The Tresco Abbey Gardens were built in 1830 by Augustus Smith, on the location of a 12th Century Benedictine Abbey.
Because of the Isles of Scilly’s humid sub-tropical climate, the gardens are able to grow plants from all over the world, and has over 20,000 plants, including 2000 specimens from across the southern hemisphere and subtropics, from Brazil to Australia, and Myanmar to South Africa.
It’s a truly unique and special place to visit, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!
You see, I am completely biased when I tell you how incredible these gardens are, because my ancestors helped build them.
My great-great-great grandfather, Charles Ellis (pictured below!), was brought over to Scilly in the late 1800s by Augustus Smith’s nephew and heir, Thomas Smith-Dorrien.
Charles had worked as a gardener in the Smith-Dorrien’s home in Berkamsted, Ashlyns Hall, and Thomas invited Charles and his family to move to Scilly to work in the Tresco Abbey Gardens.
Not only did Charles work there, but his son, my great-great grandfather Henry did too. And if they hadn’t moved to Scilly with Smith, Henry would never have met my Scillonian great-great grandmother, Jessie Woodcock. And I wouldn’t be here today!
So you see, I owe a lot to these gardens.
Getting to Tresco Abbey Gardens
Now, visiting Tresco Abbey Gardens isn’t the easiest thing to do, because first you must get to the Isles of Scilly, which is no easy (or cheap) feat!
From London, you’ll either need to drive to Land’s End (6-7 hour drive) or Exeter (3-4 hour drive), and then you can fly from either Exeter (45-min flight) or Penzance (15-min flight).
Alternatively, you can take the Scillonian from Penzance, which takes around 3 hours, but is well known for making everyone very, very seasick. I never usually suffer from seasickness, and the only time I have ever been seasick was on the Scillonian!
If you’re up for even more of an adventure or don’t want to drive, you can take the overnight sleeper train to Penzance from Paddington, or you can take a 2-hour train from Paddington to Exeter.
When you get to the main island of St Mary’s, you’ll then need to transfer to a smaller boat that will take you out to Tresco. I recommend staying at the New Inn, it’s on Tresco itself and is a super cute boutique guesthouse. The Abbey Gardens are around a 30-minute walk across the island from the New Inn.
Can I do a daytrip to Tresco Abbey Gardens from the mainland?
Yes, you can! It’ll be a long and expensive day trip, but it’s doable.
You can actually take the helicopter from Land’s End and land directly on Tresco, right outside the gardens.
The flight is only 15-minutes each way (although will cost you £200pp return) and is perfect if you just want to do the Abbey Gardens and see some of Tresco, but not visit the other islands.
Entry to Tresco Abbey Gardens
You can find the 2024 prices below. The Garden is open Monday – Sunday 10:00 – 16:00, and although it remains open throughout the year, the Garden Visitor Centre and Cafe is closed during the winter (early November until March).
Ticket Type | Ticket Tariff |
---|---|
Adults (16 – 65) | £18.00 per ticket |
Family Ticket | £40.00 per ticket |
Over 65s | £17.00 per ticket |
Under 16s | £5.00 per ticket |
Under 5s | Free |
Weekly | £25.00 per ticket |
Note: Prices may change on a daily basis.
What to See at the Abbey Gardens
There’s plenty to see at the Abbey Gardens – I can very easily spend hours there looking at everything and really taking the time to pay close attention to the different flowers and plants.
Let me take you through the main areas and sights at the gardens…
The Long Walk
The Long Walk is a green tunnel of vibrant tree ferns and other tropical woody plants from the southern hemisphere – think giant New Zealand Christmas trees, Norfolk Pines, and Australian Eucalyptus towering above.
It’s my favourite part of the garden, and smells particularly nostalgic for me after rainfall, as the Eucalypt smell is even more powerful and takes me straight back to my time living in Australia!
If I could ever have a large garden myself, the Long Walk would be my dream garden.
Tresco’s Red Squirrels
Tresco is very famous for being the home of red squirrels, who were reintroduced to the island in 2013, and quickly grew from a population of just 20 in 2013, to over 100 in 2019.
I had my dog Frank with me this time I visited, so sadly I didn’t see any, but I saw a very cute and fluffy red squirrel when I visited in 2014!
Old Abbey Ruins
The original Tresco Priory was founded as the Priory of St Nicholas by monks from Tavistock Abbey in 1114 (and the island of Tresco actually used to be called St Nicholas).
Unfortunately, in 1351 pirates destroyed most of the Abbey property, and the Priory didn’t survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Nowadays all that remains is the ruined arch, but it looks really beautiful surrounded by plants and nature.
Middle Terrace
The Middle Terrace of the Tresco Abbey Gardens are made up mainly of plants from the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and South America, with lots of agave, aloe, palms, and echium…and my favourites, Mexican Daisies!
Top Terrace
The Top Terrace is predominantly home to plants from South Africa, Australia and Mexico, so you’ll see plenty of proteas and banksias here (my faves!), and even more Mexican Daisies (they’re everywhere here!).
My favourite thing about the Tresco Abbey Gardens is how it really feels as though you’re slowly walking around gardens from around the world, but you’re actually in England!
The Valhalla Museum
Augustus Smith built the Valhalla Museum collection in 1840. The Isles of Scilly is notorious for shipwrecks, and hundreds of ships and lives have been lost on the rocky coasts over the years – mostly of merchant vessels.
The open-air museum inside the Abbey Gardens is a collection of 30 figureheads, as well as name boards and other decorative ships’ carvings, from just some of these wrecked ships.
3 Extra Things to See on Tresco
The Abbey Gardens aren’t the only thing to see on Tresco! Here are three of my favourite things there…
The Beaches
The beaches on Tresco are stunning! Pentle Bay is the most famous, but Apple Tree Bay is also lovely, and my dog Frank loved paddling at the beach in front of the Flying Boat Cafe. If it’s a beautiful day, you can’t leave Tresco without visiting at least one beach.
King Charles’ Castle
My favourite place on Tresco is King Charles’ Castle. In the aftermath of the English Civil War, the Isles of Scilly were held by the Royalist sympathisers of King Charles I, who gave the castle its current name.
The islands were then attacked in 1651, and their Royalist defenders blew up parts of the castle as they left.
There are two ways to get there: either you take the easy route and walk over the top and through the field of heather and gorse, or you take the trickier route and walk around the rugged coast path.
When you get there you’ll be rewarded with the ruined castle and the most incredible views over the sound between Tresco and Bryher! The scene always reminds me of something from a movie.
Cromwell’s Castle
Below King Charles’ Castle is Cromwell’s Castle, a small round tower that’s controlled by English Heritage.
It’s reachable from the coastal path and was built as an artillery fort after the conquest of the Royalist Scillies in 1651, and is one of the few surviving Cromwellian fortifications in Britain.
Please note: Cromwell’s Castle is not suitable for those with mobility issues, as there are steep stairs and uneven surfaces.
A Must-Do for Garden Enthusiasts
Tresco Abbey Gardens is truly a must-do for anyone who loves nature and gardens. I’ve been a few times now and already can’t wait for my next visit.
It’s so unique and beautiful – just make sure you visit on a nice day!
If you’re interested in learning more about visiting the Isles of Scilly, check-out my in-depth Guide to Visiting the Isles of Scilly, and find out more about visiting Scilly for a day trip with your dog 🙂