Things to do in Dorset

Dorset Gardens

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Crazy Secret Gardens

Left wild and untamed for over 40 years, the secret walled garden at Carey in Wareham, Dorset is now open to the public for the very first time! Hidden amongst the beautiful rolling hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Careys Secret Garden has been lovingly and sensitively restored by the small gardening team into a tranquil and inspirational space. Come and discover the rose garden, orchard, stumpery, food forest, arid and herb gardens, veg patch, and children’s imaginative play areas. The Secret Salt Pig cafe serves up delicious locally sourced food and drink, the cakes are divine and the coffee is excellent! Visits to Careys Secret Garden are by booking only, and full directions will be provided with your booking confirmation. The garden is open to visitors each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Forde Abbey & Gardens

Whilst researching gardens in Dorset, we came across Forde Abbey and Gardens, cant quite believe we haven’t visited this Dorset gem. Its really breathtaking! The Abbey is well worth a visit too! The gardens include arboretum, kitchen garden, rock garden, ponds.

In the summer months the front lawn is the site for some incredible re-enactments of Shakespeares favourite plays. We recommend arriving early as the lawn is flat and the best views are at the front.

The garden is Open All Year.
Adults are £10 but under 15s go free

Minterne House and Gardens

DCH Director Leanne and her children spent a lovely day strolling through the gardens at Minterne House. Its perhaps a lesser known attraction in Dorset but that makes it a real pleasure to explore.

You have to park in the village, a short one minute stroll from the house, be careful crossing the road as its on a blind bend.

The informal cafe on the house terrace is a real joy, plenty of shade in the warmer months with a lovely outlook over the house lake and paddocks. You can enjoy a cup of coffee or lunch. The food was really lovely and excellent value and served in good time.

From the cafe you stroll into the gardens, which start by overlooking the front lawn and most attractive facade of this historic home. The gardens are not formal but ethereal in nature. Though there is clearly a plan to the layout they are very natural with some stunning features including some beautiful bridges, lakes and places to sit and enjoy the view. Children will love exploring as they can walk through the chalk streams and play hide and seek in the woodland area.

Bennets Water Garden

Home to the National collection of water lillies. Beautiful ponds with quaint Monet style bridges. Over 8 acres of gardens with lilles that flower from Spring to late Autumn.

Open beginning April – end September.
£8.50 per adult and £4.25 per child.

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Mapperton Gardens

Mapperton Gardens is a romantic valley garden deep into a lost Dorset combe among tumbling hills and unspoiled countryside. The gardens descend from the croquet lawn, through the formal topiary down to the wild garden. The manor house with its church, stable block, coach house, dovecote and courtyard is a glorious harmony of golden sandstone and stands on level ground looking across terraced gardens, grass banks and wooded hill which descend steeply to the south. Pevsner’s Dorset guide says “there can hardly be a more enchanting manorial group than Mapperton

Open beginning of March – end October.
£6 adults, £3 under 18’s, under 5’s free

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Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

Voted HHA Garden of the Year 2012. Established in 1765 by the first Countess of Ilchester as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle. Developed since then into a magnificent 30 acre garden filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world. We think its best to visit Abbottsbury April – July as thats when most of the flowers are in bloom. That said we visited in August and the cover was a welcome respite from the heat.

You can spend at least three hours enjoying the gardens as well as a lovely (steep) walk to enjoy breath-taking views of the Chesil beach and coast. From this view point you can see the former site of the castle and preserved canon. The information boards are very interesting as well.

The gardens also sport a cafe, though we thought the food range could be improved what we really loved was the shop and garden centre. A lot of attractions tend to inflate prices but we thought the shop and plant range was very competitively priced with a range of plants that was very interesting.

Open all year except the last two weeks of December, when Abbottsbury open their gardens for their Illuminate event. The route takes approx 30 minutes with cafe and shop open for visitors.

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Sculpture by the Lake

This new attraction in Dorset is highly recommended by those that are looking for a relaxing day out. The gardens and lakeside walk take in a beautiful vista, which is dotted with exceptional and interesting works of art. Please note that this attraction is for adults only but pets are welcome on a lead. After a stroll around the lakes why not pop into the regularly updated artists gallery or shop. A cafe is on site which caters for tea, cakes and lunches (booking strongly recommended).

Adults are £14.95

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Athelhampton House & Gardens

Another HHA Garden of the year winner back in 1997. Over 20 acres of Italianate gardens with lovely sculpted yew trees. Beautifully maintained with a courtyard garden, which leads to other ‘secret’ gardens.

Open March – Oct.

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Kingston Maurwood

The Gardens are grade II listed and whether you are a serious gardener or just someone who is looking for a beautiful place to visit they will not disappoint you.

There is a huge variety of plants and trees to see and don’t miss the walled garden which is a really peaceful spot. The gardens are tended by just 5 full time gardeners with help from students on various types of Horticulture courses.

Open all year except Christmas.
Adults £6, children £4.50.

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Knoll Gardens & Nursery

Our sales nursery sits alongside our renowned naturalistic garden. Planted with thousands of our own grasses and flowering perennials, the garden is home to one of the country’s most extensive collections of grasses and provides the perfect opportunity to see how they can work in a real garden environment.

Alongside the grasses you’ll also find a wonderful collection of rare and unusual trees and shrubs. Many date back to the garden’s inception in the 1970s, including some stunning Eucalyptus. They form a powerful backdrop for our grasses, and help to create a wonderful sense of seclusion as you stroll around what is now a nationally recognised 4-acre garden.

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Borough Gardens

FREE TO THE PUBLIC these lovely public gardens boast a tennis court, lovely childrens play park with fountains and gym area.