Mottistone Gardens

Park

Mottistone Gardens are set on the hillside above Mottistone Manor, a medieval and Elizabethan house in the south-western part of the Isle of Wight. The gardens are managed by the National Trust and are open to the public during the season. The planting is varied and interesting, with herbaceous borders, a Mediterranean garden that thrives in the mild climate, a productive kitchen garden, and shrub borders that take advantage of the sheltered, south-facing position. The gardens are terraced into the slope, with views through mature trees towards the English Channel. Mottistone Manor itself is not regularly open to the public, but the handsome exterior can be seen from the gardens and is a distinctive local landmark. The estate is set in an unspoilt stretch of coast between Brighstone and Brook, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The National Trust also owns the surrounding downland, and footpaths lead from the gardens up to the Longstone, a Neolithic standing stone on the ridge above that is itself worth the climb. The combination of the gardens, the manor, and the downs walk makes Mottistone one of the quieter but most rewarding destinations on the island for visitors who appreciate landscape, history, and well-tended planting.