Our historic gardens

‌‌‌The Image of goldney garden taken from the orangery.University of Bristol is a grateful custodian to an impressive range of buildings, many of which are of architectural and historical importance.   Our unique portfolio, include historic gardens of national importance and are enjoyed by students, staff and members of the public through daily activities, organised events and historic tours.  

Located both centrally within Bristol and within sites on the outskirts of the city, our guardianship of these beautiful gardens is incredibly important to us, reflected in the knowledge and passion of our professional staff that tend to them, shaped by the people who owned and cared for them in the past, today we enjoy these unique spaces for the stories they tell, the wildlife they contain and the opportunities they provide for learning and for relaxation.

Delight in the historic landscape that surrounds you, champion trees, neat parterres, sparkling water features, woodland walks, wildflowers, and follies. A feast for the senses, enjoyed for hundreds of years, our outdoors is yours to discover.

Apart from Royal Fort which is open to the public all year round our other gardens can only be accessed by the general public through invitation, ticket purchase for an event or a bookable tour. 

Book a tour and explore the University's gardens.

Understand our history

We invite you to explore eight of our historic gardens using the links at the side of this page, where we tell you a little about each of them and what they contain. 

The history of the gardens is given in much more detail and with some wonderful illustrations in Marion Mako’s splendid book on the University’s Historic Gardens