Gardens of Wiltshire

Wiltshire is one of Britain’s most naturally beautiful counties, stretching itself between the tranquil hills of the North Wessex Downs and the wilder northern edge of Cranborne Chase. In between lies the Salisbury Plains, that misty crucible of English mythology, home to the chalky figure of the Westbury White Horse and the monumental standing stones of Stonehenge and Avebury.

With such rich delights to explore in the surrounding landscape, Wiltshire residents would have been forgiven for not wasting time tending to their own backyards. However, the county boasts a greater cluster of lush, manicured gardens than almost anywhere else in Britain or even the world. One of the oldest developments still open to the public is Abbey House Gardens, which is set in the hilltop town of Malmesbury on the cusp of the Cotswolds. The namesake abbey was founded here in the 7th century AD as a Benedictine monastery and the very