Stunning symmetry

Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds comprise a living, vibrant park, and just not because of their five hectares of colourful displays and ornate flowerbeds—they have changed with the times, all while still jealously guarding their history. The site here in the county of Suffolk, in eastern England, was originally home to a powerful Benedictine Abbey in medieval times—in fact, 2022 marks the 1000th anniversary of the storied abbey. You can still visit the abbey ruins and marvel at the 14th-century Great Gate and Norman Tower, which have survived through the ages. Nathaniel Hodson took the original Abbey Gardens and designed them as a botanic garden in 1831, using the Royal Botanic Gardens in Brussels, with its concentric circles, as his inspiration.
© Charles Martinez/Amazing Aerial Agency