Bath Botanical Gardens

What you'll find

The gardens grew from gifts of Victorian plant collections and unusual trees. Today there is a rock garden with a pool, a long herbaceous border, a scented walk and a collection of old shrub roses, set among specimen trees and shrubs. Look out for the replica Roman temple, which was Bath's exhibit at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley before it was brought here.

The Great Dell

In 1987, the gardens' centenary year, the site was extended to take in the Great Dell, a former quarry that was already home to a fine group of conifers. It has since been developed as a woodland garden, so it feels shadier and wilder than the formal beds nearby and makes a good contrast on a warm day.

Making a day of it

The gardens sit inside Royal Victoria Park, so it is easy to combine them with the playgrounds, lawns and the walk along to the Royal Crescent. There is no vehicle access into the gardens themselves: you enter on foot from two points on the Royal Avenue loop. Allow an hour for a slow loop, longer if you are following the seasons in the borders.

Highlights

• Free entry, open all year
• Rock garden, pool and scented walk
• Replica Roman temple from the 1924 British Empire Exhibition
• Great Dell woodland garden in a former quarry
• Tarmac paths throughout

Good to know

• Pedestrian access only, from two points on the Royal Avenue loop.
• On-road pay-and-display parking nearby (free for up to an hour); Charlotte Street car park is about 600m away.
• Nearest bus stop is on Upper Bristol Road, about 250m away; the train and bus stations are roughly a 25-minute walk.

Frequently asked questions