Rousham House and Garden

One of only two English gardens included in Monty Don’s round the world garden journey, for him the ‘ very best of English gardens”. Rousham is one of England’s most important gardens, it represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as its designer William Kent (1685–1748) left it. Many of the features that delighted its 18th century visitors are still there for 21st century visitors to enjoy.

The walled gardens next to the big house include a kitchen garden, parterre, pigeon house, herbaceous borders and many espalier fruit trees. On the other side of the bowling green are the Kent designed “Pleasure Grounds” with follies, statuary, an eye catcher, rill, ponds and the seven arched ‘Praeneste’. The whole is surrounded on one side by the river Cherwell and on the other by a park filled with mature trees and a herd of ancient Longhorn Cattle.

Rousham is completely unspoilt and uncommercialised – no tea room and no shop – just glorious gardens to explore at your leisure. Bring a picnic and comfortable shoes and it is yours for the day.

The gardens are open every day of the year from 10.00 a.m.. Last admission 4.30 p.m. Tickets £10.00/person. No dogs and no children under 15 without permission.

Travel

Rousham is roughly 12 miles North of Oxford and about a fifteen minute drive from junction 9 of the M40. You can get directions for driving to Rousham from Google Maps. If you wish to find Rousham House using other mapping websites or satellite navigation our postcode is OX25 4QU.

The nearest station is Heyford (a 10-15 minute walk away), which is on the Oxford to Banbury line. Trains stop at the station roughly every two hours, Monday to Saturday, with occasional trains on Sunday during the summer months only.

There is also a bus service running aproximately every hour between Oxford and Banbury (bus numbers 59 & 59a) which passes the lodge gates at Rousham and will stop on request.

Refreshments

There is no tea-room at Rousham. However, you are welcome to bring your own picnic lunch or tea.

www.rousham.org