Name: Privy Garden
Start: 2023-07-12T12:00
End: 2023-07-12T12:00
Location: Hampton Court Palace

Restored to its 1702 glory

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When

Open

In line with palace opening hours

Ticketing information

Included in palace admission (Members go free)

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Things to see

A baroque masterpiece

A privy, or private, garden has existed on the south side of Hampton Court Palace since the reign of Henry VIII.

The Privy Garden today is a carefully-researched recreation of William III's private Baroque garden of 1702. Our gardeners have restored the grounds using the original plant varieties. This includes the hornbeam bower and statues, which were part of the King's original design.

The garden is laid out in a formal design, featuring meticulously clipped topiary and evergreen shrubs that provides structure throughout the year. Admire the perfectly shaped yew pyramids, hollies, lavenders and honeysuckles.

In spring, the garden comes alive with vibrant displays of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, offering a spectacular burst of color that complements the formal layout and provides a spectacular view from the King William III's apartments.

The Tijou screen

The wrought iron screens, designed by Frenchman Jean Tijou for William III and Mary II, stand at the river end. Tijou previously worked for the King of France, Louis XIV, and his skilled craftsmanship is on full display in the Privy Garden. The Tijou screen showcases the elaborate Baroque ironwork that was fashionable in the late 17th century.

As you wander past the screen, take a closer look at each panel, featuring symbols of the kingdoms of Britain and Ireland. These include William and Mary’’s monogram, the thistle (the flower of Scotland), the rose (the national symbol of England), and the harp (emblem of Ireland).

Learn more about the Tijou screen

Detail of an ornate screen with gold detailing, including the symbol of a golden harp, in a garden. A palace stands in the background.

The Privy Garden on screen

More recently, the Privy Garden has become a Bridgerton filming location, where it was featured as an exterior of Queen Charlotte’s palace. Its historical accuracy and picturesque charm makes it the perfect setting for the hit Netflix regency drama.

Learn more about Bridgerton filming locations

Two women dressed in regency period clothing, sitting in a garden. — *Image courtesy of Netflix*

Restored using original accounts

After the palace fell out of favour with George III as a royal residence in the 1760s , the carefully cultivated appearance of the Privy Garden soon became unrecognisable. By the 19th century, it had become a wilderness of overgrown shrubs and trees. In the 1990s, following a fire that led to the restoration of the King’s State Apartments, the decision was made to likewise restore the King’s Privy Garden to its previous 1702 design.

Thanks to the survival of extensive historic gardening accounts and records, the Privy Garden was able to be thoroughly researched and then recreated in layout and design. This is possible in part to some remarkably helpful workmen who, fearing they might not be paid after William III’s death, provided detailed accounts of their work. These records, along with surveying archaeological evidence, were used to help inform the restoration.

Today, the Privy Garden at Hampton Court is celebrated as one of the most accurately reconstructed Baroque gardens, inviting visitors to sit and immerse themselves in its beauty, or take in its colourfully intricate design from the Palace windows.

Privy Garden highlights

A formal garden with a white statue in the foreground and a ironwork gold screen behind

Image: This statue of Apollo stands near the Tijou screen and is a copy of an original 17th century statue, which is on display inside the palace. © Historic Royal Palaces