Nestled in a Devon valley, Rosemoor blends formal and informal plantings to magical effect.
Rosemoor became home to Lady Anne Berry (1919–2019) and her mother following the death of her father, Sir Robert Horace Walpole, in 1931. Sir Robert had originally bought Rosemoor as a salmon fishing lodge. At that time the garden was, as Lady Anne described it, ‘dull and labour intensive, typically Victorian, with a great use of annuals in beds around the house.’ During the 1930s, Lady Anne’s mother created The Stone Garden, the first area of hard landscaping at Rosemoor, which still lies at the heart of the old garden.
During the 1960s Lady Anne joined the RHS and was soon invited to judge woody plants and new introductions in one of its committees. By the late 1970s she had helped found the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (now known as Plant Heritage), and had also set up a nursery at Rosemoor. When Lady Anne gifted Rosemoor to the RHS in 1988 it consisted of the house, the 3.2ha (8 acre) garden around the house and 13ha (32 acres) of pastureland.
Rosemoor opened to visitors on 1 June 1990. Bisected by the A3124, the garden consists of two very distinct areas. On one side is the original garden – Lady Anne’s Garden – which remains a diverse collection of plants in an informal setting. On the other side is the new garden – a formal, decorative area in a glorious woodland setting – its creation in such a relatively brief time is a truly astonishing achievement.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor
RHS Garden Rosemoor Great Torrington EX38 8PH
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Countryside Mobility 65 acres of enchanting formal and informal gardens, woodland walks, water features and open spaces. Most of the gardens are accessible to the Tramper but some paths/parts of the gardens are more difficult to access - site staff will advise on arrival.
- Path surfaces - mostly well-surfaced
- Path gradients - mostly level, but some slopes in places
- Some paths have narrow sections and tight turning areas
Tramper hire is included in entry fee (a donation towards improving access at Rosemoor is invited) and 4 Trampers are available for hire.
Free entrance for RHS members (carers are also free). Well-stocked Plant Centre, Gift Shop, Garden Restaurant and Wisteria Tea-Room. Rosemoor is open every day except Christmas Day, from 10am-6pm (5pm Oct – March).
https://countrysidemobility.org/locations/rhs-rosemoor-gardens
