The 1st Countess of Ilchester, Elizabeth Fox-Strangeways, established the Garden in 1765 as a kitchen garden for her nearby Castle. It has developed and regenerated since then to house a botanical treasure trove of rare and exotic plants. This magical garden with its eighteenth-century walled garden, ornate lilyponds and viewpoint over the Jurassic coast World Heritage site, is joy and surprise to visit. With towering drifts of Himalayan rhododendrons, spectacular Magnolias, colourful Camellias and exotic Chusan palm trees, this special atmosphere can only by matched by a visit to faraway tropical shores.