Storey Gardens at Staunton Country Park

One of the quieter areas of the site, Storey Gardens is a great place to visit for a moment of solitude. This area is home to The Right to Work group, who grow a variety of plants and produce which are available to purchase every day. Core opening hours for Storey Gardens are 11am to 3pm each day and, on weekends, payment for plants and produce is taken at the Coach House Visitor Centre.

Storey Gardens was the original walled garden, built at the same time as William Stone built his new mansion. It was designed as a vegetable and fruit garden, and large orchard. There were still old trees of plum, damson, and pear there in the early 1970s.

Woman standing next to a tree
We were then conducted along the back of the building, taking the orchard-house on our way; and passing by a sidewalk towards the east we entered the new kitchen garden. This has only recently been formed but promises full well under the management of Mr Young, the head gardener. It is three acres in extent admirably laid out, and walled in, and the various crops are in a thriving state. There are a number of new pits for forcing vegetables, and cucumbers and melons were in a flourishing state.
An excerpt from 'A Visit to Leigh Park' by Robert Newlyn writing in the Journal of Horticulture and Cottage Gardener 13 June 1867

Where does Storey Gardens get its name from?

Frederick G.H. Storey was a Portsmouth Councillor, who acted on behalf of the Council in acquiring the Leigh Park Estate for Portsmouth, and outlying land for building houses outside of Portsmouth. Storey undertook a lot of hard work to acquire the estate and land, with him eventually signing the final deal. In his honour, the walled garden was named The Storey Gardens.

Trees in a walled garden