Furzey Gardens
Minstead, New Forest
Photo: Chris Wimbush, CC BY-SA 2.0Photo: Chris Wimbush, CC BY-SA 2.0
A 12-acre woodland garden in the village of Minstead, with rare shrubs first gathered from places such as India, China and Tibet by early 20th-century plant hunters. It is run as a charity, with the gardens, nursery and thatched tea rooms cared for by gardeners with learning disabilities supported by Minstead Trust.
Highlights
- More than 40 fairy doors hidden around the garden
- Thatched tea room serving light lunches and cakes
- Winding woodland paths and rare plant collection
- Monthly Furzey Toddle sessions for young children
Good to know
- Dogs on a short lead (no extendable leads) are welcome from 2 November to 31 March, but not in the tea rooms; at other times only assistance dogs
- Some plants can irritate skin, so wash hands after touching them
- Free-roaming ponies and cattle use the lanes nearby, so drive slowly
Getting there
Furzey Gardens, School Lane, Minstead, near Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7GLParking: Limited parking in the car park next to the gardens, which can fill quickly in school holidays. There is no other parking nearby, so do not park on verges or in front of gates.
Get directionsChecked on 19 October 2026 against furzey-gardens.org, furzey-gardens.org. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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More things to do in Lyndhurst
Nearby
Photo: Stuart Logan, CC BY-SA 2.0Bolderwood
A Forestry England site on an old coaching route west of Lyndhurst, with some of the oldest Douglas fir trees in the New Forest, the earliest dating to about 1860. Three waymarked circular trails lead from the car park through ancient and ornamental woodland, and the longest passes a deer viewing platform where fallow deer are often seen.
Photo: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0New Forest Heritage Centre
A free museum run by an independent charity in the middle of Lyndhurst, telling the story of the New Forest, its people, traditions and ancient laws, and how its wildlife is looked after today. A highlight is the 7.5-metre New Forest Embroidery, made by Lady Belinda Montagu and 60 volunteers to show 900 years of the Forest's history.
Paultons Park
A family-run theme park opened in 1983, with more than 70 rides and attractions in 140 acres of parkland on the edge of the New Forest, aimed at families with children under 14. It is home to Peppa Pig World, with nine rides for children aged 1 to 6, alongside other themed lands such as Valgard, Tornado Springs and Lost Kingdom, plus an animal collection.