The Gardens

The gardens at The Newt have been shaped over the last 200 years by successive enthusiasts, including Margaret Hobhouse who elevated them to a Victorian ideal, introducing colour, a greenhouse and many trees of beech, oak, pine, walnut and cedar. Renowned garden designer Penelope Hobhouse gave Margaret’s vision a new lease of life in the 1970s, followed by Nori and Sandra Pope, whose experiments with colour delighted and inspired thousands of visitors in the mid-1980s. The latest incarnation has been created by Italo-French architect Patrice Taravella, who believes a garden should be both beautiful and useful. Mixing ornamental and productive elements, the gardens are a feast for the eyes and stomach. At their core sits the Parabola, a walled garden concealing an apple tree maze; at their edges, diverse woodland providing a sheltered habitat for native wildlife.

Eat the Garden

Our garden eateries serves fresh, seasonal fare, led by what is growing in our gardens. The Garden Café offers a perfect vantage point over the kitchen gardens and orchards below, from which a vegetable-led menu is sourced. Serving breakfast, lunch and estate boards seven days a week. For a lighter takeaway bite, head to the Cyder Bar for rolls, soup, toasties and pastries. The Story of Gardening is the perfect stop for tea, coffee and cake when taking a stroll in the deer park or when heading to and from the Roman Villa.

Entry is via the Gatehouse and all diners must have a valid Membership, Member's Guest Day Pass for the day of reservation or be a hotel resident. Advance booking is recommended.