Gardens to visit near Bath, in Somerset

Use your 2-for-1 Gardens card at Hestercombe

East Lambrook Manor Gardens

The quintessential cottage gardens at East Lambrook Manor were created by the celebrated and ground-breaking plantswoman Margery Fish during the mid-20th century. The gardens are being gradually redeveloped to revive the spirit of her original design, combining old-fashioned and contemporary plants in an informal profusion. Spring colour abounds, with snowdrops, hellebores and daffodils, leading into summer displays of hardy geraniums, bearded irises, fragrant pinks and roses, set among lawns, trees and low hedges.

The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens

In the heart of Wells, beside the cathedral, the 14-acre garden at The Bishop's Palace has been developed by successive bishops over the past 800 years. The Grade II listed gardens are a place to relax and enjoy nature, among beautiful borders, fragrant roses, majestic trees and the spring-fed pools and wells from which this small city gets its name. Comprising a series of interlinked gardens of various styles, they offer year-round colour and interest. The arboretum was designed by Sir Harold Hillier in 1977 and includes trees such as silver lime (Tilia Petiolaris), foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa) and Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica). Beneath the trees, snowdrops, primroses, bluebells and orchids bloom in succession. The knot garden, whose design is inspired by the nearby oriel window, is given a modern twist with herbs and grasses. The hot borders are bursting with colour in summer and the dahlia beds feature the famous ‘Bishop’ dahlia varieties.

Greencombe Gardens

On the edge of Exmoor, with views to Porlock Bay, the woodland garden at Greencombe offers relaxing strolls beneath mature oaks, sweet chestnuts and conifers. Colourful camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and trilliums light up spring, while ferns unfurl in the shade beside moss-edged paths. There’s a National Collection of dog’s-tooth violets (Erythronium), as well as the UK’s largest and oldest holly tree. Summer brings roses, clematis, hydrangeas and more. The garden is managed organically and filled with birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife.

Milton Lodge Gardens

Set high in the Mendips, Milton Lodge Gardens comprise a series of formal terraces that make the most of its glorious views over Wells Cathedral and the Vale of Avalon. The terrace borders are planted with old-fashioned roses, perennials and shrubs. Unusual plants include a loquat and an 80-year-old pineapple guava, while a waterlily pond is surrounded by fuchsias, lilies and agapanthus. Below the terraces lies an eight-acre woodland garden to explore, containing magnificent mature trees such as oak, chestnut, Cedar of Lebanon and beech.

Where to stay

Bath Priory

While you're spoilt for places to stay in the historic city of Bath, garden-lovers are in for a treat at the Bath Priory Hotel. We stayed there in autumn, and explored the four-acre garden, which was looking resplendent. The garden was bursting with colour from cornus, liquidambar, parrotia, robinia and more, as well as year-round structure from the cedar of Lebanon and topiary yew. There's a small, productive kitchen garden, a formal area, with low hedges and roses surrounding a fountain, as well as a heated outdoor swimming pool, nestled among the flowerbeds. The indoor pool, which forms part of the hotel's L'Occitane spa, enjoys views of the garden, as does the restaurant, which opens onto a sunny terrace that has a majestic wisteria as its backdrop and plenty of outside seating. The Bath Priory hotel is the perfect place from which to enjoy the delights of Bath and the many glorious gardens that Somerset has to offer.