Garden Group visits RHS Bridgewater

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has grown from a small group of enthusiasts into the UK’s leading gardening charity

Most of us know the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) from catching glimpses of the Chelsea Flower Show on television, but their real magic is out in the communities. Founded way back in 1804, they’ve grown into the UK’s leading gardening charity. Beyond the big showcase events, they run five massive, permanent display gardens across the country - living blueprints for biodiversity, wildlife conservation and community projects. For groups like ours, they offer practical inspiration we can actually take home to our own patches of green.

On the day of our visit, the weather was mainly dull and windy: not the best for garden photography - though at least it didn’t rain. It was disappointing that access was denied to some areas of RHS Bridgewater, but there was still plenty left to enjoy. And as you’ll see from the photos below, even a grey day couldn’t hide the beauty of the place.

Some of the Garden Group members on the coach

A June morning, but cloudy, chilly and windy enough at RHS Bridgewater for the closure of some paths to woodland, the lake and Chinese Streamside Gardens.

One of the many colourful pathways

These beds feature common flowers looking striking even under a gloomy sky, and the sturdy supports add character.

Alliums and Foxtail Lilies

Vibrant contrasts in form and colour in the Wellness Garden – one of several gardens having a strong community focus.

The Garden Cottage

Captured here in a fleeting burst of sunshine, it was designed in a Gothic style and is one of the few reminders of the former country estate.

Peeping through the archway

The wall features many of the original bricks that blend well with the muted colours of the plants to lend an air of tranquility to the scene.

Time for a rest!

A welcome break for the feet, with a hot drink in a sheltered spot.

Dappled shade

Another burst of sunlight made some of the white petals of the dogwood stand out and added to their beauty.

In the hothouse

An opportunity to warm up while admiring the bougainvillea and many succulents. Next door was a great variety of tomato and chili plants some of the latter producing chilies of alarming strength.

Take a seat in the Paradise Garden

An opportunity to relax among the flowers in this area in the Weston Walled Garden. It is inspired by ancient Islamic Garden styles with a large lily pond at the centre surrounded by 89 beds and over 27,000 plants.

The Lily Pond

The ducks seem very much at home in the Paradise Garden.

A further view of the Weston Walled Garden

This was planted in 2022: of course, the garden plans at RHS Bridgewater were delayed by the COVID outbreak. The Garden Cottage appears in the background.

The Wild Garden

This area has been left to nature. It is on the “Wind in the Willows Trail” for children which features E.H. Shepard’s illustrations from the book like the one here.

The profusion of flowers and shrubs in the Weston Walled Garden was a delight, and there was much to inspire in the colours and plant varieties on show - even if we operate on a very much smaller scale in our own gardens.

There were interesting social and educational aspects of RHS Bridgewater too. For example: community areas; ideas for designing small gardens; display gardens produced for flower shows; and a photography exhibition in the former potting sheds, to name just a few.

Beyond the day‑to‑day visitor experience, RHS Garden Bridgewater has a fascinating backstory. It once formed the grand nineteenth‑century estate of Worsley New Hall - a place so impressive in its Victorian heyday that Queen Victoria visited twice. After decades of decline and eventual demolition following a fire in the 1940s, the estate lay forgotten until the RHS took on one of the largest garden restoration projects Europe has seen in generations, finally opening the gates in May 2021.

Walking around today, you can really feel how landscape architect Tom Stuart‑Smith managed to respect that history while making it feel completely fresh. The eleven‑acre Weston Walled Garden - one of the largest in the country - is the star of the show. Inside those beautifully restored brick walls, everything from traditional kitchen gardens to therapeutic spaces and community allotments sits side by side. Seeing how the designers blended the historic lost terraces with national plant collections was impressive. All in all, there should be plenty to talk about when we next meet.

Perhaps the most entertaining moment of the day for two members of the group came when they were sitting on a bench having lunch and a pheasant hopped up between them and joined in their picnic!

Finally, there was an extensive range of plants in the sales area and, on the way out, one or two of us couldn’t resist the temptation. Perhaps everyone who fell asleep on the coach coming home was dreaming of gardens.

Thank you, Pat Rice, for organising this very enjoyable visit.

Garden Group - New members always welcome

The Clifton Village Garden Group is a friendly, welcoming bunch, and days out like this are just a small part of what we do. If you’d like to learn more or come along to a meeting or visit, new members are always welcome. Details are on our Clubs & Groups page.

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