Route: Anglesey Abbey
Area: Cambridgeshire
Date of walk: 10th November 2026
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.0 miles
Ascent: nil
Weather: Weak sun
Earlier in the day, we enjoyed a delighful walk visiting Quy Fen and Quy Water. Our starting point had been the National Trust car park at Anglesey Abbey, and we were able to leave the car in the same place for our next walk, a visit to the garden and grounds of the abbey
Despite its name, the building has never been an abbey. Its history began around 1135 as a hospital of St. Mary before becoming an Augustinian priory which was dissolved by Henry VIII. A Jacobean-style house was built using parts of the old priory ruins around 1600 and the site was given the grander-sounding name “Anglesey Abbey” in the 19th century by a later owner. During the 20th century the property was improved by Lord Fairhaven and contains numerous treasures, none of which we could see today as the interior was closed while Christmas decorations were being prepared. We were already aware that this would be the case and were well content to explore to gardens, which extend over 100 acres
We didn’t follow a fixed route and simply wandered around where our interest took us. Highlights will differ according to season, but we especially enjoyed the Winter Garden, the Dahlia Garden, South Park and the Arboretum, where the autumn colours were wonderful
We thoroughly enjoyed our meanderings – it had been a day well spent
Click here for a link to a plan of the Anglesey Abbey grounds (I’ve not provided the usual route map as it’s best to make your own way around. A copy of the garden plan is handed out at the entrance)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to view as a slideshow
As suggested by the National Trust staff at the entrance, we made our way to the nearby Winter Garden
The Winter Garden, formerly Fairhaven's Centenary Walk, was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lord Fairhaven's birth in 1896
The layout of the sepentine path reflects Lord Fairhaven's opinion that a garden should never be seen all at once, encouraging the urge to explore
An avenue of Himalayan birch
Beyond the Winder Garden we follow another avenue of trees, underplanted by cyclamen
Lode Mill, which we'd passed by on our earlier walk beside Quy Water
We follow a path away from the mill
Looking along Quy Water
The Dahlia Garden...
...and some of its residents...
After refreshments at the cafe we pass by the front of Anglesey Abbey...
Looking back to Anglesey Abbey from the Rose Garden
Jubilee Avenue...
Views of Anglesey Abbey as we walk through South Park...
Autumn colours in the Arboretum
We make our way back to the start via this avenue of trees to end our visit, which we'd greatly enjoyed
