RHS Garden Rosemoor is one of the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship gardens, and a visit here in any season is a thoroughly rewarding experience. The 65-acre site in the Torridge Valley near Great Torrington has been developed from a single person’s private collection into one of the finest display gardens in England, and the variety and scale of what is here remains genuinely impressive however many times you visit.
The rose garden is exceptional in June, with over 2,000 roses in 200 varieties filling an entire formal section of the garden with colour and scent. But Rosemoor earns its place year-round: the cottage garden, stream garden, bog garden, fruit and vegetable garden, and the original arboretum that Lady Anne Berry donated to the RHS all have distinct characters and peak at different times of the year. Winter brings its own pleasures in the bark garden and with the early bulbs.
The you facilities here are genuinely good: a large plant centre that stocks many of the cultivars you will see growing in the garden, an excellent café, a gift shop, and a programme of events and workshops throughout the year. RHS members enter free, making it exceptional value for anyone with membership.
Great Torrington is about 20 miles from Woolacombe, and Rosemoor is on the southern edge of the town. Combining it with a visit to Marwood Hill Gardens (15 miles from Woolacombe in the other direction) makes for a properly indulgent garden day out. Open daily 10am to 6pm from April to September.
The events programme at Rosemoor is worth checking before your stay. Seasonal highlights include an annual tulip festival in spring, a summer evening garden party, and autumn harvest events that showcase the kitchen garden at its most productive. For families, the children’s trail and the interactive elements in the kitchen garden make it accessible to all ages. The plant centre at Rosemoor is considered one of the best in the South West and stocks species not readily available elsewhere.
