Houghton Lodge Gardens
RHS Partner Garden
Free RHS Member days
April and September, when open (excluding bank holidays and 27 September)
About the garden
About the garden Built in 1793, Houghton Lodge was likely intended as a fishing lodge. The formal and informal gardens surround England’s finest surviving example of an 18th-century Cottage Orné, idyllically set above the tranquil waters of the River Test.
The garden features a chalk cob-walled garden with 32 different varieties of apple trees, a Hosta, iris and cutting beds and a themed herb garden that includes medicinal, natural dye, pot-pourri and herbal tea beds. In 2023, a new Oriental Garden opened with an acer walk, cherry orchard, rose garden, Nikko bridge and water-loving marginal plants. Among Houghton Lodge’s hidden treasures are the world-record-breaking champion espalier pear tree, the peony borders and rose arch. There are over 15 acres of water meadows and walks along the picturesque River Test, where visitors may encounter friendly alpacas, Hebridean sheep and resident ‘snorting’ Topiary dragon.
Facilities
- Baby changing facilities
- Dogs welcome
- Gift shop
- Plant sales
- Refreshments
- Toilets
Key features
- Sculpture
- Herbaceous border
- Glasshouse (open to public)
- Japanese garden
- Pond or lake
- Autumn colour
- Champion trees
- Water garden
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.