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ABBEY GARDENS
A view of Abbey Gardens - The building in the background is Abbey House. Abbey Gardens South
Queen Eleanors' Garden

  Eleanor
Dean Garnier's Garden

  Garnier
St Giles' Hill

  St Giles Hill
Wolvesey Slips (The Weirs)

  Wolvesey
More Parks and Gardens

  More Parks

The Abbey Gardens and Mill are part of the site of St Mary’s Abbey, once  one of the largest religious houses in England. In November 1539 the Abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and most of the monastic buildings were demolished. The site was subsequently gifted to the City by Queen Mary Tudor to celebrate her marriage to Philip of  Spain in the Cathedral in July 1554. The land was later divided into two, the eastern part was occupied by a fine town house and formal gardens that survive today as the Mayor of Winchester's official residence and public gardens. The western part of the site was cleared for the City's Guildhall in 1873. Remains of St Mary’s Abbey can be seen at the back of the Guildhall.
Abbey Gardens from the Broadway
Abbey Gardens childrens play area
View of Abbey Gardens from Abbey House
View from the portico, looking up the mill stream

The Abbey Mill, with the later addition of a Classical Portico, survives to this day. Abbey House is also used as the Mayor of Winchester’s official residence.
The Abbey Mill Stream passed through the monastery to feed the fishponds and power the Abbey Mill.

View of Abbey Gardens from Abbey House
18th Century Garden Temple. Abbey House. Built across conduit to Mill circa 1750. Possibly designed by William Pescod in 1751, and only a fragment of the original. Roman-Doric portico of four columns, entablature and pediment crowned by urns. 18th Century Abbey Mill. Red brick with tiled roof. 2-storey, gabled water mill. Irregular sash and casement windows.
Abbey Gardens childrens play area
View of Abbey Gardens from Abbey House
The scented garden and water sundial in Abbey Gardens

The three photos above are taken from roof level at the corner of Abbey House and give an unusual perspective on the Garden.
The Abbey Mill stream issues from a culvert in front of Abbey House and runs alongside the garden next to the Broadway (Top left) and bisects the garden to reach the Mill . The picture (left) is of the scented garden with it’s raised beds and monolithic water feature/sundial, taken from the same vantage point.

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