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Best rose gardens

Visitors exploring the Formal garden at Bodnant Garden, Conwy, Wales
Visitors exploring the Formal garden at Bodnant Garden, Conwy, Wales | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Visit the best rose gardens and immerse yourself in summer colour. Whether they've been brought together in more formal gardens or planted throughout the grounds, many of the gardens at the places in our care are filled with blooming roses in shades of pink, red, yellow and orange.

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill, Cambridgeshire
From early June right through to October this rose garden produces a vibrant display of 60 different varieties in bloom. The planting scheme was completed in 1939 and in 2024 was extended by another 20 beds, 19 cultivars and around 180 new roses thanks to a generous donation from David Austin Roses.Visit Anglesey Abbey's garden
Barrington Court, Somerset
Barrington Court’s main rose garden was designed by famous horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll in the 1920s. The beds were refreshed in 2017 following her original scheme. Some of the varieties on display were originally bred in the early 1900s by rosarian and clergyman, the Rev. Joseph Pemberton.Visit Barrington Court's garden
Bodnant Garden, Conwy
Explore Bodnant’s Italianate Terraces in summer and you’ll find yourself surrounded by over 1,500 show-stopping rose blooms. Take in views of the Carneddau mountains as you wander through the natural display of colour and scent.Visit Bodnant Garden
Buckland Abbey, Devon
One of the most spectacular displays in Buckland's garden during the summer months are the roses in the Elizabethan and Kitchen Gardens. They also attract plenty of pollinators like bees and butterflies making the garden even more nature friendly. The rose varieties include ‘Tottering By Gently’, ‘Sceptr’d Isle’, ‘Compte De Champagne’ and ‘Scarborough Fair’.Visit Buckland Abbey's garden
Castle Drogo, Devon
The sunken rose garden at Castle Drogo provides protection for a variety of roses as it creates a micro-climate to guard against the Dartmoor weather. Stop by one of the garden benches to take in the sights and scents of this bloom-filled space.Visit Castle Drogo's garden
Chartwell, Kent
The rose garden at Chartwell showcases fragrant hybrid tea roses that were chosen by the Clementine Churchill herself. Surrounded by herbaceous beds and historic stonework, this garden offers a spot to admire these period roses showing Lady Churchill’s love of pastel shades and elegant planting.Visit Chartwell's garden
Chirk Castle and Garden, Wrexham
The Rose Garden at Chirk Castle is full of fragrant roses, from climbers like the soft-pink Rosa 'Madame D'Arblay' to the bright yellow Rosa 'Allgold'. Visit during early summer to see them at their best.Visit Chirk Castle's garden
Visitors sat on a bench in the Rose Garden in July at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire
Visitors in the Rose Garden in July at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson
Cliveden, Buckinghamshire
Cliveden's rose garden features around 850 flowering roses. Reinstated in 2014 and based on a 1950s design by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe for the 3rd Lord Astor, it includes five new varieties – 'Sir John Betjeman', 'Sophy’s Rose', 'Dannahue', 'Bring Me Sunshine' and 'Roald Dahl'. You can enjoy them in bloom from late May until September.Visit Cliveden's garden
Compton Castle, Devon
Head through an archway in the castle wall and you'll find yourself surrounded by a show-stopping display. The roses climbing the pergola and lining the paths mingle with scented wisteria, filling the garden with fragrance, especially on a warm summer's day.Visit Compton Castle's garden
Coughton Court, Warwickshire
Containing over 200 different varieties of rose, the Throckmorton family rose garden at Coughton Court is recognised as one of the finest in the world. It received the Award of Garden Excellence from The World Federation of Rose Societies in 2006 – the first British garden to have done so.Visit Coughton Court's garden
Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester
Stroll through the garden at Dunham Massey and you'll discover hundreds of varieties of rose including Rosa 'Stamford’s sanctuary', named after Dunham’s role as Stamford Military Hospital during the First World War.Visit Dunham Massey's garden
Emmetts Garden, Kent
Explore the Italianate rose garden at Emmetts, which was created by the garden's founders, Frederic and Catherine Lubbock. Look out for the pink 'Octavia Hill' roses named after a founding member of the National Trust.Visit Emmetts Garden
Fenton House and Garden, London
From the terraces you can look down into an enchanting sunken rose garden filled with the aroma of roses that are in full flower by mid-June. Rather than traditional rose gardens with bare earth, the rose beds are underplanted with displays of geraniums, foxgloves and salvias to create a soft cottage-garden effect.Visit Fenton House and Garden
Greys Court, Oxfordshire
Greys Court is full of wonderful sights and scents as the roses come into bloom throughout June. The rose garden traces the history of the rose from the early damask varieties to the modern hybrid perennials.Visit Greys Court's garden
A couple of visitors surrounded by roses at Mottisfont, Hampshire
Visitors at Mottisfont, Hampshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson
Mottisfont, Hampshire
The Walled Garden at Mottisfont is home to the National Collection of Pre-1900 Shrub Roses, which create an annual spectacle in early summer with over 400 different varieties. These older species of rose only flower once a year so make sure you catch them. This year you can also enjoy them on some weekday evenings too.Visit Mottisfont's garden
Mount Stewart, County Down
The gardens at Mount Stewart were created by visionary garden designer, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lady Londonderry. Wander through the recently restored Rose and Walled Garden to discover a treat for the senses.Visit Mount Stewart's garden
Peckover House and Garden, Cambridgeshire
Many of the roses at Peckover have been growing in the garden for years and still create a beautiful display around June and July – some even bloom through to late autumn. With more than 70 varieties, the roses are grown as shrubs, wall climbers and on obelisks, so remember to pause and enjoy their fragrance.Visit Peckover House and Garden
Polesden Lacey, Surrey
Take in the views across the rolling Surrey Hills from Polesden Lacey, framed by Edwardian rambling roses, shrub roses adorning the borders and climbing roses decorating the pergolas.Visit Polesden Lacey's garden
The Argory, County Armagh
Nestled in a wooded estate beside the River Blackwater, The Argory has a charming rose garden to stroll through, with dwarf rose bushes in box-edged beds surrounding a striking sundial.Visit The Argory's garden
Tyntesfield, Somerset
Nestled in the hillside to protect it from the elements, Tyntesfield's rose garden has recently been restored. Enjoy views across the estate from one of the Victorian gazebos now returned to their former glory. Take in the replanted beds with a mix of perennials such as agastache, helenium, penstemon and salvia, alongside over 100 highly scented roses.Visit Tyntesfield's garden
Wightwick Manor and Gardens, West Midlands
The Arts and Crafts movement influenced the planting of Wightwick's garden and classic English plants, such as roses, feature throughout. You can spot several rose varieties in the borders, lawns and the formal rose garden.Visit Wightwick's garden
View of the lake with Palladian bridge and Pantheon in the distance in spring at Stourhead, Wiltshire

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