The Roman Garden at Fishbourne

The replanted formal garden of the Roman Palace

The formal garden at Fishbourne Roman Palace is the earliest known garden in Britain and has been replanted to give visitors an impression of the original Roman design. Excavation revealed a pattern of bedding trenches, paths, and a central water feature arranged within the palace's central courtyard, enclosed by the four wings of the building.

The garden was laid out in a formal Roman style, with hedged walkways, box hedging, and planting beds arranged symmetrically around a central axis. The bedding trenches were identified by differences in the soil colour and composition, allowing archaeologists to determine where plants had grown two thousand years ago. Water pipes found during excavation indicate that the garden had an irrigation system and at least one fountain.

The replanting uses plants that would have been available in Roman Britain, including box, rosemary, acanthus, and various herbs. The result is a garden that is both a historical reconstruction and a pleasant green space within the museum grounds.

The garden is significant because it demonstrates the degree to which Roman domestic culture was transplanted to Britain. A formal garden of this type, with its Mediterranean design principles and ornamental planting, would have been entirely alien to the native British tradition and speaks to the ambition and cultural confidence of the palace's builder.

The garden is freely accessible within the palace grounds and can be visited as part of the museum admission. It is at its best in summer when the planting is in full growth, but the structure of the hedging and paths is visible throughout the year.