The Savill Garden, located in the southeast corner of the estate of Windsor Great Park, is managed by the Crown Estate and encourages visitors to experience its wealth of plants. It is an oasis of beauty and tranquillity acclaimed as one of the finest gardens in England.
The breathtaking diversity of plants that can be seen today is a result of Sir Eric Savill’s vision combined with the dedication of three generations of horticulturalists.
The Savill garden covers approximately 18ha and was begun by Eric Savill under the auspices of King George V and Queen Mary. In 1951 King George VI commanded that its name should be changed from the Bog Garden to the Savill Garden and in 1955 Sir Eric was knighted.
From the initial streamside planting below the Temperate House, the area was extended to become one of the world’s finest woodland gardens. Further areas were added to include Herbaceous Borders and Rose Gardens, Peat Beds and a larger Bog Garden. Most recent additions have been the Jubilee Garden and bridge over the Lower Pond, a Dry Garden created in 1979 and a new Temperate House named for The Queen Mother and opened by The Queen in 1995.
In 1931 Eric Savill was made Deputy Surveyor of Windsor Great Park and in 1932, with encouragement from George V and Queen Mary, began to clear c10ha of rough woodland on the eastern boundary of the Great Park. From 1932 to 1939 Savill created a woodland and bog garden amongst the remaining canopy of mature woodland trees, forming streams and ponds from the surrounding springs. Following a visit by George V and Queen Mary in 1934, further ground was taken into the gardens, with plants being provided from all over Britain.
After a period of some neglect during the Second World War, the gardens continued to be expanded and developed with the acquisition of collections of various botanical groups of plants, being named in honour of Eric Savill by George VI in 1951. From the initial streamside planting below the Temperate House, the area was extended to become one of the world’s finest woodland gardens.
The adjacent Valley Gardens were developed in tandem from the late 1940s as an extension woodland garden between The Savill Garden and Virginia Water Lake. The area took in the gentle slopes down to the lake from the higher ground to the north, which formerly, in the 18th and 19th centuries had been the open setting for the north bank of the 18th century lake. The ground was planted up with large numbers of ericaceous plants, with a collection of species rhododendrons and a collection of Japanese Kurume azaleas.
Further areas were added to include Herbaceous Borders and Rose Gardens, Peat Beds and a larger Bog Garden. Most recent additions have been the Jubilee Garden and bridge over the Lower Pond, a Dry Garden created in 1979 and a new Temperate House named for The Queen Mother and opened by The Queen in 1995.
Adresse:
Crown Estate Office
The Great Park
Wick Lane
Englefield Green
TW20 0UU
Windsor
Tel.: 01753 847518
Fax: 01753 847536
Email: savillgarden@thecrownestate.co.uk
Website: http://www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/
Owner:
The Crown Estate
Opening times:
March – October: daily, 10:00 – 18:00
November – February: daily, 10:00 – 16:30
Charges:
Adults: £ 10,50; Children 16 and under visit for free
Events:
Exhibitions and concerts. See website for details.
Visitor information:
- Shop: yes, with plant sale
- Café / Restaurant: yes
- WC: yes
- Parking: yes
- Benches: yes
- Average duration of visits: 2 – 3 hours
- Accessibility: The park can be visited by following a signposted path. All facilities are fully accessible.