Markshall Estate
Free RHS Member days
10am–5pm, Tuesday–Sunday, 7–31 January, 6–23 May, 3–29 June, 2–30 September
About the garden
Located just off the A120 between Colchester and Braintree, Markshall is a must-visit destination. For more than 1,000 years, it was like any other British estate, until its last owner, Thomas Phillips Price, gifted it to the nation. In 1971, the Markshall Estate Charitable Trust was established and the estate was opened to the public in the early 1990s.
The charitable trust manages a 200-acre arboretum, home to trees and plantings from every temperate region of the world. Walk through the Essex countryside, discover trees native to Asia and North America and marvel at Europe’s largest collection of Wollemi pines, surrounded by eucalyptus trees in the Gondwanaland area.
At the heart of the estate also lie stunning formal gardens and Walled Gardens. You may even meet one of our resident peacocks Percy and George as you explore.
Facilities
- Children’s play area
- Dogs welcome
- Parking
- Plant sales
- Refreshments
- Toilets
Key features
- Woodland
- Herbaceous border
- Arboretum
- Pond or lake
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.