Explore the gardens at Anglesey Abbey

Cyclamen flowering in September in the garden at Ardress House, County Armagh. — Cyclamen flowering in September in the garden at Ardress House | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

When it came to designing the garden at Anglesey Abbey, Lord Fairhaven wanted something to show his guests during every season of the year. Today, the garden still follows the same seasonal pattern.

A garden for all seasons

After purchasing the Anglesey Abbey estate unseen at auction in the 1920s, Lord Fairhaven began the process of transforming the garden into a spectacular seasonal display – something that still exists to this day.

Look out for the use of straight, tree-lined avenues with a sculpture at the end to draw your eye, or the use of circles and symmetry in the Formal Garden and Dahlia Garden.

When exploring the estate, look out for the array of statues – widely acknowledged as one of the finest collections of garden statuary in the country.

What's happening in the Rose Garden?

Our much-loved Rose Garden is being extended by another 20 beds, 19 cultivars and around 180 new roses thanks to a generous donation from David Austin Roses.

Carefully chosen for their colour, vigour, pest and disease resistance, the roses have been planted in individual variety beds to showcase the beauty of each delicate flower, including 'The Lady's Blush', 'Scarborough Fair', 'Emily Bronte' and 'Bring me Sunshine'.

Before planting the roses, Oxford Archaeology conducted a dig in the Rose Garden to check where the old priory wall lay. You can read more about their findings here.

Archaeological dig 2024

A large tree in autumn with bright yellow, orange and green leaves and a carpet of leaves on the ground at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire — Autumn colour at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Autumn highlights

Jubilee Avenue

The hornbeams which form Jubilee Avenue were planted in 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth. Visit in autumn for a scenic walk bursting with vibrant russet tones.

Pilgrims' Lawn

The creation of Pilgrims' Lawn was the last area of the garden designed by Lord Fairhaven – sadly he did not live to see it in all its glory. Strong yellow and purple colouring predominates, particularly in autumn.

The Riverside Walk

The trees of either side of Quy Water provide a rich burst of colour. On still days you get perfect reflections in the water.

Temple Lawn

The magnificent Temple is set against a colourful amphitheatre of beech, alder & sycamores.

Cyclamen

Drifts of delicate pink cyclamen carpet the understorey as you walk through the trees from the Winter Garden to Lode Mill - a sight not to be missed.

The Winter Walk covered in frost in February at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire — The Winter Walk at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire | © National Trust Images/Rod Edwards

Winter highlights

Winter Walks

Anglesey Abbey has 114 acres of landscaped gardens to explore, and a renowned sensory Winter Garden to discover. Stroll through the wider estate on the 3-mile circular walk which takes in woodland, striking tree-lined avenues and winding paths through the historic gardens. Your winter walk is completed with a visit to the Winter Garden, planted for its sensory qualities of scent, texture and bright colour throughout the colder months. Finishing in the iconic grove of ghostly silver birches, it’s not to be missed at this time of year.

Winter Garden

The long and narrow Winter Garden was specially designed with plants that are at their best during winter, when colour is in short supply elsewhere. Its position takes full advantage of the low winter sun, which picks out the details of the unusual plants along the way. Plants such as Tilia Cordata 'Winter Orange' and Red-barked Dogwood dazzle with orange and red.

Snowdrops

The snowdrop collection here at Anglesey Abbey hosts over 500 individual varieties of snowdrop, with some found right here in our gardens and as such, are named after people and places with links to Anglesey Abbey.

Snowdrops: The Specialist Collection Tours

The specialist collection contains some of the snowdrops that are directly linked with Anglesey Abbey, and is only accessible as part of a guided tour. Join one of our knowledgeable garden team to discover our private collection of snowdrops, not usually accessible to visitors. Snowdrop tours have finished for 2024 but we'll be back again in January and February 2025. We look forward to welcoming you!

A family of three, one on a mobility scooter, passing the daffodils in the gardens of Beningbrough Hall, North Yorkshire — Enjoy a tour of the garden at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Spring highlights

The Spring Garden

As the name would suggest, our Spring Garden comes into its own in the spring months and features daffodils and hyacinths. The flowers in the garden are complemented by the avenues of Amelanchier lamarckii, more commonly known as June berry, Aesculus x neglecta 'Erythroblastus', a horse chestnut tree with shrimp-pink spring foliage.

The Formal Garden

In the spring, Lord Fairhaven's choice fluctuated between tulips and hyacinths, blue and white in colour. Planted in uniform rows 'Blue Star' and 'Carnegie' offer a striking blue and white display during the months of April into May. Once these displays are over, they are then removed to make way for a second wave of colour during the late summer and early autumn.

Daffodils: The Specialist Tour

Every year in the spring you can join one of our knowledgeable garden guides to find out more about the exciting collection of daffodils here at Anglesey Abbey.

With over 40 varieties to spot across the estate, this tour gives you insight into the subtle differences between the daffordils and a little bit about the history behind them. The 2024 tours have now finished.

Summer highlights

Rose Garden

Situated on what was once the site of dilapidated greenhouses and abandoned vegetable borders, the Rose Garden was one of Lord Fairhaven's first garden projects.

From early June through to October, it produces a vibrant display of 60 varieties of rose. Many of those can be found in our Plant Centre.

Herbaceous Border

Located next to the Dahlia Border, the Herbaceous Border was designed and planted in the 1950s by Major Vernon Daniell, a friend of Lord Fairhaven.

It is based around a broad semi-circle with a central area of grass, and enclosed by beech hedging, creating a room-like feel.

Wildflower meadows

Found to the west of Anglesey Abbey, the Wildflower Meadows cover approximately 25 acres and contain over 50 species of wildflower.

Throughout the summer, the meadows become a hive of activity populated by butterflies, small birds and numerous insects, including very important bees on the search for pollen and nectar.

Skylight Garden

Opened to the public in 2016, the Skylight Garden is located at the northern end of the East Lawn, and consists of an inner circle of 12 oak structures surrounded by hazel bushes; silver-leafed, pleached lime blocks, ornamental grasses and two triangle-shaped beds planted with lilac.

The garden was designed and created as part of a wider celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lord Fairhaven's passing.