All who wish to escape city life should seek comfort in the English garden hotels and cottages that offer peace through their natural beauty. We need to explore the ten locations featuring lovely gardens through this guided tour:
1. Barnsley House, Cotswolds—A dream of flowers
This hotel in Cirencester is a wonderful example of gardens. It was redesigned by famous garden designer Rosemary Verey in the 1950s. There are 11 acres of gardens here – including topiary yews, rock roses, ornamental vegetable gardens and open wild meadows.
Main attraction: The Laburnum Walk here looks straight out of the movie, along with a lovely Frog Fountain and a classical-style temple that reflects into an octagonal pool.
Stay: The hotel has 18 stylish rooms and a great spa. The Potager Restaurant here is quite famous.
Price: Double rooms start from £224 (room only).
2. Ickworth, Gardens House, Suffolk – A glimpse of classical Italy
If you like neoclassical architecture, then Ickworth is best for you. This Georgian palace in Suffolk has a wonderful combination of Box Hedges, Cypress Trees and beautiful lawns.
Main attraction: Spend quiet moments in the Temple Garden, where Mediterranean herbs and grasses are planted. The Walled Garden is East Anglia’s largest garden, spanning 5.5 acres.
Stay: Gardens House, formerly the head gardener’s home, is now a beautiful three-bedroom holiday cottage. Even two pet dogs are allowed.
3. Tresco Abbey Garden, Isles of Scilly – a tropical paradise
On Tresco Island, which runs as a family business 30 miles from Cornwall, visitors find the 17-acre subtropical garden as their main attraction. Kew without the glass describes the gardens which embrace an ancient Benedictine abbey in their design.
Every nature enthusiast will enjoy seeing two crosswalks and terraces together with a walled garden alongside plants from across the world.
The accommodation choices extend from cottages with self-catering facilities to the dining establishment at the New Inn.
At £170 B&B, the New Inn hotel provides accommodation rates to its guests.
4. Cider House, Buckland Abbey, Devon—History and greenery
Cider House, located on the Buckland Abbey Estate, the former residence of Sir Francis Drake, is a four-bedroom boutique B&B. It sprawls across a 700-acre estate in Devon.
Main attraction: Elizabethan kitchen garden and surrounding meadows. Guests get free entry to the abbey and its gardens.
5. Austwick Hall, North Yorkshire—Small package, big bang
Austwick Hall is a Tudor-style B&B with just four rooms, but the grandeur is no less than a castle. There are four-poster beds, antique furnishings, and a beautiful staircase.
Main attraction: 13 acres of gardens with Italian terraces, Martagon lilies and sculptures. There’s also a wood-fired hot tub.
6. The Salutation, Kent – A confluence of art and gardens
This Grade I-listed hotel in Sandwich was designed by Edward Lutyens. Its gardens are inspired by the work of Gertrude Jekyll.
Main attraction: The Long Border with 40+ tulip species, the Meadow with thousands of bulbs in bloom, and afternoon tea on the East Terrace.
7. Bodysgallen, Llandudno – The Garden Jewel of Wales
Seventeenth-century Bodysgallen Hall is surrounded by 220 acres of parkland and gardens. It has views of Snowdonia and the sea.
Main attraction: Box-hedged Parterre, Rockery, Gothic Tower, Lilly Ponds, Woodland Walk, and 200-year-old Handkerchief Tree.
8. Millgate House and Garden, North Yorkshire—Small but magical
Millgate House in Richmond has an equally impressive garden of just 1/3 acre. This walled garden on a slope overlooks the River Swale.
Main attraction: hundreds of hostas, epimediums, rhododendrons, and rare ferns.
Stay: Six-bedroom house and five-bedroom coach house (rent from English Country Cottages).
9. Hotel Endsleigh and Pond Cottage, Devon—A royal and fairytale stay
There are two options on the Endsleigh Estate—a royal hotel and Pond Cottage, a small but pretty cottage.
Main attraction: 108-acre gardens designed by Humphry Repton with Rose Walk, Parterre, Shell Grotto, follies, and waterfalls.
Stay: A royal stay at the Endsleigh Hotel or a fairytale night in the woods at Pond Cottage.
10. Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire – Paradise of trees
Located in South Ayrshire, Glenapp Castle is a magnificent 19th-century building. It has 36 acres of formal garden and woodland.
Main attraction: Giant Sequoia, Britain’s tallest fir trees, Rhododendron Collection, and Gertrude Jekyll-designed Italian Garden. Fun: Walk in Kilphin Glen or play outdoor chess near Azalea Pond. Have afternoon tea in the Walled Garden.
Conclusion
If you want to connect with nature, then all these garden retreats will soothe your soul. Each place has its own specialty – somewhere there is a bloom of flowers, somewhere a confluence of history and art. Some places are tropical, while some are full of royal chic. Whether you are going alone or with family, these garden holiday spots can be a memorable experience for you.
