Discover this enchanting woodland of twisting trails and sweet smelling flowers, located on the northern shores of Virginia Water.
Created by the shared vision of Sir Eric Savill and Hope Finlay, these 250 acres of undulating valleys were planted with exotic azaleas, magnolias and other blooms from all over the world. Our visitors love to wander through the remarkable maze of twisting woodland tracks and exotic scented blooms.
Every season offers collections that will surprise and delight even the most seasoned of horticulturists all year round, including National Collections of Magnolia, Rhododendron Species and Glenn Dale Azaleas, as well as Himalayan and Chinese Birches. The Valley Gardens is famous for its wondrous Punch Bowl display - a natural amphitheatre of multi-coloured azaleas which erupts into a riot of colour each May.
Here are some great ways to spend your time at The Valley Gardens. You can also view our video below, which shows how beautiful Windsor Great Park is in summer.
Lose yourself in the winding paths through our towering Scots pines in our woodland and forests
Look out for the huge gunnera leaves in the Two Valleys
Sip a warming coffee in the Virginia Water Pavilion after a brisk walk
Explore the gentle woodland paths of The Valley Gardens
Take a dog walk through the beautiful Valley Gardens woodland
While the heaths and clusters of native trees have historically been part of the landscape, more substantial plantings of exotic plants and trees were initiated by the Duke of Cumberland in the 18th Century. It was the end of the Second World War however, that saw The Valley Gardens transformed – with gardeners from all over the country kindly donating shrubs, in particular azaleas and rhododendrons.
With the blessing of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Deputy Ranger Sir Eric Savill and his head gardener, Hope Findlay, turned to the undulating valleys above Virginia Water to house these plants - inspired by the parallel valleys and ancient trees that lined the horizon.
After clearing the central valleys and restoring the views to the lake, they created paths and rides to form the structure of the new garden. Clusters of plants were added, flooding the landscape with vivid colour and creating a flowering forest of exotic shrubs. These displays continue to grow and evolve today as our Gardens team carefully select each new introduction and placement, to add to the artistry of the landscape.
Each season brings with it something new, transforming the scene with fresh displays to explore. For more information about what you can see all year round, please visit our Seasonal Highlights section.
Our guide to the Garden Highlights indicates which flowers, plants and trees within The Savill Garden are most attractive at the moment, so you can plan your visit accordingly.
The King William pine. A rare Tasmanian confer coning in the Heather Garden.
One of many good flowering and foliage heathers to be found in the Heather Gardens.
With origins in southern Italy, this Mount Etna broom can be found in the Heather Garden of The Valley Gardens
Commonly known as Giant Redwoods, these trees are part of the 19th century plantings around Virginia Water lake.
A noble example of this conifer with its large visible cones, situated the Punchbowl.
These sweet chestnuts can be found throughout The Valley Gardens
In the Main Valley of The Valley Gardens, offering spectacular displays from late summer.
See the large fruits on this Japanese Hornbeam in The Valley Gardens
Just one of several very good varieties flowering through the summer and well into the autumn.
Flowering explained
Some flowering
Good display of flowers
Peak of display and looking spectacular
These useful links will tell you everything you need to know to help you plan an enjoyable visit to Windsor Great Park.
Due to the nature of the landscape, The Valley Gardens is naturally less easily accessible for visitors with restricted mobility. There are however a number of wheelchair friendly routes from which to enjoy the ever-changing displays – including a wheelchair accessible viewing point at the Punch Bowl, which offers a new perspective of this breath-taking seasonal display, which is at its best in May. The viewing point is clearly signposted from The Valley Gardens car park. Below is a map of routes around the Valley Gardens.
If you plan to make regular visits to Windsor Great Park, it could make perfect sense to become a Member of The Savill Garden. Benefits include unlimited access to the Garden and parking in the Savill Garden car park, as well as priority booking for events, and a number of special discounts.
Explore other areas of Windsor Great Park.
