Prior Park is a beautiful and intimate 18th-century landscape garden set in the world heritage city of Bath.  It was created to stimulate the senses and is set in a sweeping valley with views out over the city.  Local entrepreneur Ralph Allen, with advice from ‘Capability’ Brown and the poet Alexander Pope, created an idyllic landscape filled with temples, a grotto, lakes and the iconic Palladian bridge.

The National Trust took ownership of the garden in 1993 and has been restoring the garden to a vision from 1764 at the time of Ralph Allen’s death.  Since opening the garden in 1996, in an area called the ‘Wilderness’ a Serpentine Lake, Cascade and Cabinet have been reinstated.  A summerhouse was recreated in the Summerhouse Glade and most recently, the dams were restored by the lower lakes to repair the damage caused by American signal crayfish.  The new Silent Space trail takes in all the highlights of the garden.

The Silent Space Trail

Open daily for most of the year, from Monday to Friday in particular the garden is a peaceful haven away from the buzz of the city centre.  Full of greenery, running water, and breathtaking views, it offers a multitude of locations to sit and connect with silence.  The Silent Space Trail provides a guide to some of the best parts of the garden for switching off and soaking up the surroundings.  Ralph Allen designed the garden in a natural style with hidden walkways and places of reveal.  It’s easy to find a place to relax and take in the views, even if you don’t use the trail locations.

Images © National Trust Images/James Dobson, James Beck