Tresco Abbey Garden

About Tresco Abbey Garden

Augustus Smith took up residence on the Isles of Scilly in 1834 and chose a site beside the ruins of St Nicholas Priory, a Benedictine foundation, for his home and garden. The island had few trees, so he built granite walls and planted shelterbelts, later of Monterey cypress and pine, to protect the plants from Atlantic winds.

The garden grew under later generations of the Dorrien-Smith family. In the early 1900s Arthur Dorrien-Smith collected plants in South Africa and on a sub-Antarctic expedition, adding hundreds of specimens. The garden is Grade I listed and is still run by the Tresco Estate.

What to see

• The plant collection: over 2,000 exotic species from the Mediterranean, South Africa, South America and Australasia, sheltered by high walls and hedges.
• Priory ruins: the remains of the Priory of St Nicholas, founded in 1114.
• Valhalla: around 30 ship figureheads and carvings, mostly from 19th century wrecks.
• Wildlife: red squirrels, reintroduced in 2013, and free roaming golden pheasants.

Planning your visit

Tresco is one of the Isles of Scilly, off the far west of Cornwall, so plan your travel to the islands in advance. Day visitors pay at the gate and there is no need to book. The garden café and shop are open alongside the garden.

Storm Goretti in January 2026 brought down around 500 trees across Tresco and closed the garden temporarily. The shelterbelt along Abbey Drive took much of the force, and the garden was due to reopen in March 2026; the estate's July 2026 garden diary describes visitors crossing into the garden every day. Some areas may still show recovery work. Check the website for current information before travelling.