Beth Chatto Gardens

Beth Chatto Gardens is a seven-acre garden in Elmstead featuring distinct sections such as Mediterranean Garden, Gravel Garden, Reservoir Garden, and Water Garden, each displaying specific plant selections. The layout guides visitors through different growing conditions and plant communities.

Beth Chatto began transforming an abandoned chalk quarry into this garden during the 1960s, using ecological principles to create thriving plant communities. This recovery project turned unusable land into a flourishing landscape.

The garden shows how plants thrive when matched to their natural conditions, which shaped how gardeners approach sustainable landscaping today. You can see this philosophy in action across each of the separate planting areas.

The garden is open from April through November on Tuesdays through Saturdays, giving visitors good opportunities to explore. An on-site nursery stocks over 2,000 plant varieties for purchase during your visit.

The garden features stepped ponds and mature oak trees that demonstrate how plants can thrive in extreme conditions. Surprisingly, you can walk through areas where plants flourish in waterlogged soil and then immediately find others thriving in very dry ground.

Location: Elmstead

Inception: 1960

Founders: Beth Chatto

Address: Clacton Rd, Elmstead Market, Elmstead, Colchester, Essex

Website: https://bethchatto.co.uk

GPS coordinates: 51.87510,1.00451

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:04