Stunning symmetry

Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds comprise a living, vibrant park, and just not because of their 14 acres 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