Historic Gardens
From sweeping vistas to organic vegetables, English Heritage cares for a number of historic gardens and landscapes around the country.
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.
Spring Garden Highlights
With longer, brighter days and the warmth gradually returning, it's time to get out and start exploring. Experience spring in all its glory with a visit to one of our expertly cared for historic gardens in England.
Enjoy delicate snowdrops, spring daffodils and vibrant blossoms as our gardens burst into colour. Here's our pick of some of the best spring gardens to visit this season.
Find a gardenPodcast: Spring Watch
How we prepare our historic gardens for the new season...
English Heritage head gardener John Watkins is a busy man, especially at this time of year. But we persuaded John to down tools and join us for a one-to-one gardeners’ question time to talk us through what goes into maintaining our historic gardens.
Find a gardenStories
from England's gardens
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Gardens Through Time
Use this timeline to trace the evolution of gardens in England, from medieval monks to Capability Brown and William Morris.
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Weeding Women: Shaping England's Gardens
Until the late 19th century professional gardeners were always men. However, this does not mean that England’s gardens were only shaped by male hands.
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Gardens Conservation
English Heritage looks after many nationally important historic gardens and landscapes. Discover how our experts care for these special outdoor spaces.
HISTORIC GARDEN BLOGS
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
How to Make Soup
Watch as Mrs Crocombe, the Victorian cook, shows you how to make a light soup the Victorian way using rhubarb from the kitchen garden at Audley End House. You can discover more of her recipes by visiting our YouTube Channel.
Visit our channelMore to explore
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Shop Gardens
From an elegant new piece of furniture to decorative birdhouses, or even a practical caddie to hold all of your gardening tools. We've got just the thing to help you make the most of any outdoor space.
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Days out with Dogs
Enjoy a great day out with your dog at an English Heritage property. There are plenty of dog-friendly sites across the whole of England for your furry friends to enjoy.
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Become a Member
Start a year of adventure. An English Heritage membership offers an unlimited annual pass to over 400 historic sites across the country.
