Mottisfont
Mottisfont Abbey
A country house converted from a 12th-century Augustinian abbey, with a walled garden holding a national collection of old garden roses that is fragrant throughout June.
Mottisfont was founded as an abbey in 1201 and converted into a country house after the Reformation. Its most famous feature is the walled rose garden, which holds more than 500 classic rose varieties bred before 1900; when they bloom in the middle to late part of June, the crowds are heavy. Inside the house is a drawing room decorated with trompe-l'oeil paintings by artist Rex Whistler, and the upstairs gallery hosts art exhibitions throughout the year. The house sits beside the River Test, and the old plane trees and clear spring on the lawns give it a pastoral feel. Admission is about £17, and entry is free for National Trust members. It is about 18 km from Winchester.
Opening hours
About 10:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Romsey Abbey
- Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
- Hospital of St Cross
- The Great Hall & Round Table
- Winchester Military Museums
- Westgate Museum
- Buttercross & High Street
- Winchester Cathedral