Top 10 gardens in London & the UK

The arrival of autumn presents a new season of opportunity to visit and enjoy Britain's public gardens and spaces - in particular to enjoy the spectacular displays of seasonal colour.

Here travelbite.co.uk - in alliance with TripAdvisor takes a look at the top ten public gardens in Britain, based on their popularity with travellers from around the world.

Britain autumnal beauty

Among the very best locations to view England's horticultural heritage is the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London.

The site is situated in the London suburb of Richmond upon Thames, and is probably the most famous and popular garden in the world.

Steeped in history, it attracts some 1.3 million visitors each year who flock to see and experience the treetop walkway, the world’s largest compost heap, the famous palm house, water lily house, collections of carnivorous plants and cacti and others too numerous to mention.



Waterlily House, Kew

But not to be outdone, Scotland also offers the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Established in 1670, the Botanics are renowned for their horticultural excellence, and comprise some 70 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds providing a tranquil oasis just one mile from Edinburgh city centre.

Down in Kent, Groombridge Place & Enchanted Forest in Tunbridge Wells offer amazing award winning 17th century gardens.

The location has recently been updated with contemporary styling and features, and is set in 200 acres of wooded parkland with a moated manor house backdrop.

Formal features include the White Rose Garden, Drunken Topiary, Secret Garden, Knot Garden and Peacock Walk contrast with the ancient woodland of the 'Enchanted Forest' where there's mystery, magic and excitement to challenge the imagination of young and old alike.



The Drunken Garden, Groombridge Place Gardens

Next, Stourhead House and Gardens, in Wiltshire-Somerset, were laid out between 1741 and 1780 to create a breathtaking landscape of lakeside walks, grottoes and classical temples.

The gardens are home to a large collection of trees and shrubs from around the world and overlooked by one of the finest follies in Britain, King Alfred’s Tower and the surrounding woodland is home to two Iron Age forts.

Among the most famous sites in the UK is Hampton Court, located in East Molesey, Surrey.

Originally designed for William III Hampton Court remained a private garden for residents of the palace right up until the early 20th century. To date the Privy Garden has been restored to its 16th century glory, while the site is also home to the world-famous Hampton Court Palace Hedge Maze.

Planted sometime around 1690 for William III it covers a third of an acre and contains half a mile of paths.

In the north of England, Cragside House & Gardens, Morpeth Northumberland, was designed by Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong Gragside and is a garden of breathtaking drama whatever the season.

It features spectacular terraced gardens and one of Europe's largest rock gardens, which tumbles down a valley at the bottom of which is the tallest Douglas Fir in England.

Amid the gentle hillsides and sleepy villages of the Cotswolds, Westonbirt Arboretum in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, is another favourite with visitors – one of the most spectacular tree gardens in the world.

Covering 600 acres it contains an historic collection of over 3,000 different trees and shrub species, many of which are rare or endangered in their native lands.



Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire

A huge estate, Fountains Abbey and Studely Royal Water Garden, Ripon, are a location of beauty and surprise on the Yorkshire Dales.

Comprising some 800 acres of contrasting countryside, it includes the mysterious Abbey Ruins and one of the most spectacular and intriguing Georgian water gardens stuffed with Classical statues and follies.

Next, Chelsea Physic Garden , London, is situated in the heart of London and founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673, is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain.

A centre of both relaxation and science, it continues to research the properties, origins and conservation of over 5, 000 species. Its rock garden is the oldest English garden devoted to alpine plants.

Finally, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Mevagissey, Cornwall, is one of the most intriguing estates in England.

Once a popular 19th century attraction it disappeared from public view behind a covering of bramble and ivy like something from a fairy tale, only to be rediscovered and restored in the late 20th century.

The popular attraction boasts a breathtaking collection of massive rhododendrons and camellias, an Italian garden and a 'jungle' of sub-tropical tree ferns.

TripAdvisor Director of Communications, Europe, Luke Fredberg said: "Britain is fortunate in having such a rich heritage of public gardens.

"The volume and range of reviews and opinions posted on TripAdvisor from around the world testify to their popularity as a visitor attraction."

Chris O'Toole