hotel-xenia
  • STAY SAFE – COVID19 RESPONSE
  • STAY
    • Breaks
      • Family Breaks
      • Garden Breaks
      • Golfing Breaks
      • Shooting Breaks
      • Walking Breaks
    • Dog Friendly
    • Facilities
    • Reviews
  • EAT
    • The Brasserie
    • Afternoon Tea
    • Deli Delivery
    • A Hotel With Provenance
    • Exmoor Food Fest 2021
      • Exmoor Food Feast 2021
  • RELAX
    • Treatments
    • Pamper Packages
  • EVENTS
    • Weddings
      • Intimate Weddings
    • Celebrations
      • Christenings
      • Birthdays
      • Private Dining
      • Anniversaries
      • Funerals
      • Formal Dining
    • BUSINESS
      • Michelin Package
      • Engage Package
      • Refresh Package
      • COVID-19 Guidance
  • BLOG
    • OFFERS
  • CONTACT
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
Gifts Book
Gardens to Visit in Devon

Gardens to Visit in Devon

Published on 7th June 2016 by Eliot Wren On Local Area

Walking through the gardens of Devon can make you feel like you’re Alice in Wonderland, colours bursting and flowers blooming at every turn. Some of the greatest places to visit in Devon are filled with flora and fauna, and visitors bring back with them vivid memories of their days out in Devon, strolling through the roses in a peaceful, serene environment. Here are our top picks for gardens to visit in Devon this spring, summer and autumn.

Bicclescombe Park

Award winning Bicclescombe Park is one of Ilfracombe’s premier parks and situated in a valley bottom running north south, approximately one mile south of the town centre. It’s location provides a sheltered and often sunny environment, with beautiful walks, a boating lake, duck pond and watermill. The Wilderbrook stream runs through park before splitting into three streams which feed the Mill Leat, Boat Lake and Duck Pond. Bicclescombe Park is home to a stunning display of flowers, shrubberies, and evergreens. Visitors to the park can enjoy the quiet walks, tennis courts, children’s play area and a sensory garden.

Bicton Park Garden

A large glass dome greets you on your approach to Bicton Park Garden, sunlight filtering through it and warming the humble plants that grow inside of it. This structure is known as the Palm House. It was built in the 1820s and houses an array of plants. Some are small and delicate, easy on the eyes, while others are full-sized trees. There’s also a pinetum and arboretum for anyone who loves trees. The outlying flowers on the garden’s borders include favourites such as azaleas and rhododendrons.

Buckland Abbey & Gardens

© Copyright Neil Kennedy

© Copyright Neil Kennedy

A day out in Devon’s Buckland Abbey & Gardens is never wasted. Despite its small size, this charming stop will have you busy for hours as you waltz (or walk, if you prefer) through the rows of the abbey’s medieval garden and sample the mead made from the flowers there. The English countryside can be viewed to full advantage here, but many visitors will get caught up wandering the abbey, which was once home to Sir Francis Drake.

Greenway House & Gardens

Many of the famous settings of Agatha Christie’s novels were inspired by her childhood home at Greenway House. The grounds are home to a year-round garden and woodlands that surround the estate on all sides close to the banks of the Dart Estuary. The woodland setting is both fascinating and whimsical, and autumn brings with it a beautiful red hue to the trees’ leaves that attest to Agatha Christie’s own words that the estate was “a dream house” set amongst sprawling nature.

Heddon Hall Garden 

Heddon Hall isn’t your typical estate garden. The variety of species you’ll find curated here comes from a series of trips abroad by Jane Keatley, a herbalist who made Heddon Hall’s garden into a menagerie of exotic flowers, fruits and vegetables. These cross-country plants also include herbs and the rather peculiar pleached lime trees around the gardens. When you’re done looking over the wall garden, you can head over to the bog garden and stew ponds for a quiet moment by the water.

Lukesland Gardens

Get swept back to Victorian times, when a day spent in the garden on a large estate was a privilege very few commoners were allowed. Many family estates of the gentry and nobles included impressive gardens and broad fields, and Lukesland Gardens is no exception. This past time treasure is hidden away in the deep Addicombe Brook Valley. The view on the riverfront is nothing short of gorgeous, and passersby can easily imagine a noble woman in her finery enjoying a bit of sailing in mild winds with her escort.

Marwood Hill Gardens

marwood-hill-gardens

The stunning 20 acre Marwood Hill Gardens are situated in North Devon just six miles from Ilfracombe. The garden was created by Dr Jimmy Smart VMH in the late 50’s with the goal of being a magical haven where one can relax and enjoy the impressive collections of trees, shrubs, plants and three lakes; while taking in the peaceful atmosphere and stunning views. Over the years

the garden has been featured on several prestigious garden shows and is a favourite destination for visitors of all ages. Whether you’re looking for a wonderful day out with the family, or simply seeking some relaxation and gardening inspiration, Marwood Hill Gardens is a must. Dogs on leads are welcome too.

The Garden House

The Garden House is perhaps one of the prettiest gardens in Devon, and the grounds include more than 8 acres of beautiful plants and trees for visitors to enjoy. Back in the 16th century, the location was an established vicarage. The ruins still stand, the garden slowly growing over them and sprouting new flowers, decorating it with bright, bursting blooms. Caretakers of the ruins try to stem the growth from getting out of hand. Visitors can explore the Wild Gardens, an informal setting where wandering is encouraged, and the Arboretum, which was only recently built.

Thorn House Gardens 

If you’re a dendrologist, this garden should be your home away from home. The species of plants here are so varied and interesting that many dendrologists come here to do serious studies. Thorn House used to be called South Wembury House, but it was renamed in 1920 by its new owner, William Arkright. The current owners, Mr. John Gibson and his wife Eva Gibson, currently allow visitors to take guided tours of the garden at allotted times. You’ll have to make an appointment if you want to see this exclusive garden, which includes exotic species like the Chilean hazel and other South American trees.

Knightshayes House Gardens

Knightshayes House Gardens include not 10… not 20… but 50 acres of garden for visitors to look at. A garden of rare trees can be found in the woodlands surrounding the Knightshayes House estate, but visitors will also enjoy soaking up the long and interesting history of the house itself. Should you need to find a quiet spot to reflect, you may want to try the lily pool and shade tree that hangs over it. You can also browse the kitchen garden and see the fruits and vegetables growing there at the recently rebuilt Walled Garden.

knightshayes_garden

It's only fair to share...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print
Share on Tumblr
Tumblr

Recent Posts

  • Plan Your Trip To Ilfracombe
  • Blue Sky Horizon With a North Devon Summer Staycation
  • Brasserie Brings Something Special To Exmoor Food Fest 2021
  • Discover the Warmth of a North Devon Winter Break
  • Autumn and Winter Wedding Offer: Embrace the Intimate!

Categories

  • Business
  • Clay Pigeon Shooting
  • Events
  • Local Area
  • News
  • Offers
  • The Hotel
  • Uncategorised

Archives

Previous Post Next Post

Address & Contact Details

The Carlton Hotel, Runnacleave Road, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8AR

Tel: 01271 862446

Follow Us For Updates & Offers!

  • Join us on Facebook
  • Join us on Twitter
  • Join us on Instagram

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news updates and offers from our team.

 

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Copyright 2017, The Carlton Hotel.
Image
Crafted and developed by The IRFC Studio

search

We use cookies to give you the best possible online experience. If you continue, we’ll assume you are happy for your web browser to receive all cookies from our website. Find out more.