Gardens in or near Swaffham

There's a lovely story behind the creation of Gooderstone Water Gardens near Swaffham in Norfolk. Retired farmer Billy Knights began creating the gardens at the age of 70 back in 1970 after his son joked that the land there was too wet for cattle to graze and only fit to be a water garden. Setting out his plans on the back of a piece of wallpaper, Billy's imagination was fired and he set about getting the diggers to work on the meadow. By the age of 93, he had created a haven for garden lover...

Discover the romantic moated manor house and gardens, Oxburgh Hall The Oxburgh Hall garden surrounds the wonderful moated Tudor manor house built in 1482 by the Bedingfeld family. Lawns fringed with fine trees, a Victorian parterre planted by Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld in the mid 19th century, lined with box and permanent plantings of Cineraria `Silver Dust´ and Ruta graveolens `Jackman´s Blue´. The dazzling summer bedding for the parterre included ageratums and French marigolds. The ...

Sandringham House, Her Majesty The Queen's private home, is set in 60 acres of beautiful gardens. All the main ground-floor rooms used by The Royal Family, containing absorbing collections of porcelain, jade and family portraits, are open to the public, as well as the fascinating Museum and the charming parish church.

Pensthorpe Natural Park has lots to delight and entertain for the whole family. There are five superb gardens that are a picture throughout the year, as well as 300 acres of parkland reserve. Visitors can observe the wildlife, and there are excellent play areas for the children, both indoors and out.