Abbotsbury Gardens, Abbotsbury, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.  

Mid to late 19th century gardens containing an extensive subtropical and Mediterranean plant collection first started by the third and fourth Earls of Ilchester, and further expanded in the late 20th century.

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Abbotsbury Gardens, a site of about 15 hectares, is situated about 2.5 kilometres to the south-west of the village of Abbotsbury, on the Dorset coast. The site lies in a sheltered valley, through which runs a small stream. The Gardens are protected from frost and wind by the hills north of Abbotsbury village, the warming effect from the sea, and the windbreaks of holm oak and other trees. To the north the site is bounded by fields, and to the west by Buller's Way. To the south lies Peasons Plantations, surrounded by a belt of medieval strip lynchets, and to the east are further fields with strip lynchets. St Catherine's Chapel, on Chapel Hill in the distance to the east, forms an eyecatcher from within the Gardens.

REFERENCES

M Ilchester, Catalogue of Plants in Abbotsbury Gardens (1899)

Country Life, 6 (9 December 1899), pp 744-756

Gardeners' Chronicle, (19 August 1899), pp 142-143, 145; (20 July 1912), pp 44-45

M R Gloag, A Book of English Gardens (1906), pp 47-56

C Holme, Gardens of England in the Southern and Western Counties (1907), pls 2, 3

A Paterson, The Gardens of Britain 2, (1978), pp 21-22

G Plumptre, Collins Book of British Gardens (1985), pp 258-260

A Poore, Abbotsbury Gardens: Interim report on its historical development, the implications for future management and suggestions for future work, (report for Ilchester Estates, 1997)

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, guidebook, (Ilchester Estates 1997)

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Plant List, (2000) [issued annually by Ilchester Estates]

Maps

Plan of Strangways Castle, Abbotsbury, late C18 (Dorset Record Office)

Plan of Abbotsbury, post enclosure 1814 (Dorset Record Office)

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1886, published 1888

    2nd edition revised 1901, published 1903

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1886, published 1888

    2nd edition revised 1901, published 1902

Archival items

Correspondence and related papers referring to Abbotsbury Gardens are held in private archives at Penrice Castle, Glamorgan, Wales and Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire

Description written: November 2000

Edited: April 2005