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GARDENS & GREENERY

AUBOURN GARDENS NOW GLADLY WELCOMES VISITORS, AFTER HAVING BEEN CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR GENERATIONS.

The quintessentially English garden had been largely pasture land and orchard for centuries before being cultivated by Sir Henry and Lady Nevile in the 1970s. Now, in the care of Christopher and Anabelle Nevile, it’s a dramatic reimagining of the space, featuring a Golden garden, Rose garden, Iris and peony beds, Prairie garden, a Stumpery and a 13 ring grass labyrinth.

The Southern part of the garden is divided across its width into clearly defined “Rooms” while the Big Lawn occupies all the space to the West and leads into the wilder woodland gardens and ponds behind the House.

GOLDEN GARDEN AND TRIANGLE GARDEN

Illuminating the grounds with a sea of bright daffodils and crocus, the golden garden was a gift for Sir Henry and Lady Nevile’s golden wedding anniversary. The warm sentiment adds a bright shock of colour to the gardens every March - in memory of the pair’s spring wedding in 1944. The nearby triangle garden was planted to help yew hedge plants flourish, with the addition of a variegated Acer in memory of Sir Henry’s death in 1996.

Rose Garden & Croquet, Dahlia and Purple Borders

Our roses are all of the Floribunda genus - which is Latin for ‘many flowering’. It certainly delivers on this front, yielding upright, bushy blooms that lend a gentle touch of pink pastels to the garden.

The nearby Croquet border is a mixture of hardy shrubs, roses, irises, peonies and herbaceous perennials. Another bright boundary is the nearby Dahlia border. Located next to the tennis court, the blooms are vulnerable to frost damage, so we painstakingly lift them every November to replant in June. The Purple border on the edge of the Big Lawn is composed of purple flowering plants interspersed with ancient Quince trees.

Prairie Garden

A pollinator’s paradise, the prairie garden sits on the site of the original rose gardens and creates a thriving hive of activity for insects. Laid out by Annabelle in 2010, bees, butterflies and all manner of other bugs gravitate to the hardy mixture of grasses and flowering perennials, making it a cacophony of colour and buzzing focal point in late summer - and a robust winter display.

Labyrinth, woodland and stumpery

Inspired by the maze in the nave in the Chartres Cathedral in France, our labyrinth designed by Prof. Ben Nicholson, invites you to explore at your own pace but you will be led inexorably to the centre (Heaven).. The nearby stumpery features the tree stumps of 80 felled oak trees, arranged to create a Victorian style fern garden with shade-loving hostas and wintry hellebore flowers. The immensely grand steps were shipped from Ossington Hall (near Nottingham) and were installed in 2005 by Christopher Nevile, having spent almost 50 years in storage.

While we love our carefully cultivated gardens, our wild woodland has a very different but undeniable beauty. A variety of paths lined with cow parsley are yours to explore, which also create a natural habitat for encouraging wildlife and biodiversity once flowered.

Our opening hours

From Spring 2025 - April to October

Tuesday 10am-3pm

Thursday 10am-3pm

Access to the gardens and grounds is possible at other times also. Simply book onto one of our Aubourn Events or contact us direct to book a private tour or function.


Additional Information

While some areas of the grounds are relatively flat, others are unsuitable for wheelchairs, scooters or other mobility aids. Please exercise caution or ask a member of staff for assistance. Accessible parking and toilets are available.

While dogs are welcome, please ensure they are kept on a lead at all times.

PRICES

Buy your tickets from the Aubourn Estate Office on arrival, or online in advance.

Adults tickets are £8.50 and children are admitted free of charge.

Members of the Historic Houses Association do not need to book, simply show a valid HHA card.

Please note that entry is for the gardens only as Aubourn Hall is closed for general admittance, excluding special events or bookings.

Click here to book


Group Bookings and Tours

We welcome group bookings and offer guided tours with our lead gardener for just £15 per person, to include hot drinks and home made cakes. Minimum number 15. Contact us to book your private tour.