Stunning Gardens

The site on which the gardens now stand has been occupied since Saxon times. The Mill Stream, which runs through the gardens, is believed to have been dug in the 10th century.

The lawn by the house has two points of interest:
1) The Sundial in the Box Parterre is supported on what was once part of the balustrade of Old London Bridge, demolished in 1831.
2) The bricks of the tank bed are late medieval and come from Buena Vista Farm, near Lymington, demolished in 1928.

The pair of stone Griffins on the middle lawn are early 19th-century and come from the top of the gateposts at the end of the garden of 52 & 54 High Street—originally a fine Georgian house. The gate at the far end of this garden leads one across a wooden bridge over the Mill Stream to The Field. The walls on either side of the gate are thought to be the oldest in this part of Christchurch.

The vegetable garden and the lawn by the River Avon are reached by another gate at the far end of the field, opposite the famous Ducking Stool. From here, you have direct access to the river for having a picnic or setting off on a kayaking trip down to Sandbanks Beach in Mudeford.