring flowers and classical statues in the Long Garden and come over all romantic amid 900 roses in the heavenly-scented Rose Garden. 

Prior Park 
At this elegant 18th-century garden in Regency Bath, it’s easy to imagine parasolled ladies walking over the Palladian bridge in their flowing gowns. But there’s much more to see in real life. In early spring, silky white snowdrops and bright yellow daffodils begin to bloom. Come summer, you’ll find swans with their fluffy grey cygnets floating around together in the lakes, and tiny wild raspberries emerging in the woods. Stop for a cup of tea and a slice of something nice and just take it all in. 

Stonor Park  
Set in a valley in the Chiltern Hills, Stonor Park offers a lush mix of ponds, fountains and pleasure gardens. Stroll amid the neat box hedges, and see if you can find the hidden Japanese retreat. Or head to the Old Kitchen Garden, laden with bounty in summer, and be inspired to grow-your-own back home. The estate even has its own arboretum, which is a treat to visit during spring when the cherry blossoms fall - the ideal scene for budding photographers.

Hampton Court Palace
As host of the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, with 500 years of royal gardening experience, Hampton Court Palace is certainly no amateur. The gardens you see now are all a product of its rich history - the Baroque-style Great Fountain Garden for instance was executed by King William III and Queen Mary II’s gardener, in the shape of a goose foot as was fashionable then. Elsewhere you can navigate The Maze, which featured in Jerome K. Jerome’s novel, Three Men in a Boat, and tour the immaculate Royal Kitchen Garden with its heritage vegetables. 

The Savill Garden 
Starting life in the 1930s, these 35-acres of gardens are home to a whole spectrum of flora and fauna, from glades, woodlands and winter beds to spring bulb meadows and a Mediterranean garden. See flaming stars shine bright orange along the herbaceous border, spot purple globes of alliums in the dry garden and watch as the Summer Gardens become a circus of life and colour in season. But that’s not all all - other gardens, also part of Windsor Great Park, include The Valley Gardens, Virginia Water and The Long Walk and Deer Park. 

Bowood House 
Fashionable 18th-century gardener ‘Capability’ Brown has become synonymous with manicured English landscapes. He worked his magic on 100 acres of parkland at Bowood House, and it is now widely held to be the best preserved of his masterpieces. Sit for a while by the mile-long lake, behold the sweeping lawns from the terrace and learn more about the highly skilled designer and his work on a themed tour. Other highlights include an arboretum, woodland gardens and Lord and Lady Lansdowne’s secret walled garden - best in early summer when it blossoms with fragrant swathes of lavender, honeysuckle and peonies (see dates for guided tours).

Stourhead
A little way off the Great West Way in south Wiltshire, but a must-visit if you’re in the area, Stourhead is one of the most famous gardens on the list. Its classical architecture includes a grotto, used to escape the summer heat, a gothic cottage and its own Temple of Apollo - built in 1765 to rival the Temple of the Sun at Kew Gardens, which was then destroyed by a storm in 1916. It’s also known for its diversity of plantings, thanks to its 18th-century owner, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, who experimented with newfound trees and flowers from his adventures abroad. In particular the colourful rhododendrons, which at the time were a plant of some curiosity. 

The Courts Garden 
This garden, near Bradford on Avon, offers an enchanting glimpse at the quintessential English country garden. Less well known than some of the others on this list, it’s a lovely place to spend a summer afternoon. The formal garden, with its topiary and jolly, tulip-lined borders juxtaposes beautifully with the wilder arboretum and quiet lily pond. Keep your eyes peeled for benches, placed in perfectly peaceful spots around the garden. Alternatively, treat yourself to a sugary something in The Rose Garden Tea Room.

For more information and help on planning on your Great West Way journey, take a look at our suggested itineraries and the house and gardens guide. You can also visit our See & Do and Explore pages.