The county of Devon, in the south-west of England, is a popular tourist destination, due to its beautiful coastline, seaside towns and wild moorland. It’s also a great place for garden-lovers to visit as there are some beautiful places to explore. Here are details of just some of the gardens in Devon that are open to the public.
Bicton Park Botanical Gardens (East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon)
Situated in the Otter Valley, in East Devon, Bicton Park Botanical Gardens is the perfect place to go for a family day out. The oldest of the gardens, the Italian Garden, dates back to 1735, whilst the Pinetum and Arboretum includes more than 300 species of tree.
Other gardens at Bicton Park include the Hermitage Garden, the American Garden, the Mediterranean Garden and the Rose Garden, and there are also four large glasshouses, in which you can see plants from around the world.
Bicton Park is also home to a number of other attractions, including the Bicton Countryside Museum and the Bicton Woodland Railway. It’s open all year round (although it’s closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Bicton Park is usually open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m during the summer, and between 10 a.m and 5 p.m. during the winter (although it may open for fewer hours during the Christmas holidays). Admission fees apply.
Image: Burkhard Gutleben
RHS Garden Rosemoor (Great Torrington, Devon)
RHS Garden Rosemoor is situated in Great Torrington, in North Devon, and covers 65 acres of land. The estate was given to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) by Lady Anne, in 1988. Lady Anne was a keen gardener and spent many years developing an 8 acre garden around the house, travelling and bringing back plants from all over the world. This part of the estate is now known as Lady Anne’s Garden, and contains more than 4,000 plants.
The Royal Horticultural Society developed the estate, creating new gardens and a reservoir, and RHS Garden Rosemoor opened to the public in 1990. Today, you can explore the gardens, which include the Rose Garden, the Fruit and Vegetable Garden, and the Arboretum, and take walks in the nearby woodland. There is also a visitors’ centre, a restaurant and tea room, a shop, and a plant centre, where you can buy flowers and plants to take home with you.
RHS Garden Rosemoor is open all year, from 10 a.m. It closes at 5 p.m. from October to March, and at 6 p.m. during the rest of the year. Royal Horticultural Society members can visit the garden free of charge, but admission fees apply for non-members.
Coleton Fishacre (Brownstone Road, Kingswear, Devon)
The Coleton Fishacre estate, in South Devon, was constructed in the mid-1920s for Rupert and Dorothy D’Oyly Carte, who used it as a holiday home. Rupert D’Oyly Carte was the Chairman of the Savoy Hotel Group and owner of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Savoy Theatre.
The garden at Coleton Fishacre cover 30 acres of land, and provides stunning views of the sea, as it slopes down to meet the South West Coastal Path. It contains plants from around the world, including rhododendrons and camellias, and you can also see attractive water features and a gazebo. You can also take a tour of the Coleton Fishacre House, which was decorated in the Arts & Crafts style, a style most associated with William Morris.
The Coleton Fishacre estate is now owned by the National Trust. It’s open to the public between 10.30 a.m. and 5 p.m on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between the 1st of March and the 31st of October. Admission fees apply.
Tags: Bicton Park Botanical Gardens, Coleton Fishacre, Devon, Gardens, RHS Garden Rosemoor, U.K.
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