If you’ve ever wanted to traipse your way around a magical setting and lose yourself in a fairytale fantasy, there are some striking London parks that offer you that chance. Heck, some London spots were good enough for Bridgerton, which means you know they’re picture-perfect! But one private garden, found just outside of London, beats them all with its fantastical fairytale setting: Dunsborough Park.
Now, typically, the general public can’t actually access the spot. After all, it’s a private garden. However, one of Dunsborough Park’s rare open days will take place this Saturday (June 28). The garden will open to members of the public (with a ticket!) for the Summer Garden Opening. Tickets are now on sale, allowing guests access to the garden. Inside, visitors will be treated to the spectacle of Dunsborough Park’s array of mid-Summer herbaceous and Roses.
Spanning 100 acres, this impressive private estate dates all the way back to the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1500s. Spread throughout its impressive land, the gardens boast an incredible array of floral blooms, statues, vistas, and gorgeous garden architecture.
All of that is capped off by its incredible proximity to London. Visiting this pretty-as-a-picture setting is super easy thanks to being just half an hour outside of London!
Or, at least, it’s easy to visit when it’s open…
The garden’s history
While the property dates back to the 1500s, the gardens were largely laid out over the course of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. In the late 1990s, before opening to the public, the gardens also had to undergo a comprehensive restoration. While the property and the on-site structures had been kept in good nick, the gardens had been almost completely neglected.
Now Dunsborough Park is home to a dizzying array of plantlife, ranging from kiwi fruits and peonies to medicinal plants and herbs. There’s even a mulberry tree that is over 300 years old, tucked away in the ‘Secret Garden’.
One of the most striking sights at Dunsborough Garden, though, is the oft-photographed bridge over the Ockham Mill Stream. Guests make their way towards the bridge by way of The Water Garden and its series of descending ponds. The bridge itself looks as if it has been ripped straight from the pages of a fairytale.
Visiting Dunsborough Park
Dunsborough Park operates open days throughout the year that highlight the seasonal blooms.
The upcoming summer tour focuses on their mid-Summer roses, but Dunsborough Park is particularly famous for its tulips. The chance to see those particular blooms has passed, with the park opening to visitors on select dates in the spring for the Festival of the Tulips. However, you can take a virtual tour of the tulip display here.
You can now book tickets to visit Dunsborough Park’s Summer Garden Opening. Head here to find out more and book a morning or afternoon visit.
Further tickets for later open days will be released nearer the dates.
📍 Dunsborough Park, Newark Lane, Ripley. The nearest station is Woking. From Woking you can take a taxi or the 515 bus, which runs between Guildford and Kingston, stopping in Ripley.