The excitement of gardening afficionados will be building as we near the opening of the world-renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show next week, marking a celebration of garden design in all its forms.

For those unable to get a ticket or who want to experience the best of the country’s designed landscapes all year round, luckily the UK is home to a rich history of inspiring green spaces.

Historic England’s Registered Parks and Gardens list currently features 1,701 sites, including gardens, grounds, and other planned open spaces, such as hospital landscapes and even two pumping stations. Of these, 146 are Grade I listed, affirming their exceptional national, architectural or historic importance, while 460 are Grade II* and 1,095 have Grade II status.

We looked at local authorities with the most registered parks and gardens within their borders to find out the best places to call home if you fancy a visit, and how much it costs to live there. 

Wiltshire – the greatest number of options

Wiltshire tops the list of local authorities, with 43 registered parks and gardens, seven of which are Grade I listed. Some of the finest examples include Stourhead – picturesque gardens which feature classical temples and grottos – and Iford Manor, influential Edwardian gardens which were inspired by Italian Renaissance designs.

Average sale price: £378,489

Buckinghamshire – good enough for the Prime Minister

Buckinghamshire has 41 registered parks and gardens, six of which are Grade I listed. This includes Stowe where the gardens ooze Georgian grandeur with neo-classical architecture, including its iconic Palladian bridge, and Chequers, which in 1917 was gifted by Sir Arthur Lee to the nation to become a country residence for the sitting prime minister.

Average sale price: £591,384

Dorset – for a unique microclimate 

Dorset’s 36 registered parks and gardens benefit from the area’s microclimate, with winter temperatures rarely dropping below 0 degrees Celsius. This makes it one of the best places in the UK for growing gardens.

Key examples include Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens – where plants which usually require a greenhouse in the English climate are grown outside – and Athelhampton, which is an iconic example of Arts and Crafts gardens designed by Reginald Blomfield and F. Inigo Thomas.

Average sale price: £404,250

Cornwall – for coastal gems

Cornwall also has 36 registered parks and gardens. Mount Edgcumbe Country Park has views overlooking the Plymouth Sound and River Tamar, while Port Eliot’s gardens were designed by Sir Humphry Repton, arguably the last great landscape designer of the eighteenth century.

Average sale price: £356,265

Shropshire – for the most bloom for your buck

Shropshire has the most affordable house prices in the top five and has 34 registered parks and gardens. This includes Grade I listed Hawkstone Park, large pleasure grounds that are famous for their follies, and Weston Park.

Average sale price: £307,944

However and wherever you enjoy gardens and gardening – as a visitor, an active participant or on TV – Chelsea offers a feast for the senses and a showcase for new ideas. At this year’s show, The Savills Garden is a sustainable horticultural and culinary collaboration which explores plot-to-plate dining. Find out more here.

Further information

Contact Toby Parsloe