Westbury Court Gardens, Westbury-on-Severn

Originally laid out between 1696 and 1705, at the time of King William and Queen Mary, who had obvious Dutch connections, this is the only restored Dutch-style water garden in the country.

An elegant Dutch-style pavilion is at the head of one canal, which you can enter to admire the great views over the garden.

 

It's heavily influenced by the fashions of late 17th and early 18th century European's design, especially for this unusual type of water garden. The main features include canals, a circular pool, topiary, and vegetable gardens.

 

 

The gardens include a 137 metres canal, yew hedges, a beautiful selection of flowers and shrubs, and some of the oldest, rarest and tallest trees in the whole of the UK.

 

In 1967 National Trust took over the gardens, and work started on the restoration in 1971.

The secret walled garden

Over the bridge, the way to the picnic area

The rabbit warren

Wander around the garden and take in the unique and unusual design.. There are historical varieties of apple, pear, and plum, with many other plants introduced to England before 1700.

Located immediately beside the National Trust property of Westbury Court Gardens, is the Church of St Mary, St Peter, and St Paul (yes, it's a mouthful name for a church).

The church was built in the late 13th century. The oldest parts that remain are the north porch and north aisle, which were built in 1290.

Westbury-on-Severn bell tower

A short stroll outside the garden walls through the fields, takes you to the banks of River Severn, also known as Garden Cliff, one of the finest localities for finding fossils.



Out of all of the localities along the Severn River, this one has the most rapid erosion.