RHS Garden Wisley
The flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society — 240 acres of world-class horticulture, from the soaring Glasshouse to the Jellicoe Canal and the UK's first dedicated centre of gardening science.
At a Glance
Visit Here If...
...you want to see where the science of British gardening happens — 240 acres of trials, collections, and a £55 million investment in horticultural science, all 20 minutes down the A3
The Engine Room of British Gardening
If Kew is about global botanical science, Wisley is about practical horticulture — but on a scale and depth that makes it one of the most important horticultural institutions in the world. This is where the Royal Horticultural Society tests which plants actually perform in British gardens, trains the next generation of horticulturists, and — since 2021 — houses the UK’s first dedicated centre of horticultural science.
Wisley was the second most-visited paid-entry garden in the UK in 2025, with over 1.25 million visitors. It has grown from a 60-acre experimental plot into 240 acres of world-class gardens, but the experimental spirit that founded it remains embedded in everything here.
The History
The origins are unexpectedly personal. In 1878, a Victorian businessman named George Ferguson Wilson — treasurer of the RHS and an obsessive orchid grower — bought Glebe Farm, a 60-acre site in the village of Wisley. With help from the legendary garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, Wilson created the “Oakwood Experimental Garden”, where he tried to grow plants considered impossible under English conditions: lilies, gentians, Japanese irises, water plants.
Wilson died in 1902. The following year, the garden was purchased by Sir Thomas Hanbury, a philanthropist best known for creating the celebrated La Mortola garden on the Italian Riviera. In 1903, Hanbury gave the entire site in trust to the Royal Horticultural Society. The RHS relocated from Chiswick, and the transformation began.
By 1907, a laboratory and the School of Horticulture had opened. By 1910, the Rock Garden — built in Sussex sandstone — was one of the first areas to be formally landscaped. In 1936, the adjacent Portsmouth Field was purchased and planted as Battleston Hill, now famous for its spring display of rhododendrons, magnolias, and camellias.
What to See
The Glasshouse (2007)
Designed by Peter van de Toorn Vrijthoff, opened by Queen Elizabeth II. £7.7 million of curved tempered glass soaring 12 metres high, housing three computer-controlled climate zones: tropical, temperate, and arid desert. The surrounding landscape was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith; in 2024, the borders were redeveloped by Piet Oudolf — one of the world’s most influential planting designers.
The Jellicoe Canal
Designed in 1970 by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, one of the 20th century’s most important landscape architects — he founded the Landscape Institute in 1929 and was the founding president of the International Federation of Landscape Architects. A formal east-to-west water channel planted with waterlilies, running alongside the Grade II Listed Old Laboratory. Together they form the most photographed view in the garden.
The Old Laboratory (1914–1916)
Don’t be fooled by its Tudor appearance. This Grade II Listed building was purpose-built in the Surrey Vernacular style by Pine-Coffin, Imrie and Angell, designed to blend with the rural surroundings. It housed the School of Horticulture lecture theatre and scientific departments for over a century.
Battleston Hill
Described by the RHS as “Wisley’s jewel box.” Twenty-six acres purchased in 1936, planted with rhododendrons, magnolias, and camellias under a canopy of Scots pines. Spring is extraordinary — waves of colour rolling down north-facing slopes. In autumn, the Chinese cedar turns the hill golden.
Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden
Named after Sir David Bowes-Lyon, President of the RHS from 1953 to 1961 — and brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The memorial pavilion (1964) sits at the head of formal beds that peak from June through September.
RHS Hilltop (2021)
The £35 million centre designed by WilkinsonEyre, clad in sustainably sourced sweet chestnut timber. Two wings: east for laboratories and the RHS Herbarium, west for public education. Winner of a 2023 RIBA South East Regional Award. Surrounded by four acres of “living laboratories” — the Wellbeing Garden (Matt Keightley), World Food Garden (Ann-Marie Powell), Wildlife Garden, and Greener Skills Garden.
The Trials Field
Where the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) system comes to life. Multiple varieties of the same plant grown side-by-side in identical conditions, assessed by expert panels over two to four years. The AGM has been running for over a century — if you’ve ever bought a plant with an RHS “AGM” label, this is where it earned it.
2026 Events
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| RHS Orchid Show | 13–15 March |
| RHS Garden Wisley Spring | 30 Apr – 4 May |
| RHS Wisley Flower Show | 1–6 September |
| Craft in Focus Fair | 4–8 November |
| RHS Glow (winter illuminations) | Late Nov – early Jan (dates TBC) |
Family Information
Wisley works well for families at any age:
- Wide, pushchair-friendly paths through most of the garden
- The Greener Skills Garden has hands-on learning for children
- Six cafes and restaurants on-site
- Garden centre and gift shop for browsing
- Allow 2–4 hours for a thorough visit
RHS Membership
If you visit more than twice a year, RHS membership pays for itself. Members get free entry to Wisley and all five RHS gardens, plus free entry to over 200 partner gardens across the UK.
Key Features
Getting There from Kingston
Route 714 (Falcon Buses) direct from Kingston bus station, hourly
A3 southbound to Ockham Park roundabout
To Woking or West Byfleet, then bus or taxi
30% discount for car-free visitors (show bus ticket). Free for RHS members.
Facilities
Location
Details
- RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking
GU23 6QB - From £14.80 adult (advance online). £19.80 on the gate. Child (5-16) £5. Under 5s free.
- Free on-site parking with EV charging (30p/kWh). Access via Ockham Park roundabout.
