Exbury’s 200 acres of informal woodland gardens are a wonderful place to visit and re-visit throughout the year.
Exbury SO45 1AT 023 8089 1203 www.exbury.co.uk
Famed internationally for its rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias, Exbury’s 200 acres of informal woodland gardens are a wonderful place to visit and re-visit throughout the year. Open daily from 10-4.30pm from March to October, Exbury also opens for special Christmas events and open-air summer musical the theatrical evenings. The New Forest tour bus stops here, and the estate includes river frontage, and it is 3 miles SE of Beaulieu itself on the way to Lepe beach.
Exbury House is a neoclassical mansion but is not open to the public. A nearby gallery holds art and horticultural exhibitions. Plants are on sale through the season.
Exbury’s horticultural excellence has been developed over the last century since the De Rothschild family began work in 1919. Descended from a Frankfurt dynasty the family spread across Europe in the 1800s until settling at Exbury in 1919. The work begun by Lionel (who described himself as a banker by hobby and a gardener by profession) has been continued by his descendants and the gardens are now run as a charity still overseen by family members, particularly his grandson, also called Lionel. The ethos of the gardens is to maintain a light touch and to demonstrate a commitment to enhancing wildlife. Its charitable aim is to “maintain, improve, develop and preserve” as well as to advance “horticultural knowledge, science and learning.” The gentle climate and acid soil was well suited to growing rhododendrons, but the creation of the gardens initially took 60 gardeners and 150 labourers who had to first install 22 miles of irrigation pipes and build 2 acres of greenhouses. The village of Exbury was expanded to accommodate the workforce needed and the first opening to the public took place inf the 1930s. with all fees going to support local charities. Post-war restoration was led by Lionel’s son, Edmund.
As well as acres of landscaped woodland, the gardens include herbaceous, contemporary, formal and wildflower areas. The grounds are so extensive it can take several visits to fully explore – highlights well worth seeking out include the azalea bowl, paths along the Beaulieu River, the cascades and daffodil meadows, the hydrangea walk, iris garden, Japanese bridge, and sundial garden. The Rock Garden, Centenary Garden and Camellia walks lead down to the river walks. In Spring daffodils, primroses and bluebells create feasts for the eyes and the wildflower meadows stretching down to the river are stunning. Dragonflies and damselflies can be seen at the Pond and the estate also supports good habitats for curlew, lapwing, and otters. Within the woods look out for song thrushes, goldcrests, fire crests, woodpeckers, and goshawks. Badgers, foxes, deer, bats, and owls thrive here too.
The delightful steam railway, opened in 2000 and one of Britain’s great little railways, runs daily with the final departure each day at 3pm. This working narrow-gauge runs from a replica Victorian station named Exbury Central and goes through a tunnel, over bridges and around Dragonfly Pond and the Summer Lane Garden, providing travellers with a unique overview of the estate. The current Lionel Rothschild is a railway enthusiast, and he installed the railway at Exbury.
Throughout the year there are special activities such as activity sheets, brass rubbing trails, arts and crafts, donkey rides, pond-dipping, seasonal treats, and fairs. For younger visitors there is a good wooden adventure playground, a fantastic log trail and plenty of meandering paths to explore. An annual 10k is held on a summer Sunday too.
Food and drink are available throughout the day from a variety of indoor and outdoor outlets, and some can be accessed by non-garden visitors too (Mr Eddy’s for example). The Little Kitchen Company offers something to suit everyone’s palette, with a good vegan selection, and the Old Tennis Court café has drinks, cakes, and ice-creams too.
We signed up for a year’s membership and have enjoyed going a couple of times each month to really get to know the gardens in all seasons and weather. Free train rides, discount in the shop and eateries, newsletters and exclusive tours and events are included in membership. Advance notice of special events is great too, with Christmas getting booked up well ahead. Dogs are welcome on a lead and our collie now knows every path!