Historic Gardens

From sweeping vistas to organic vegetables, English Heritage cares for a number of historic gardens and landscapes around the country.

Find beautiful gardens to visit and learn more about the history of gardens through the ages, including those created by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the 18th-century pioneer who radically changed the world of landscape gardening.

Winter garden highlights

There's nothing like a fresh winter walk through a beautiful historic garden. Our castles, halls and stately homes are enchanting in the colder seasons, and now is the perfect time to make the most of rewarding garden walks and sparkling wintry views.

We've selected nine of our favourite gardens for you to visit this festive season. Wrap up and keep warm for a cosy winter adventure outdoors.

Find a garden

RE-DISCOVERING WALMER'S PLEASURE GROUNDS

In a £2.3m project at Walmer Castle, English Heritage is taking action to revive and reunite gardens begun by William Pitt the Younger, assisted by his niece, Lady Hester Stanhope.

Read on to find out how we are going to recover these lost features, re-unite them into the pleasure grounds, and re-present them for future generations to enjoy.

Find out more

How to Harvest Apples

Introducing Edgar Ashman, the third gardener at Audley End. Today Edgar is harvesting apples for the cook, Mrs Crocombe, who is making gateau de pomme.

See what Edgar gets up to in the gardens under the close watch of head gardener, James Vert.

Gardens to Visit

From rolling parkland and stunning vistas to elegant parterres and working kitchen gardens, we look after some of the most magnificent gardens in the country. If you're looking for inspiration, we've picked out some of our favourites here.

Top 10 Gardens for Gardeners

Wrest Park

Enjoy over 90 acres of beautiful gardens, including landscapes remodelled by Capability Brown.
Audley End

Wander the tranquil gardens created by Capability Brown, and enjoy stunning views across the Essex countryside.
Kenilworth Castle

Walk in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I in Kenilworth Castle’s restored 16th-century garden.
Brodsworth Hall

Explore this 15 acre garden connected by tunnels, bridges and pathways, including a fern dell built in the 1860s.
Osborne House

Enjoy the glorious terraces and stunning bedding made possible by the mild climate at Queen Victoria’s Isle of Wight home.
Walmer Castle

Look out for spring blooms on Walmer’s woodland walk, and vist the tearoom to sample produce from the organic kitchen garden.
Eltham Palace

Explore a rare example of a 1930s Arts and Crafts garden during a visit to this stunning Art Deco home.
Down House

Visit the site of great scientific discovery at Down House, the home of Charles Darwin.

HISTORIC GARDEN BLOGS

MOUNT GRACE: HOW TO SPOT AN ARTS AND CRAFTS GARDEN

Simplicity of design, use of local materials and traditional craftsmanship were all central principles of the movement we now know as ‘Arts and Crafts’. Discover how this applies to gardens.
POET AND… GARDEN DESIGNER? ALEXANDER POPE AT CHISWICK HOUSE AND MARBLE HILL

Pope was at the forefront of new ideas at the time, setting the scene for some of the biggest changes in garden design in his time.
THE HISTORY OF OSBORNE MYRTLE IN ROYAL WEDDINGS

Myrtle, a delicate white flower that grows at Osborne, has been the flower of choice for royal brides since the 1850s. In this blog we investigate the royal tradition and it's popularity at weddings.
20 YEARS AT DOWN HOUSE – THEN AND NOW

In this blog we reveal how we re-presented the historic estate after acquiring it in the mid-1990s – and how we’re still bringing Darwin’s home to life 20 years on.
NOT JUST CRICKET: 7 SPORTS PLAYED AT OUR HISTORIC PLACES

While the rules and attitudes might have changed over the years, many historic sports are still recognisable today. Here are some sporting highlights you can explore in our historic gardens.
HUMPHRY REPTON AT KENWOOD: A NEW VISION FOR THE LANDSCAPE

At Kenwood in London, Repton provided advice on significant changes to be made to the landscape, and here we explore the designs that were used – and those that were not…
HOW CHARLES DARWIN’S GARDEN INSPIRED THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

From playing music to earthworms to wandering up and down his own ‘thinking path’, Charles Darwin found plenty of inspiration for his theories at Down House in Kent.
How to garden like a Medieval Monk

Discover how much attention monks paid to their gardens. We take a closer look at the history of Mount Grace Priory and the role gardens played in the daily life of its monks.