Opening Times
The Plantation Garden is open every day of the year.
April to September: 9am to 6pm
October to March: 9am to 4pm
Fountain video courtesy of Steve Colmer
Download a leaflet about the Garden, with a plan and a key to the main features here
Location
The garden is known locally as ‘The Secret Garden’, but it is not difficult to find. The entrance is just past St. John’s Cathedral as you are leaving the city on the Earlham Road (B1108). Look for the brown sign.
Cost
Admission by donation of £2.00 each. Free to members.
Children, if accompanied and under 16 are free.
You can pay by CASH into our Victorian postbox at the entrance or by CARD on our contactless payment reader behind the postbox.
Accessibility
The entrance, the main part of the garden, including the lower lawn and the palm terrance (seen here on the left), are fully accessible. However, there are steep steps up the Italian Terrace at the end of the garden and some steps and steep slopes on the woodland paths around the top of the garden.
There is an accessible toilet which is only open when events are taking place in the garden. There are also accessible toilets at the Narthex at the neighbouring St. John’s Cathedral.
Parking
We regret that we have no parking at the Garden. There is paid for by phone parking at the hotel adjacent to the garden on Earlham Road. Payment is by RingGo and it is advisable to download the RingGo app to your mobile before coming to the Garden. On Sundays and after 6.30pm (for evening events) it is possible to park on Earlham Road or neighbouring residential roads. Norwich City car parks in St. Giles and at the Millennium Library are only a short walk away. Coaches are recommended to decant passengers on the Earlham Road and pick up at a pre- arranged time. If your driver is unfamiliar with the City please ensure he/she has checked coach parking with Norwich City Council.
Public Transport
The No 26 (Blue Line First Bus) stops outside St. John’s Cathedral, next door to the garden. The No 25 bus stops in Unthank Road, a short walk from the garden. Both these buses leave from the train station, heading for the University of East Anglia. The hop on, hop off sightseeing bus which leaves from Castle Meadow has a stop for The Plantation Garden.
Dogs / Alcohol /Smoking
Guide or assistance dogs only.
You are welcome to bring your own refreshments and picnic in the garden, but alcohol is NOT permitted.
The Garden is a NO SMOKING zone
Guided Tours
Groups enjoying a tour
We welcome groups by arrangement and have a small team of knowledgeable guides who provide tours of the garden for which we charge £3 per person, which includes admission. Our minimum charge is £35 – cash or cheques payable to the Plantation Garden Preservation Trust (PGPT). Tours take approximately 50 – 60 minutes and provide a history of the garden, bringing you up to date with how the gardens are managed today. You are welcome to stay in the garden as long as you wish or to eat a packed lunch in the garden. The garden is run entirely by volunteers and all the proceeds go towards the garden’s upkeep, restoration and development.
Tours take place during normal Garden opening times. The last tour starts at 2.30pm in winter and 4.30pm in summer. There is a WC which is opened for group tours, but teas are only provided on Sunday afternoons, from the end of May to mid September. The RC Cathedral Narthex, which is next door, and has a new, purpose built hospitality centre, is open for refreshments every day until 4pm., except Monday. If you are a large group, a light lunch may be booked in advance (contact 01603 724381 / narthex@stjohncathedral.co.uk).
Please see our information on parking above.
To book a tour, please contact tours@plantationgarden.co.uk
School Visits
The Garden welcomes school visits throughout the year. Please visit the Schools page to see the learning resources we have available to enrich your visit. For more information and to make arrangements, please email schools@plantationgarden.co.uk
