Tresco Abbey Garden, Shop and Café, Tresco, Isles of Scilly TR24 0QQ

Details

Accessibility

"A wheelchair-accessible shingle path winds through the majority of the garden. A few mobility scooters are available in the garden on a first-come, first-served basis. Tresco has no public transport."

Brief description

https://www.tresco.co.uk/enjoying/abbey-garden

2025: "A glorious exception, a perennial Kew without the glass, Tresco Abbey Garden is home to plants from every Mediterranean climate zone, flourishing just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall.

Augustus Smith established Tresco Abbey Garden in the 19th century around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey. Today, the garden is a sanctuary for some 2,000 specimens from across the southern hemisphere and subtropics, from Brazil to New Zealand; Myanmar to South Africa.

The garden is spectacular both for its incongruous presence on a tiny island cast out in the Atlantic and its incredible array of exotic plants from across the globe flourishing in an English garden.

A host of succulents, towering palms, and giant, lipstick-red flame trees fringe the lush grid of paths that criss-cross the gardens. Meander a myriad of winding paths through flowers of the King Protea and the handsome Lobster Claw, great blue spires of Echium, brilliant Furcraea, Strelitzia and shocking-pink drifts of Pelargonium.

The face of the garden changes throughout the year. Flowers bloom weeks ahead of the mainland in spring – the perfect tonic after a long, cold winter. In autumn, the seasonal foliage's reds, golds and ambers contrast with the magnificent proteas, aloes and camellias. Even at the winter solstice, there are usually around 300 species of plants in glorious bloom.

The treasures found within the Abbey Garden are not limited to the floral kind, either. Watch for red squirrels and golden pheasants meandering by, marvel at magnificent sculptures in shady glades, and browse haunting echoes of island shipwrecks in the enchanting Valhalla Figurehead Museum."

Address

Tresco Abbey Garden, Shop & Café, Tresco, Isles of Scilly TR24 0QQ

Email

Phone

+44 (0)1720 422 849

Website

https://www.tresco.co.uk/enjoying/abbey-garden

Directions

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

Transport

"Penzance Helicopters fly direct to Tresco, landing next to the garden. Alternatively, the helicopter, Skybus flights and Scillonian ferry arrive on neighbouring St Mary's, with a short boat transfer to Tresco."

Amenities

Tresco Heliport, Appletree Rd, Tresco, Isles of Scilly TR24 0QQ; Penzance Helicopters fly direct to Tresco, landing next to the garden. Alternatively, the helicopter, Skybus flights and Scillonian ferry arrive on neighbouring St Mary's, with a short boat transfer to Tresco.

Valhalla Figurehead Museum