Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

General information

Established in 1765 by Elizabeth, the first Countess of Ilchester, as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle.

Developed since then into a magnificent 20 acre garden filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world.

Many of these plants were first introductions to this country, discovered by the plant hunting descendants of the Countess. For example, the false olive (Piccona excelsa), an endangered species from the Canary Isles, was brought to Abbotsbury by William Fox-Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester, a diplomat on foreign service.

By 1899 there were more than 5,000 different plants growing in the garden.

The Garden Today

For the last twenty years the curator of Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens has been Stephen Griffith. He has masterminded the garden's renaissance following a great storm in 1990.

Many new exotic and unusual flowers have been introduced.

Many features have been restored, such as the Gardener's Bothy, originally built to give young garden staff somewhere to sleep overnight - when they weren't stoking up boilers to keep glasshouses warm during periods of cold and frosty weather.

Many old favourites have been cherished; remember that false olive? It's the only one of forest size in the British Isles.

The Garden is a mixture of formal and informal flowers, world famous for its Camellia groves and magnolias. Noted in Dorset for its Rhododendron and Hydrangea collections and the charming Victorian Garden.

Facilities include the Colonial Restaurant, a quality gift shop and a superb plant centre where many of the flowers grown in the Garden can be purchased.

The Colonial Restaurant is also a superb wedding venue and is fully licensed.

Entrance is free to the Restaurant, shop and plant centre.

Regular events take place at the Garden including in October. Halloween is a major feature. Thousands of visitors dress in Halloween costumes and the Restaurant becomes a centre for Halloween celebrations.

Don't miss stunning views of the Dorset Jurassic Coast from the viewpoint at the top of Magnolia Avenue.