Waterperry gardens are situated just over 2 miles from the Oxford service station on the M40. Last summer I visited for their Art in Action event. This was an excellent event with over 200 artists from around the world, fine food and drink and musical performances. From their brochure, I see they have events and courses throughout the year. It was founded as a school for horticulture for ladies in the 1930s. There are eight acres of landscaped ornamental gardens, which include large herbaceous borders, a rose garden, an alpine garden, nursery beds, fruit trees and wild areas – with a beautiful walk along the river Tame. There is a charge to go into the garden, which helps maintain and develop the gardens.
It was our choice of rendezvous for picking up grandchildren for half term, being halfway between Surrey and Staffordshire. There is an excellent tea shop, with outside lawns with picnic tables. We wondered if it would be open when we arrived early morning, but it opens at 10am and the outside tables buzzing with lean, colourful bicycle riders having a coffee and cake stop!
The entrance charge only applies to the gardens. Tea shop, plant centre, gift shop, rural life museum and Saxon church are free. Waterperry house is only open on certain days. There was an exhibition of sculpture to look round, also free. A hunt the gnome activity for children attracted our attention – inside the garden, so we paid, but well worth it for the plants. Not so sure about the gnomes though, there were nine to find, but one had gone walkabout! It did wear the children out though, racing around looking for them, which resulted in a quiet journey home as they were soon asleep!
It was well signposted from the Oxford services roundabout, had plenty of parking space and had access for disabled visitors. If you want a change from motorway fayre and have a couple of hours spare, it if well worth a visit.
