Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway

Vast and beautiful gardens.
May 4th, 2023

May 4th, 2023

Looking better than ever. Azaleas and rhododendrons at their finest.
May 3rd, 2023

Restrooms: Fine Picnic area: Lots of space
May 3rd, 2023

We have never heard of Exbury Gardens until we were researching a visit to the New Forest which we did last week. Its difficult to know when the best time to visit gardens given that the weather determines so much when the flowers or trees bloom. However at Exbury there were loads of Acers, Azaleas, Camelias and Rhododendrons in full bloom when we visited at the end of April. The grounds are extensive (200 acres) and also include a small steam train which we boarded for the 20 minute ride. There are many miles of paths around Exbury and I think we covered most of them. There are lakes and ponds, Rock gardens and cascades, along with an estuary view at the southern tip of the gardens. Entrance price of 39 for the both of us including the steam train ride is reasonable. You can buy a season ticket to visit multiple times throughout the seasons if you live close enough. There is a small restaurant serving light snacks, tea, coffee etc and that too was reasonably priced. If you are visiting the New Forest in the near future, we would definitely recommend you make time for Exbury.
May 3rd, 2023