Jane's Midlife Journey

Compton Acres brands itself as the south’s finest privately owned gardens. It consists of a ten acre series of separate, themed, interlinked gardens joined by landscaped trails. The gardens were designed in the 1920s by Thomas William Simpson, whose vision was to create a necklace of gardens, each one being a beautiful bead in this jewel of a garden.

How to get to Compton Acres

Compton Acres are located near Canford Cliffs, between Bournemouth and Poole, 4 miles to the west of Bournemouth along the B3066/B3065. The No 60 and 70 open top Breezer buses stop right outside the gardens.

Parking

There is a free car park on site.

Opening Times

The Gardens are open daily (excluding Christmas/Boxing Day/New Year) from 10 am until 5 pm (4 pm between November and Easter).

Price

Entry costs are detailed below. Pick up a leaflet at Tourist Information for £1 off ticket prices.

• £9.95 (adults)
• £8.95 (concessions)
• £4.95 (children aged 5-16)
• £19.95 (family of up to 5)

There is a prescribed route through the gardens with a paved, wheelchair friendly path. There are couple of less accessible detours which have steps or stepping stones.

Roman Garden

The first garden you enter is the Roman Garden; a small courtyard garden with a pool and possibly a statue (last time we visited, the statue had broken).

Grotto

You continue through a limestone grotto to emerge into the splendour of the Italian Garden.

Italian Garden

The Italian Garden is a large, formal garden centred around a pool of waterlilies with fountains, statues and spectacular floral displays. It is overlooked by an Italian Villa, which is available to hire for parties etc.

Palm Court

Continue through a small, formal garden with large palms and overlooked by a Venetian well. This takes you toward the less formal Wooded Valley.

Sub-Tropical Link

The path passes through the sub-tropical link of brightly coloured flowers and ornate foliage leading down into the woodland.

Wooded Valley

The wooded valley is, not surprisingly, a valley filled with trees. But there is much more besides, including plenty of waterfalls bubbling through a series of pools.

Bog Garden

At the bottom is the bog garden with shade loving plants interspersed with animal sculptures.

Rock & Water Garden

My second favourite garden is the Rock & Water garden. Entered via a tunnel, you emerge amidst an enormous rock garden besides an ornate pool, then turn to realise that the tunnel is in fact part of the rockery.

Sculpture Garden

I love sculptures, so enjoy this walkway lined with sculptures amidst a floral backdrop. Recently, lots more sculptures have appeared in the gardens, many with price tags if you fancy a rather expensive garden ornament.

Compton Studios

I’ve never seen Compton Studios open, but there are some seats here to rest and take in the view over Poole Harbour to Brownsea Island. Plus some toilets.

Heather Garden

Compton Acres is definitely a place to visit across the seasons to enjoy all it has to offer. In the height of summer, the Heather Garden is not at its best. I shall be adding a spring visit to see the heather garden in all its splendour to next year’s to do list.

Memorial Garden

This small garden was originally a picnic arbour, repurposed in the 1950s after the owners’ three children died. Their son lost his life during WW2, then their two daughters died of polio, thus this pretty little garden became a place to mourn their losses.

Japanese Garden

The best has been saved until last with the stunning Japanese garden. It is built in a traditional Japanese style with a tea house, red bridges, statues and a shrine, all amidst flowers, foliage and bamboo. The focal point is a pool which you can cross via stepping stones, watched intently by koi carp.

Shops

Near the entrance are a gift shop, an Italian Deli and a plant centre.

Tea Rooms

In front of the gardens are the tea rooms/pizzeria. The popular tea rooms have both inside and outdoor seating. You can order a meal or a cake/snack freshly baked on site. We opted for a very tasty cheese, mustard and pork sausage roll. In the evening, there is a pizzeria.

Compton Acres for Children

There is a Children’s Activity Area, which we didn’t visit because the access was via a wood chip path not suitable for a pushchair. During school holidays, there are activities for children, which usually involve providing a challenge sheet at the entrance, with a prize at the end upon completing the sheet. There is a children’s menu in the café, plus toys and activities to keep kids entertained. We were impressed with the baby change facilities, which are available at the tea rooms and Compton Studios.

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

• Updated: July 2023