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Garden of the Year - Judges' Choice

Each year, the judges for our Garden of the Year Award have chosen a garden they consider worthy of the Judges' Choice prize. See all previous winners below.

For almost forty years the public have voted one of Historic House’s member gardens their favourite of the year. The award, run in conjunction with Christie’s, has gone from strength to strength since then.

Any garden of a Historic Houses member property that is regularly open to the public may enter the award. Our judging panel whittles down contenders for the main award to a shortlist of eight, which then compete to win the votes of the public and Historic House members all summer.

In addition, since 2020, the panel have given a second, direct, award to a garden they consider embodies excellence on a smaller scale, either of area, staffing, or access, and hence has less opportunity to influence the popular poll.

 

The winner of the 2024 Judges’ Choice Garden was Belcombe Court, in Bradford-on-Avon.

2024 Judges' Choice Winner
Belcombe Court

When owner Paul Weiland purchased the estate back in 1992, the gardens were in a state of disrepair. Over the next 30 years, Paul restored the gardens to its former glory with many contemporary additions that impressed judges.

The full list of Judges' Choice winners since 2020

  • 2024 Belcombe Court, Bradford-on-Avon
  • 2023 Bledlow Manor House Gardens, Buckinghamshire
  • 2022 Upton Wold, The Cotswolds
  • 2021 Elton Hall, Cambridge
  • 2020, Gresgarth Hall, Cumbria

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Forde Abbey in Somerset