Exbury Gardens
Exbury, New Forest
Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0
A 200-acre woodland garden where the Beaulieu River meets the Solent, best known for its spring displays of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias. More than 22 miles of paths wind through the gardens to riverside walks, with autumn colour from nyssas and acers.
Highlights
- Rhododendron, azalea and camellia collections in spring
- A nerine collection of about 1,000 cultivars, shown each autumn
- Walks along the Beaulieu River
- Play area and log trail for children
- Mr Eddy's Restaurant and the Old Tennis Courts outdoor cafe
Good to know
- Dogs on short leads are welcome in the gardens, on the railway and in the left-hand section of Mr Eddy's Restaurant
- Children under 16 must be with an adult
- Picnics are welcome at two picnic sites, by Jubilee Pond and at the Sakura Cherry Orchard
- The gardens may close without notice in extreme weather
Getting there
Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Southampton, Hampshire, SO45 1AZParking: Free car park for about 250 cars and 50 coaches, with an overflow across the road on busy days. Blue Badge bays are at the front, nearest the Visitor Entrance.
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What's on at Exbury Gardens
Christmas at Exbury: Christmas Fair, Father Christmas and the Festive Express
Exbury's fundraising Christmas weekends bring a fair of local producers to the gardens, with Father Christmas in a railway carriage in the engine shed and an elf-themed ride on the steam railway. Fair tickets include the woodland gardens, a family trail and crafts.
Exbury Christmas Night Train
A 30 minute illuminated steam train ride around Exbury's woodland gardens after dark, past lights and festive displays. Father Christmas sees off every departure, and festive food and drink is sold each night.
More things to do in Lymington
Nearby
Photo: Paul Gillett, CC BY-SA 2.0Exbury Steam Railway
A narrow-gauge steam railway built in 2001 inside Exbury Gardens, inspired by the railway enthusiast Leopold de Rothschild. The 20-minute ride on the Rhododendron Line gives a raised view of the Rock Garden and runs through a tunnel, over a bridge and around Dragonfly Pond.
Buckler's Hard Museum and Village
An 18th-century shipbuilding village on the Beaulieu River where warships for Nelson's navy were built, including three that fought at Trafalgar. The museum and reconstructed cottages tell the story of the shipyard and the families who lived there, and the wide village street running down to the river is free to explore.
Photo: Paul Pollard, CC BY-SA 2.0Lepe Country Park
A Hampshire County Council country park on the Solent shore at the edge of the New Forest, looking across to the Isle of Wight. Beach and meadow walks lead past remains from the D-Day preparations of 1944 and a Cold War observation post, with a play area, cafe and kiosk near the shore.