Victorian Homes

6 beautiful Victorian era gardens to visit in the UK

The Victorians were arguably one of the first societies to truly utilise and enjoy their gardens. Thanks to globalisation, travellers were bringing back exotic plants and inspiration to their green spaces, and the garden became a space for homeowners to showcase their sophisticated tastes and entertain guests.

If you’re looking to bring a Victorian touch to your garden and need some inspiration, we’ve identified six amazing Victorian gardens around the UK to visit that will undoubtedly inspire your next steps, as well as the key features you’ll want to incorporate.

Image credit: English Heritage
Image credit: English Heritage

1. BRODSWORTH HALL, YORKSHIRE

The beautiful gardens at Brodsworth Hall were laid out in the 1860s to provide a formal setting for the new house. The ornate design of the gardens are typical of the mid-Victorian period, and are defined into four distinct areas:

2. BODNANT GARDEN, WALES

According to The National Trust, “Bodnant’s acclaimed gardens owe much to Laura McLaren, Lady Aberconwy, who inherited the house and garden from her father, Henry Ponchin, in 1895. She followed in the footsteps of her mother as a leading Liberal suffragist, but her other passion was horticulture.

Her influence can be seen in the ambitious Italianate terraces they planned in the early years of the 20th century. In later life, in recognition of her horticultural achievements, she was awarded the prestigious RHS Victoria Medal of Honour.” One of a handful of pioneering female gardeners who received recognition and acclaim, Bodnant Garden is well worth the visit.

3. RED CROSS GARDEN, LONDON

An award-winning park that was restored to its original Victorian layout in 2005, the Red Cross Garden in Southwark, London, was a flagship project of Octavia Hill (1838-1912), a social reformer and one of the three founders of The National Trust. Today, the garden is used by the local community for regular after-school clubs, poetry readings, celebrations, and events.

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4. AUDLEY END, ESSEX

Designed by famed landscape architect Lancelot Brown (commonly known as ‘Capacity’ Brown), Audley End Garden features expansive parkland, flower-filled bedding in the Parterre, a pond garden, a serpentine lake and a walled kitchen garden. With something beautiful to see and explore every season of the year, this is one garden worth a full day trip to the South East.

5. BIDDULPH GRANGE, STAFFORDSHIRE

One of the most breathtaking and ornate gardens in the UK, Biddulph Grange Garden was created by James Bateman for his expansive collection of plants from around the world. It takes visitors through a series of globally influenced and connected “rooms”, from a Victorian vision of China with its bright red pavilion to the pyramids of Egypt and a Himalayan glen.

6. ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS, KEW

Arguably one of the most famous gardens in the UK if not the world, the crowning jewel of Kew is undoubtedly Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, which houses many rare and endangered species of plant. If your tastes are more traditional though, the Rose Garden, designed by renowned English landscape architect William Nesfield in 1848, makes for a fragrant wander.

Typical features of a Victorian garden

Typical features of a Victorian garden include:

  • Ornate stone pathways
  • Highly manicured bushes and lawns
  • Shady pavilions
  • Carefully shaped flower beds full of colourful blooms
  • Glasshouses and greenhouses for exotic plants
  • Ornate, often Greek-inspired, statues

To find out more about Victorian gardens and architecture, download the Adrian Flux Victorian Homes e-book for free.

Image credits: Brodsworth HallBodnant GardenRed Cross GardenAudley EndBiddulph GrangeKew Gardens.

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