Exbury Gardens

About Exbury Gardens

Exbury lies on the edge of the New Forest, running down to the Beaulieu River. Lionel de Rothschild bought the estate in 1919 and set about a huge programme of landscaping and planting, funding plant-hunting expeditions to the Himalaya and China in the 1920s. The rhododendrons and azaleas he gathered remain the heart of the garden.

After his death in 1942 his son Edmund took over, and the gardens opened to the public in 1955 as a charitable trust. The great storm of 1987 brought down around a third of the mature trees, and replanting has continued since. A narrow gauge steam railway was added in 2000 and the Centenary Garden opened in 2019.

What to see

• Rhododendrons and azaleas across the woodland, the main reason many people visit in spring.
• Camellias and bulbs in early spring, including the River of Gold planting and a daffodil meadow.
• Herbaceous, Sundial and Centenary Gardens for summer flowers.
• The Rhododendron Line, a short steam railway ride through part of the gardens (separate ticket).
• The Beaulieu River at the foot of the gardens, and autumn colour from maples and other trees.

Planning your visit

Exbury is about 20 minutes from the M27, reached via the A326 and brown signs. Parking is free. The nearest station is Brockenhurst, about ten miles away, and in summer the New Forest open top bus calls at the gardens.

The gardens open seasonally, from early March into the autumn; check the website for the closing date and for events such as the Halloween Ghost Train in late October. Paths are tarmac and gravel, wheelchairs are free to borrow, and accessible toilets are spread around the site. Mr Eddy's Restaurant and outdoor cafés serve food, and carers go free.