Kilver Court Garden
Free RHS Member days
9am–5pm, daily, 2 January–30 December
About the garden
Kilver Court is based on an award-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden, designed by multi-Gold-medal winner George Whitelegg. The gardens were rebuilt in the late 1950s under the stewardship of Herbert Showering, and his grandchildren now own them. Set within 3.5 accres of grounds on the edge of the historic market town of Shepton Mallet, Kilver Court was originally a mill, with two large mill ponds once used to power the silk-making factory, now repurposed as ornamental ponds.
Surrounded by four herbaceous borders and enclosed by yew hedges, the magnificent view of the old Somerset and Dorset railway viaduct is what draws the eye. The structure – a Victorian masterpiece with 27 arches and 50ft tall – frames the garden, providing a perfect backdrop for the large rockery. Behind the viaduct lies a colourist-graduated border, incorporating many southern Hemisphere plants.
Facilities
- Assistance dogs only
- Parking
- Plant sales
- Refreshments
- Toilets
Key features
- Rock garden
- Herbaceous border
- Pond or lake
- Autumn colour
- Colour themed borders
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.