Formal Victorian park in Leamington Spa

Jephson Gardens is a beautiful formal Victorian park in the centre of Leamington Spa. It's the perfect place for a relaxing stroll or family picnic. Lots of colourful flowerbeds and interesting sculptures make for a great day out.

Opening hours: Open every day from 8am. Closing times vary between 4pm and 9pm depending on the time of year. See the full opening times.

Postcode: CV32 4AA - Location map

Parking: Newbold Terrace and Newbold Street (some pay-and-display, some free). Car parks include St Peters and Rosefield Street.

Awards

• Every year since 2006 - Green Flag Award and Green Heritage Site Accreditation
• 2015 - BALI National Landscape Award (for high horticultural standards and design)
• 2016 - Bees' Needs Award (one of 19 parks nationally for our work to help pollinators)
• 2016 - Special Award for Innovation 2016 (one of 15 parks nationally for our 2015 redesign of the Sensory Garden) 
• 2017 - Special Award for Innovation 2017 (for our work with schools on Project Pumpkin and our work to help pollinators)

What to see and do

• Glasshouse - interesting tropical plants, goldfish pond and observation beehive
• The Aviary Café - beautiful Victorian tea pavilion
• Jephson's event venue – weddings, conferences and celebrations
• Leam Boat Centre - boating in Mill Gardens
• The Sensory Garden - taste garden, mirrored arch and colourful planting
• East Lodge - art studio run by Leamington Studio Artists                       
   
• East Lodge Garden - beehive with insect-friendly planting and gazebo from Chelsea Flower Show
• Trees - around 140 species of native and non-native trees. See more about our Tree Walk here.
• Formal flowerbeds - colourful summer and winter bedding displays
• Explore the sculpture collection and find the rhino, dragon and hedgehog
• Watch ducks and geese on the lake
• Play area in Mill Gardens
• Bands in the park

Other facilities

• Toilets, disabled toilets and baby change
• All areas accessible by wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Mill Gardens play area repair work

We'll be repairing the wooden ship in the Mill Gardens play area in Leamington on Monday 22 August 2022, which should take a couple of weeks to complete.

A small part of the park will be fenced off but the remaining play area will be open, or you can visit the brand new play area at Victoria Park.

Dogs, cycling, and fishing

• Dogs must be kept on a lead in Jephson Gardens
• Dogs are not allowed in Mill Gardens play area
• No cycling in Jephson Gardens
• Fishing is not allowed in Jephson Gardens. Anglers are welcome in Mill Gardens on the stretch of river next to the grassed area

History

First laid out in 1831 as informal riverside walks along the River Leam, the land was renamed Jephson Gardens and developed into formal gardens after 1846. They were named in honour of Dr Henry Jephson, a famous doctor who had promoted the town as a spa.

Originally the settling beds for the town’s water supply, Mill Gardens was landscaped as part of improvements to the River Leam in 1901-03, which created an improved riverside landscape.

Like many parks, Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens fell into slow decline after World War II. They were restored by Warwick District Council in the early 2000s with help from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of over £3 million.

Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens are part of the Spa Gardens, a ribbon of riverside parks in Leamington that are listed as Grade II on the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens.

Room hire

Jephson Gardens has one building available for hire; South Lodge. Located at the Parade entrance, the lodge is the perfect location for art displays and small meetings. Additionally, the Studio in the Glasshouse is a great base for visiting school groups, running craft activity sessions, and art residencies. Contact us using the details below find out more.

How to get there

• Bike - bike racks on Newbold Terrace and outside East Lodge
• Bus routes
• Rail - 10-minutes walk from Leamington Spa station via Pump Room Gardens.

Nearby

• Royal Pump Rooms - award winning art gallery and museum, tourist information, café, public library, events and functions
• Old Town trail - self-guided walk from the Royal Pump Rooms
• Events in Leamington Town Centre - See Royal Leamington Spa
• Churches - All Saints and St Peter’s, two magnificent Victorian interiors
• Regency town centre - shopping, pubs, restaurants
• Town walks - organised by Leamington History Group
• Riverside Walk  - upstream to Newbold Comyn Park, downstream to Victoria Park and Warwick.

Events and filming

On occasion, there may be vehicles accessing the gardens for a short period of time in support of various events and activities at the Glasshouse.

• Organising an event
• Filming

Map

View Larger Map

Opening hours

The park opens at 8am all year round.

Closing hours:

• January - 4pm
• February - 5pm
• March - 6pm
• April - 7pm
• May - 8pm
• June - 9pm
• July - 9pm
• August - 8.30pm
• September - 7.30pm
• October - 6pm
• November - 5pm
• December - 4pm