National Parks & Gardens Along The Thames

Where better to explore the diversity and history of English gardens than along the Royal River Thames, where history stretches back over 2,000 years.  

In 1764 George III appointed Capability Brown as the Chief Gardener at the greatest garden along the Thames, Hampton Court Palace. Brown moved into Wilderness House, the official home of the Palace’s head gardeners. He planted the Black Hamburg vine in 1786 and it still flourishes today and has become the world’s largest grape vine, it still produces a yearly crop of black, sweet grapes that are sold in the palace shops in early September. 

Head towards London along the Thames and stop at Kew Gardens. The gardens date back to the early 18th century, as a royal palace to today's globally renowned scientific institution for plant and fungal research. In 1772, King George III inherited the Kew estate and joined it with the royal estate in Richmond – two gardens became one. It was George III’s mother Princess Augusta who founded the original botanic garden at Kew in 1759.

Did you know?

Lancelot Brown was known as ‘Capability’, because when surveying a property, he spoke often of its ‘capabilities’.

Best English gardens along the River Thames

Explore the beautiful gardens along the River Thames. The landscape designs will truly inspire anyone looking for garden design ideas. These beautiful gardens are some of the best in the UK and will certainly give you the inspiration to make your very own designer garden. There’s woodland gardens and exotic plants from around the world.