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Spend time outside this summer in Devon’s parks and gardens

27th July 2021

Categories: Visitor News

While we all love coming to Devon for the coast, the region is also famous for its rural charm, wide open countryside and abundance of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you want somewhere to soak up the summer weather and prefer to be surrounded by floral scents and beautiful landscaping, make sure to add these places to your itineraries.

If you are someone that loves visiting a heritage garden or park, there are a number of National Trust properties in the county with beautiful gardens and places like Cockington Court with its attached parkland. Torquay’s Princess Gardens are a delightful area of the English Riviera, while Exeter has some lovely gardens for you to relax in between shopping and exploring.

Alternatively, towards the north of the county, RHS Rosemoor is located in the north of the county and as well as having immaculate gardens to explore at your leisure, also hosts a number of events and activities throughout the year to keep the whole family entertained. Every day, you can join in with self guided trails around the various sections of the garden where you can enjoy a host of interesting plant life. If you need some refreshments during your visit, make sure to stop off at their onsite restaurant where you can sample some of the garden’s produce and of course, have a real Devonshire cream tea!

Image: RHS Rosemoor

Also in the north of the county is Hartland Abbey and Gardens. Aside from the stunning stately home there are beautiful woodland walks, walled gardens and parkland giving you plenty of space to explore this summer. The gardens are incredibly varied and give a real insight into what they would have originally looked like during the Victorian period. With plenty of tree cover in the woodland gardens, the fascinating Gertrude Jekyll designed Bog Garden, Fenery and Walled Gardens and the beach views it is a truly wonderful place to visit for a few hours.

Hartland itself is a stunning location, with dramatic views over the Atlantic Ocean and has lots of coastal walks for those of you who like to compromise between gardens and seafront!

Of course, we can’t recommend gardens to visit without mentioning Bicton Park Botanical Gardens. Here you can enjoy over 60 acres of gardens, plus a whole host of activities including indoor and outdoor children’s play areas, a woodland railway, nature trail, museum, garden centre, restaurant and historic glass houses – you can easily spend the whole day there! Dating back to the 1820s, it is believed that the Bicton buildings are older than those at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew!
Spend time among the palms in the palm house before exploring the fragrant borders and sweeping lawns and strolling around the various water features. The whole family will love a day out here, so if you’re a regular visitor, make sure to take advantage of their membership offers so you don’t miss out on the fun.

A real gem is Stone Lane Gardens, located in the north east corner of the Dartmoor National Park. Open to the public daily, the garden holds a National Collection of Birch and Alder trees and during the summer, you can enjoy the Annual Summer Sculpture Exhibition where you can see some incredible works of art. The various footpaths give you amazing views of the moor, stretching from Haytor Rocks to Cosdon Hill – it’s a great place to visit in the summer on a clear day.

Image: Stone Lane Gardens

If you’re based in the Exeter area, there are a number of lovely parks and gardens to visit. Fursdon Gardens, has an attractive and informal garden to explore, with mixed traditional and contemporary planting. The hillside garden has interest and colour throughout the seasons with sculpted paths leading to the cob garden. The meadow garden features a pond and is home to a number of small creatures as well as interesting plant life, and there is also Fursdon House, one of the oldest family homes in Devon to explore, should you want to get out of the sun for a bit.

Powderham Castle’s gardens are another spot near Exeter that is well worth a visit. The American Woodland Garden is the perfect place for a picnic, surrounded by exotic trees and a gothic folly, while the walled garden and pet corner make great places to spend time with the whole family.

If you fancy a bit of an adventure, Haldon Forest Park is ideal for walks, cycle rides and more. There are miles of trails and 3,500 acres of woodland, plus it is only 15 minutes from Exeter! So, you can really enjoy the best of both worlds – a city break with countryside right on the doorstep!

Image: Canonteign Falls

For those of you travelling with kids and a desire to get them out in the natural world, Canonteign Falls has over 90 acres of woodland, lakes and waterfalls, offering peaceful walks and family fun allowing you to escape the crowds and see the highest waterfall on Dartmoor. If that sounds like fun, Becky Falls is another place to add to your list – rich wildlife, walking trails and the stunning waterfall give you a real glimpse at how incredible the natural world can be.

Need more inspiration for parks and gardens to visit in Devon? See more options here.