Farringford Estate
Free RHS Member days
April–October, Wednesday and Thursday when open
About the garden
The Farringford estate is best known for its association with Poet Laureate Lord Alfred Tennyson, who lived there from 1853 to 1892. Visitors can enjoy a circular walk around the parkland and explore a newly created meadow.
In May 2017, the walled garden, where Tennyson enjoyed spending time, was recreated after having been lost in the 1970s when the area was built over following the demolition of 18 holiday cottages. The relaxed planting scheme is based on descriptions from Emily Tennyson’s journal and watercolours painted by Helen Allingham. It includes old fashioned roses, poet’s laurel, varieties of Hollyhocks and tobacco plants, that reportedly grew over seven feet tall in Tennyson’s time.
The walled garden also features a sundial created by sculptor Mary Seton Watts, the wife of the Victorian painter and family friend George Frederic Watts. A small selection of fruit and vegetables is grown in the garden, reflecting its historical role as a source of food for family meals. Additionally, a working Victorian-style greenhouse is used to cultivate new plants.
Facilities
- Dogs welcome
- Parking
- Toilets
Key features
- Wildflower meadow
- Herbaceous border
- Glasshouse (open to public)
- Cottage planting
- Wildlife planting and features
Get involved
The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.