Compton Acres

About the garden

This Art and Crafts-style garden was created on dry, sandy Dorset heathland in the 1920s and has been extensively refurbished in recent years. It features five main themed gardens, each reflecting the worldwide travels of its creator.

The largest of the three Italian gardens, designed with topiary and colourful seasonal plantings, has a classical formal layout and is overlooked by the Italian Villa. Other highlights include the smaller Roman Garden, the Palm Court and the Wooded Valley.

Additional gardens are the Rock and Water Garden, constructed partly from limestone and partly from sandstone, with winding paths and bridges; the rocky, landscaped Heather Garden, which supports both winter- and summer-flowering heathers as well as a small colony of rare sand lizards; and a Japanese Garden featuring original artifacts from Japan, including a traditional tea house.