Best Parks and Gardens in Exeter to Visit this Summer
With the summer holidays now upon us it’s time to start planning your days of adventures! There are so many beautiful locations in and around Exeter that can be explored throughout the year, but with the sun shining and blue skies now is the perfect time to take a trip to the best parks and gardens in the area.
With over 64 acres for you to explore, Bicton Park Botanical Gardens provides you with nearly 300 years of gardening history, home to many rare and beautiful species. There are lots of wonderful things to see in these beautiful gardens, from the Palm house (made from over 18,000 panes of glass) just like a greenhouse, to the Tropical House, Temperature House and Astrid House. Bicton Park Botanical Gardens also offers the perfect coffee spot overlooking the stunning Italian gardens, along with an indoor and outdoor play area for the children to enjoy.
As the UK’s newest open-air gallery set in a 100-acre Wilding Project, Devon Sculpture Park is guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment for you and the children. With both indoor and outdoor galleries, this breath-taking sculpture park oozes with character, art and a sense of community. Surrounded by an ancient Wilded deer park, Devon Sculpture Park offers huge gardens that you can lose yourself in and be at one with the nature surrounding you.
Quarried in Roman times for stone, Northernhay Gardens has a strong link to the beautiful city of Exeter, with the stone used to build the adjacent city walls. With outstanding historic significance and beautiful gardens to explore, Northernhay Gardens is a definite spot to tick off the list this summer. Only a minutes’ walk from the high-street, the central location makes this attraction easy to get too, especially with little ones. There is also no entry fee for the Northernhay Gardens, making it the perfect spot to take a picnic for a cheaper day out.
This beautiful location offers so much for you to enjoy and explore, with a stunning castle and gorgeous gardens that lie in a tranquil deer garden on the banks of the River Exe. First opened in 1959, this ancient castle boasts over 600 years of history and heritage for you to take in. Whether you choose to explore the American Garden, the Rose Garden, the Belvedere Tower or the Victorian Walled Garden, you can rest assured you’ll be captured by the beauty of this incredible location. The deer park that lays within the grounds of Powderham Castle contains a diverse range of trees for you to observe, with the opportunity to partake in the Deer Park Safari if you want to really wow the little ones!
