Just a stone’s throw from Oxford and within easy reach of London nestles Waterperry Gardens.

Made famous by Beatrix Havergal who established her School of Horticulture for Ladies here from 1932 to 1971, it’s now home to 8 acres of beautifully landscaped ornamental gardens, a quality plant centre and garden shop, gallery and gift shop, museum and tea shop.

Waterperry Gardens

Waterperry Gardens is a magical place where you are surrounded by beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers, classical borders, modern planting, secret corners and long vistas. Home to the renowned horticultural college between 1932 and 1971, the emphasis was on food production rather than spectacular ornamental gardens.

Over the past twenty years though the gardens have developed and grown, and many new projects have been undertaken and completed. You’ll now find a Formal Garden, the Mary Rose Garden, a Waterlily Canal and the Long Colour Border, and we recently planted a small arboretum in the meadow area beyond the canal.

The Museum

You’ll be hard pushed to find a better collection of ancient tools and implements than those housed in our Museum of Rural Life. Our 18th Century granary building provides the perfect backdrop for the wide range of horticultural and agricultural tools, which give a flavour of life in times gone by.

Our friendly Museum Curator Gordon Dempster is often on hand to provide more information and anecdotes about some of the many fascinating things you’ll find, including:-

  • A good collection of horse brasses, terrets, swingers, horse bells, shoes and bits – including the savage types banned in the early 20th Century.
  • Old veterinary implements and relics from household kitchens of old.
  • A rare collection of brass stamps used in the workhouse at Purton.
  • Traps and alarm guns, plus a unique 19th Century clockwork crow scarer which fired blank, 12 bore cartridges.
  • 70 different brass beer barrel bushes and unusual decorative skewers from the meat trade.
  • Mediaeval pottery found on the Waterperry Estate.

Step back in time by visiting Waterperry’s Museum of Rural Life.