A very brief history of the Bury Botanic Garden
and its Successor the Abbey Gardens
The story of how the Abbey Gardens came into existence is a long one but here it is, condensed into a few lines!
Frederick William Hervey, 5th Earl of Bristol, later Marquess of Bristol.
Hodson leased the Abbey Grounds from him in 1830 for £60 year.
Painting by John Hopner 1802. Image courtesy of The National Trust.
In 1830, Nathaniel Hodson an enthusiastic amateur botanist took a lease [for £60 a year] from Frederick Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol on the Great Court of the ruined Abbey of St Edmundsbury, the area now occupied by the Abbey Gardens.
The Abbey had been dissolved by order of Henry VIII in 1539, and the ruins formed an ideal and picturesque setting for Hodson to develop his small, provincial botanic garden.
The new garden had uninterrupted views of the countryside and Hodson enhanced this by planting trees, constructing paths through the romantic Abbey ruins and alongside the River Lark. He also designed the circular garden which lies at the heart of the current Abbey Gardens.
Hodson's purpose was to provide the enlightened gentry and wealthier inhabitants of Bury St Edmunds with a scientific establishment where he could showcase his passion for collecting plants from all over the known world, all contained in a safe and gentile setting.
He charged his 200 or so subscribers the sum of 2 guineas a year for the privilege.
Hodson remained the sole proprietor from 1830 until his death, aged 79, in 1861. From about 1831 he lived in Alwyne House, the grand flint-walled house in the heart of the garden and it is still inhabited to this day.
As Hodson's enterprise evolved, the scientific focus reduced with more emphasis on the provision of a pleasure garden around which the affluent could enjoy each other's company and occasionally attend entertainment such as music concerts, view the animals and birds in a menagerie, archery, horticultural shows and fashionable promenading.
Non-subscribers were charged a 1 shilling entrance fee which was a substantial amount in the early 19th century. The high price kept out the lower classes and preserved the social distances.
After Hodson's death, the garden was leased to Robert Pettitt, a local plantsman, who ran the garden until 1892. He retired penniless stating that the garden cost £400 a year to maintain and he could not make the garden pay its way.
In Pettitt's 31 years of occupation, he continued to look after the pleasure garden keeping the peaceful walks, decorative planting and entertainments but gradually increasing controlled public access, usually for a fee, for events such as The Bury Fair, firework displays, music concerts and hot air balloon launches.
By the end of the 19th century the garden was regularly being called the Abbey Gardens or Abbey Grounds and the local population were making repeated calls for the garden to be opened for public enjoyment, particularly on Sundays which was the only day of rest for most working people.
In 1912, the borough council took over the lease of the gardens and opened them to the public 7 days a week.
The town had to wait until 1953 for the borough council to eventually purchase the Abbey Gardens from the Hervey family for the princely sum of £7,814 thus ensuring its long future as a free-to-enter public park.
Long may it continue to be so!
Paul Marsh
Chair Abbey Gardens Friends
June 2026
If you would like to learn more about the history of the Abbey Gardens, please download the PDF file here.
Alwyne House in the heart of the Abbey Gardens.
The house was built for Hodson in 1830/31.
Stereoscopic photograph by George Downes c1857-60.
Image courtesty of Getty Open Content Programme.
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The Abbey Gardens are now one of the great attractions of Bury St Edmunds. Over 1.1 million journeys are recorded through the Abbey Gate every year. It’s the green jewel of our town and the legacy of a man from Cambridge who loved plants and created something which every one of us can still enjoy. If you enjoyed reading this article, why not arrange a talk or become a member?
To find out more contact the Secretary of the Abbey Gardens Friends - abbeygardens.bse@outlook.com
Paul Marsh
Chair Abbey Gardens Friends
January 2026.