Plan your visit

About our Nursery

Tearoom

Coaches & Group Bookings

Also of Interest

Accessibility

On Site FAQ

ADMISSION

Pre-booked ticket

Adult - £14.95
Student - £7.95 (must present student ID card on entry)
Child (2-16 years) - £3.50

Ticket purchased on the day

Adult - £15.95
Student - £8.95 (must present student ID card on entry)
Child (2-16 years) - £4.50

Purchase Entry

MEMBERSHIP

Becoming a Friend of Beth Chatto's (from just £35.00) allows unlimited garden entry through the seasons. Visit as many times as you wish during our opening times for one year.

Membership welcomes you into the Beth Chatto fold with regular updates, gardening advice and invitations to special events, activities and offers.

Become a Member

Your Visit

The gardens, tearoom, nursery and gardener's shop are open:

February 4th 2025 - March 29th 2025
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm

April 1st 2025- November 2nd, 2025
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm

Easter - we will be open Easter Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday (closed Easter Sunday)

We will be open the Sundays and Mondays of the May Bank Holidays

November 4th 2025 - December 20th 2025
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm

Car free travel offer (bus or cycle). Receive 25% off full adult walk in price*
*Proof of car free travel will need to be provided before entering the garden. Does not apply to pre-booked tickets.

On the day tickets are available although we do encourage you to purchase pre-booked tickets via our website for a reduced rate.

There is no need to print out your ticket, we are able to scan your QR code directly from your mobile phone.

You are not limited to the amount of time you wish to spend in the garden. A typical visit is approximately 3-4 hours.

Visitors are not required to pre-book if you are visiting the nursery, shop or tearoom only.
Please note: tearoom - last orders at 3.30/4.30pm (depending on closing time).

Friends of the Garden: no need to prebook but you will need to register on arrival and ensure you only visit on our open days.
NHS workers and Bluelight cardholders, carers 20% off: Tuesday - Saturday (2pm-4pm). Must bring your relevant ID with you.
Foster carers, those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Employment and Support Allowance £1.00: Tuesday - Saturday (2pm-4pm). Must bring proof with you.
Gardener's World 2 for 1 offer is not valid between May 6th, 2025 to September 2nd, 2025. One visitor must prebook before arriving. Singles may visit for the reduced rate of £9.95. Your Gardener's World card will need to be shown on arrival.
RHS members free entry between 31st October 2024 - 29th March 2025 (no need to prebook). Booking is required at all other times.
RHS members 20% off entry price from 19th March- 30th October.
Card payments only on site. We are no longer accepting cash payments.
Sorry, no dogs in the gardens, tearoom, nursery & shop (except assistance dogs).
Food and drink should not be taken into the gardens. Picnics are permitted in the designated picnic area in the adjacent field.

How to find us View On Map

By Bus
Please note: Bus routes are subject to change. Please check before you travel. Colchester Bus Station is to the east of Colchester in Osborne Street and Stanwell Street. From the High Street turn right down Queen Street opposite Colchester Castle, then bear right at the bottom of Queen Street into Osborne Street. The bus station is on the left.
There are a number of travel companies operating buses that stop at Elmstead Market so we recommend checking the 'Bus Times' website before travelling. Please see the links below for each service:
By Train

Colchester has two train stations, North Station and Colchester Town. Colchester Town station is in the centre of town and near the bus station. North Station is over a mile north of the town centre and would require another bus to reach the town centre but does have a taxi rank just outside if you would prefer to continue your journey by car. Regular trains to North Station run from London Liverpool Street, Ipswich, Clacton on Sea and Norwich. Trains to Colchester Town are less frequent and may require you to change at North Station. Journey time to Colchester Town from London Liverpool Street is approximately 90 minutes.
By Bike

We can be reached from several bicycles routes. The closest is a route published by Visit Essex and can be viewed here. Route 4 "Cultural Sites and Constable Country" is the map that has our location. The route takes you around some of the countryside encircling Colchester and is roughly ten miles long. We can be found in the bottom right hand side of the map marked as attraction 14. If you would like to hire a bike for your visit to the area, whether you are a resident or a holiday maker, bikes can be hired from The Outdoor Hire Centre including tandems, childrens bikes and bikes with picnic equipment.
By Taxi
There is a taxi rank outside North Station (please note not outside Colchester Town station) and one on Colchester High Street. Local taxi companies include:
- Five Eights: 01206 588888
- Panther Cabs: 01206 525525
Please note we do not endorse these companies and cannot guarantee their cost or level of service. For your return journey, staff in the shop will be happy to call a taxi company for you.

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