Plantation Gardens Norwich
Nestled just off a busy main road, on the edge of Norwich city centre and in the grand shadow of a Catholic Cathedral, lies the secluded Victorian gardens known as the Plantation Gardens.
The Preservation Trust that manages the gardens charges a small entry fee of £2 and, once you have stepped inside the garden walls, you will find yourself whisked away from the surrounding hubbub of Norwich.
The site of the plantation gardens sits over a former chalk quarry and the grounds themselves were lovingly transformed into the Victorian spectacle that can be seen today by an affluent local man, Henry Trevor, over a period of time during the mid-late 1800s.
The gardens lay abandoned after the Second World War but have slowly but surely been restored to their former glory.
These days the gardens boast a zig-zagging Italian terrace which, once climbed, provides sweeping views of the verdant lawn below, dotted and fringed with colourful flower beds.
There are also unique features such as the towering gothic fountain and winding woodland paths that are concealed along the fringes of the grounds and provide endless opportunities for exploring every bespoke angle of the tranquil gardens.
As well as being a veritable idyll right on the outskirts of the thriving heart of Norwich city centre, the Plantation Gardens also (during the warmer months) put on various events that can be enjoyed with such a special and distinctive backdrop.
My personal favourite memory is enjoying an open-air screening of Jaws on the lawn of the garden one Summer’s evening a couple of years ago. But if that’s not to your liking there has always been a variety of musical, literary and educational events hosted in the gardens too.
Help Support the Plantation Gardens
Last winter (2017) the Plantation Gardens were temporarily closed due to a legal dispute over access to the gardens with an adjacent landowner, however, the matter has since been resolved and the gardens are open every day for all to enjoy. If you would like to find out more about what’s on and how to plan your visit to the Plantation Gardens, you can also browse the Preservation Trust’s website and see any upcoming events they’re hosting.
Norfolk Life
If you would like to know a little more about what life in the beautiful county of Norfolk and the fine city of Norwich is like, then browse my Norfolk Life category. If you are fascinated by the local history of the county, check out my Round Tower Churches of Norfolk post.
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