Welcome back to Furzey Gardens

27 August 2026

It’s been a difficult few weeks at Furzey Gardens.

Although we remained open throughout the recent New Forest wildfire, the closure of the A31 had a huge impact on the number of people able to reach us. Visitor numbers fell by almost 60% compared with last year, contributing to more than £25,000 in lost income during one of our most important times of year.

Now the A31 has reopened, we’re looking forward to welcoming people back.

If Furzey has been on your summer list, or it’s been a while since your last visit, the coming weeks are a particularly good time to come and explore.

Why your visit matters

Furzey Gardens is a social enterprise of Minstead Trust. Neuro disabled people help maintain the gardens, raise plants in our nursery and build skills and experience here.

Income from visits, our tea rooms, plant sales and events helps us care for the 10-acre gardens and continue creating opportunities for the people we support.

The disruption caused by the A31 closure came during an already challenging year for the gardens, following an exceptionally wet late spring and periods of extreme heat and drought.

That makes every visit particularly valuable right now.

Minstead Trust CEO Adam Dodd said:

‘First and foremost, we are hugely grateful to the firefighters and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring the wildfire under control and protect the New Forest.

The knock-on effect for Furzey has been enormous, but the reopening of the A31 feels like a real turning point.

The best way people can support us now is very simple: come and spend a day at Furzey. Visit the gardens, enjoy something in the tea rooms or buy a plant to take home. Every visit helps Furzey recover and supports the opportunities we provide for neuro disabled people.’

There’s plenty to come back for

Late summer is a lovely time to explore Furzey, from our collection of rare and unusual plants to more than 40 fairy doors, the play area and our thatched tea rooms.

Families can also take on Galactic Furzey, our summer space adventure, until 31 August.

And from 12 September, our new Nature through my eyes outdoor photography exhibition will bring a collection of images by neuro disabled photographers into the gardens.

Come and see us

Furzey Gardens and the tea rooms are open every day from 10am to 4pm.

Whether you come for a wander, stop for cake, pick up a plant or bring the family for a day out, your visit helps Furzey continue to grow and supports the people at the heart of the gardens.

Book your visit

If you can’t visit but would still like to help, you can also support Furzey with a donation.

We hope to see you soon.