Iford Manor Gardens

About Iford Manor Gardens

Iford Manor stands on a steep, south facing slope of the Frome valley, about 2 miles south west of Bradford on Avon. The house dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. The garden designer Harold Peto bought the property in 1899 and spent the rest of his life, until his death in 1933, creating a garden inspired by his love of Italy.

Elizabeth Cartwright bought the estate in 1965 and restored the garden in the early 1970s. Since 2018 William and Marianne Cartwright-Hignett have been working through a ten year renewal plan with their head gardener. The garden is Grade I registered.

What to see

• The Great Terrace: a broad walk lined with colonnades and views across the valley.
• The Cloisters: an Italianate courtyard with an arcade, built to display Peto's collection of antiquities.
• The Casita: a pavilion higher up the hillside.
• Water and stone: a lily pool, loggia and terraces leading up to the main lawn, with cypresses, hedges and statuary throughout.
• Japanese Garden: a later addition made by John Hignett.

Planning your visit

Iford sits on the last hill of the Cotswolds, within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The gardens open only between April and September, and are closed until April 2027; check the website for opening days and to book. The café and restaurant are open all year. Dogs must be kept on leads in the surrounding fields, and visitors are asked to stay on footpaths.