Three Must-See Parks and Gardens in Suffolk

The area around Suffolk, England is filled with amazing history and an abundance of natural beauty. Here are three parks and gardens you must visit while you're in the area.

Helmingham Hall Gardens
Helmington Hall is a moated castle that has been owned by the same family since the 1480s. The surroundings gardens are world-renowned for their diversity and the history surrounding the landscaping.

As you might imagine, the landscaped gardens are spectacular. But you can also enjoy the orchard and a walk down the Apple Tree Walk. The peaceful is surrounded by picnic areas, private nooks and tunnels and the gardens are also home to some rare red deer.

Kentwell Hall
The Kentwell Home was built in the early 1500s and over the centuries the house and the surrounding gardens were expanded and improved. It changed hands several times in the 1800s and by the 1900s it was essentially abandoned. The grounds were used during WWII for barracks and a staging area for D-Day. In 1970, the current owners purchased the property and have spent the past 45 years renovating and upgrading the grounds.

The centerpiece of the property is the walled garden, which dates back to the 1700s. There is also a moat and ancient yews and cedars. The most spectacular of the cedars is the large sculpted tree, which dates back to the 1800s and may be the U.K. biggest individual wood carving.

Fullers Mill Garden
There has been some sort of mill on the property since at least 1458, and the word "fulling" comes from the process used by the mill to make cloth fuller and thicker. Bernard and Bess Tickner purchased the property in 1958 and in 2004 they created a charity to run the garden and the surrounding property.

The centerpiece of the gardens is the river Lark, which was used to move coal and corn until 1900. Both sides of the river and the surrounding areas have been turned into gardens, with each garden including its own mix of plants and flowers.