Mottisfont Abbey has many attractions, but for garden lovers there is only one, being the rose gardens designed and built by world famous rosarian Graham Stuart Thomas.
After many years of restoring gardens like Stourhead and Sissinghurst for the National Trust, Thomas was invited to design and build a rose garden at Mottisfont where he could keep his vast collection of old world shrub roses. It was to be the culmination of his life's work and he was happy to refer to it as his own personal masterpiece.
Long after he has gone, we can all still enjoy his passion with one of the most lush and abundant walled gardens you will ever be likely to see. It is a testament to one of the grand old men of English horticulture, his design skills, knowledge of plants, love of roses and his very special art of plant combination.
Climbing up the high walls are old Noisettes and Climbing Teas, along with some splendid Wichurana and Multiflora Ramblers. While in the neatly box edged beds are Hybrid Perpetuals, China and Scots roses, Rugosa hybrids and some very floriferous Bourbons.
The main collections of old roses are planted around small lawns including Gallicas, Damasks, Albas, Centifolias and Portland roses which tend to be at their best in June. But Thomas was keen to create gardens to satisfy throughout the year so he has underplanted with a wonderful collection of bulbs that bloom in both spring and autumn.
He also combines so many classic cottage garden plants to fill out the great herbaceous borders and provide contrast to the hero roses. These include peonies, foxgloves, delphiniums, pinks and Linaria purpurea to name but a few.
The walled garden overflows with life and colour, with arches, pergolas and trellises lifting the blooms to eye level and above. It attracts over 60,000 visitors in June alone so plan your trip to avoid weekends during this period.
Regardless of whether the roses are in bloom, Mottisfont provides a lovely day out in the expansive and rolling grounds which have so many different facets to enjoy. These include some particularly splendid old trees, a very pretty spring fed stream, a winter garden, lavender parterres and of course the house itself which is built on the foundations of an original early 13th century Abbey.
Author: Bob Saunders.
Restaurant The Kitchen Cafe in the main house serves hot and cold meals and snacks throughout the year. During the summer months there is a Ice Cream Parlour in the Stable Block and a Kiosk selling Coffee, teas and snacks next to the Walled Rose Garden.
Shop The Stables Block houses a gift shop, a second hand book shop and a Nursery selling plants that can be seen growing in the gardens. At the time of writing this entry a big new reception centre is being built at the gardens entrance, this will house a large shop and cafe when it is complete.
Disabled Access There is parking close to the main entrance. All the paths and the ground floor of the house are suitable for wheelchairs. There are staff driven electric buggies to take visitors around the grounds, timings and frequency will vary during the year so it is worth checking before your visit.
By Car
From Southhampton - travel on M27, take junction 2 or 3 (M271) following signs to Romsey. Once you have reached Romsey, follow signs to Stockbridge (A3057). 3.5 miles down the A3057 turn left following the brown signs to Mottisfont.
From London - travel on M3, take junction 8 – A303 towards Andover. Follow the road sign posted to Stockbridge and follow signs to Romsey (A3057). Approximately 3 miles from Stockbridge you drive through a village called Kings Somborne; drive through the village on the same road. Approximately 2 miles further on you will see a brown tourist information road sign on the right to Mottisfont.