Visit Bath

STEP INTO SPRING THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE OF BATH & BEYOND

Spring and summer are the most popular times for visiting gardens and Bath makes a great base to explore the horticultural gems of the South-West. What makes Bath so special apart from its perfect Georgian architecture is its setting, surrounded by glorious countryside. From almost any vantage point in the city you can look up to see the seven green hills that form the Bath skyline. Within the boundaries of the city itself there are beautifully tended parks and gardens winning Bath the 'Britain in Bloom' award no less than thirteen times.

Bath Tourism Plus publishes a comprehensive guide, "Through the Garden Gate in Bath and Beyond" which gives a full description of all the parks within the city and the gardens in close proximity (available on request from Bath Tourist Information Centre).

Few cities the size of Bath can offer a world class attraction like the Roman Baths, but savvy visitors know that the city and its surroundings have far more to offer than just great hotels, shops and restaurants. By staying an extra day, or two, visitors can do justice to the wonderful houses and gardens nearby as well as visiting many of the fascinating museums and attractions within the city itself.

Like the weather, gardening has become a national obsession for the British and where better to get inspiration than in the fine gardens that are part of our heritage. We may not all be able to paint on such a grand canvass but Capability Brown, probably the best known Eighteenth Century landscape architect, has left a wonderful legacy of glorious parkland. In his day he persuaded land owners to abandon their formal gardens and embark on ambitious projects to change the contours of the land and introduce great lakes and hills. Examples of his work can be seen in the area at Longleat, Bowood Park, Corsham Court and in Bath itself at Prior Park Landscape Garden.

Here are some examples of parks and gardens to visit within the city and in the surrounding area:

THE ROYAL VICTORIA PARK
Royal Victoria Park occupies 57 acres on the western side of Bath and was opened by the young Princess Victoria in 1830 providing shady promenades and grand carriage drives. The park is as popular with today's visitors for walking and cycling as it was with their Victorian counterparts. The charming Botanical Gardens, with their intricate maze of paths, was established in 1887 and showcases many rare specimens collected by intrepid plant-hunters from the far corners of the globe. Here there are private benches and quiet bridges, ideal for quiet contemplation. Admission is free.

THE GEORGIAN GARDEN
The Georgian Garden, behind Number 4 The Circus, is a quiet sanctuary with an interesting story to tell. Maintained by Bath and North East Somerset Council, it was excavated in the mid nineteen eighties by the Bath Archaeological Trust with the objective of reconstructing the layout and formal characteristics of the original garden. No illustrations were available of how the garden looked when the house was built in 1760 but excavations showed the position of the flowerbeds and they have been replanted appropriately for the period. This was a time of intense horticultural discovery with plant collectors around the world constantly discovering new species. Today's garden is quite formal with topiary of box, holly and yew. Admission to the garden is free, with access from Gravel Walk which links the Royal Crescent to Queen's Square, a favourite place for perambulating in Jane Austen's era.

SYDNEY GARDENS
Located at the end of Great Pulteney Street, behind the Holburne Museum, Sydney Gardens is a quiet backwater with charming Chinese style bridges over the Kennet and Avon Canal. Jane Austen lived nearby at 4 Sydney Place and, in her day, Sydney Gardens was a great gathering place for fashionable society. By night the gardens were superbly illuminated and hosted public entertainments with music and fireworks. Laid out in 1795, the gardens boasted waterfalls, thatched pavilions, a grotto, a sham castle, bowling greens and swings and a labyrinth. None of this frenzied social activity is evident in today's Sydney Gardens but some interesting relics of the past remain and it has been a public park since 1909.

THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM - 'Painting the West Country House and Garden'
Sydney Gardens are home to the Holburne Museum. Formerly a hotel "for families of distinction" the museum contains a wonderful collection of paintings including many fine Gainsborough works, porcelain, furniture and objets d'art. Until 17th April 2006 a special exhibition, "Painting the West Country House and Garden", features some fine paintings of houses and gardens in the vicinity. The paintings range from the 16th Century to the present day and include treasures such as the 17th Century view of Longleat by Jan Sibrechts and a more recent work, a painting of Highgrove by Felix Kelly painted in 1985, loaned by the Prince of Wales. The exhibition gives a birds-eye view of grand houses and their gardens and even a chance to peak over the walls of Ashgrove, now owned by Madonna and formerly home to Cecil Beaton.

PRIOR PARK LANDSCAPE GARDEN AND THE BATH SKYLINE WALK
Created by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ralph Allen to complement his magnificent mansion on the Bath skyline, this eighteenth century landscaped garden is set in a sweeping valley with panoramic views across the city. Laid out by Capability Brown, with some creative input from Alexander Pope, the gardens are a fine example of the English Landscape Movement and include an exquisite Palladian bridge dating from 1755 reflected in a lake. The gardens have been managed by the National Trust since 1993 having been neglected since the mid-nineteenth century and a £1.6 million renovation project is currently underway with the objective of restoring the garden to the original poet's vision.

The National Trust publishes a six mile circular walk around the Bath Skyline including meadows and ancient woodlands, an Iron Age Hill Fort and Roman settlements as well as magnificent panoramas of the Georgian city of Bath. There are places to pause to savour the view, or for a picnic, and plenty of points of interest such as " Sham Castle" commissioned by Ralph Allen in the Eighteenth Century to improve the view from his town residence. The Bath Skyline Walk is clearly marked with way mark signs. A leaflet about the walk and map are available at the Bath Tourist Information Centre near the Abbey.

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN BRITAIN AT BATH
The American Museum in Britain at Claverton Manor, Bath, is set in a 150-acre estate overlooking the Limpley Stoke Valley - an area of outstanding natural beauty - and houses an extraordinary collection of decorative arts which tell the story of life in America from colonial times until the end of the nineteenth century. The collection was amassed by Dallas Pratt and John Judkin whose romantic notion was that they should foster relations between the two countries by building a collection to demonstrate the evolution of American craft and culture. The gardens include a replica of George Washington's Mount Vernon garden, a colonial herb garden and a large arboretum. The Lewis and Clark Trail reflects the botanical discoveries made by the explorers on their two year journey across the continent of America 200 years ago.

LONGLEAT
Longleat House is set in 900 acres of glorious parkland beside a lake with a further 8000 acres of woodland, lakes and farmland in the estate. The parkland you see today was largely created by Capability Brown when the house was owned by the 3rd Viscount of Weymouth in the 18th Century. Over the last hundred years there has been a dramatic change when the 6th Marquess of Bath set about developing the first safari park outside Africa which opened in 1966. He also sought inspiration from Russell Page who introduced the azaleas and rhododendrons that provide such a show in the spring along Longcombe drive. Under the 7th Marquess of Bath recent innovations include the Longleat Hedge Maze with a path length of 1.69 miles

STOURHEAD
The House and Garden at Stourhead, owned by the National Trust, are part of a 2,650 acre estate. The gardens are renowned for their rare and unusual trees collected by intrepid plant hunters during the Eighteenth Century. The woodlands are especially beautiful in the spring, especially during the rhododendron season, and in the autumn but are open throughout the year. The circuit walk around the lake is the best way to appreciate the carefully compassed vistas with neo-classical building set against the wooded slopes. The garden's beautiful Temple of Apollo featured as the scene of Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth Bennett in the latest film version of 'Pride and Prejudice' starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen. Stourhead House itself is a fine Palladian Mansion with an impressive collection of furniture, books and pictures open from April to October.

ABBEY HOUSE GARDENS
Abbey House Gardens at Malmesbury, Wiltshire, home to the 'Naked Gardeners' Ian and Barbara Pollard, are just 40 minutes drive NE of Bath. Open daily between March 21 and October 21 the 5-acre gardens once formed part of a highly influential Benedictine Monastery adjoining the former Abbot's house where once herbs, fruit trees, a vinery, and roses were grown. Two years after the property's acquisition by its present owners in 1994, full-scale work on the gardens began to include a Celtic cross garden - influenced by St. Martin's cross on Iona - herb garden, foliage garden, formal lawns and terraces, a yew encircled ornamental pond as well as paths leading down to the river. Housing the UK's largest collection of over 2000 roses under-planted with 100,000 tulips the gardens are celebrating the 10th anniversary since the start of their creation with exhibitions, demonstrations, special plant weekends and dramatic performance.

THE PETO GARDENS AT IFORD MANOR
Iford Manor, which dates from medieval times, sits in an idyllic spot in the steep sided valley of the River Frome. The gardens are famous for their tranquil beauty set into the hillside with romantic views of the nearby countryside. In 1899 Harold Peto, architect and landscape gardener, discovered this magical place and set about transforming the gardens. They made the perfect showcase for the Italian, French and Spanish artefacts he had collected on his travels around Europe. His skill was in combining architecture and planting with a passion for Italian garden design. Today the gardens are open to visitors in the summer months (but check first for opening times) and the Iford Festival brings opera to this romantic setting.

WESTONBIRT - MAD ABOUT TREES
Located about 45 minutes from Bath, north of the M4, Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, covers an area of 600 acres with specimens dating back to 1829 when it was first established by the Holford family. Following the guidelines of W.S.Gilpin, trees and shrubs were collected by Victorian plant hunters from around the globe. The trees are now mature and magnificent specimens and a joy to visit whatever the season. Open throughout the year, Westonbirt is perhaps most famous for its autumn leaves when the extensive maple collection shows its true colours. In the month of December, Westonbirt is transformed into an "Enchanted Wood ". Tall glades of evergreens are lit sequentially and crusty bark is highlighted to show the magic of this beautiful woodland. The sheer scale and beauty of the trees captivates visitors of every age but the Arboretum also aims "to enthuse people about the importance of trees in our lives and explain the importance of conservation". Suitably enthused, visitors are able to purchase a tree for their own garden from the comprehensive Plant Centre.

HOTELS WITH GARDENS
Many country house hotels have extensive grounds and wonderful gardens. In Bath the Bath Priory Hotel boasts a head Gardener with a Silver Medal from the Chelsea Flower Show, Jane Moore, who tends the English country style gardens, herbaceous borders and fine vegetable and herb gardens that supply the Michelin-starred restaurant. The Bath Spa Hotel also has mature gardens and an attractive outdoor terrace area, popular with wedding parties for photographs.

Hidden away there are secret gardens with a charm of their own like the delightful little garden at the Queensberry Hotel where guests can sip a cocktail on a summer evening or the surprisingly large garden of the Royal Crescent Hotel which links the main building to its Bath House spa and the hotel's restaurant.

The magnificent 500 acre estate of Lucknam Park is lovely for walks and includes its own equestrian centre. The hotel also has a formal walled garden dating from the 1830's with low box hedging framing herbaceous borders and a formal Rose Garden best explored on a balmy summer evening when it is heavy with the perfume of lavender and old fashioned roses.

TAKING HOME A PIECE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE
The national love of gardening is encouraged by TV makeover programmes such as Ground Force, gardening magazines, flower shows and by garden centres themselves. The area around Bath has a good selection of specialist nurseries as well as excellent garden centres. Both Prior Park Garden Centre and Hilliers are good sources for modern day specimen hunters and places like Special Plants at Cold Ashton and Pound Hill Gardens and Plant Centre ( on a two acre site with a series of garden "rooms " and year round interest ) at West Kington have rich pickings.

For further information on gardens in and around the city of Bath please consult www.visitbath .co.uk. With its glorious architecture and historical heritage, vibrant restaurant and retail scene and wide choice of accommodation, Bath is among Britain's favourite destinations for a city break. The beautiful countryside around Bath is an added bonus and can be explored on foot or bike or even on horseback.

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Notes to Editors:

1. For further information please contact Nicky Hancock on 01225 332299 ( mobile 07956 594113 ) or by e-mail at nicky@hancockcomm.com or Fiona Humphreys at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 477228 or by email on: fiona_humphreys@bathtourism.co.uk