Nestled on the banks of the River Lark at West Stow, just five miles north-west of Bury St Edmunds, you’ll find Fullers Mill Garden: seven acres of riverside woodland and planting that makes for a lovely day out. It’s a place that began life in 1958 when Bernard Tickner MBE started transforming what was once scrub and woodland into a rich paradise of unusual shrubs, lilies, perennials and marginal plants.
Fullers Mill Garden was gifted to UK charity Perennial in 2013, with a team of skilled gardeners and volunteers maintaining the landscape for its visitors.
What is there to see and do?
Once you’ve parked up (the car park is pretty spacious), the entrance to the gardens is a very short walk away. A small building houses the ticket desk, a shop and a cafe selling hot and cold drinks, cakes and ice creams – if you want a full lunch, you’ll need to look elsewhere, and no picnics are allowed on-site.
Importantly, there’s also a toilet block, alongside a small plant shop if you’re keen to add new offerings to your home garden.
An information board at the entrance shows a map of the site, which spans various garden areas, woodland and ponds, streams and lakes, as well as the River Lark – in addition to photographs of some of the plants you may see.
From dappled woodland paths to grassy paths between beds, from the twisting trunks of various trees to flowers in all shapes, colours and sizes, there’s plenty to explore at every turn. Couple this with the wooden bridges across the waterways and chatter of birds throughout, and Fullers Mill is a place that delights all the senses.
One thing that struck me was that while the absence of weeds was clear to see, Fullers Mill is not a garden that looks formal. Various plants have, of course, been shaped to suit their space, but it’s a place that feels natural, rather than overly curated.
One thing we would have liked to have seen more of was the labelling of various plants throughout the garden: there were lots of less common plants that we’d have liked to learn more about.
Be sure to read the signage next to the river about the River Lark Restoration Project taking place at Fullers Mill: it’s interesting to find out what is being done, and what impact it has had on wildlife in the area.
Opening times and pricing
Fullers Mill Garden is open on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between April and October, as well as on Wednesdays and Fridays in February for their Snowdrop Days.
Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and are free for children aged 16 and under. Entry is free with Perennial membership, and RHS members can visit for free on Wednesdays. Our verdict is that a trip to Fullers Mill is well worth the ticket price.