Skip to content
WordPress site playing up? Vincony fixes it — today, from $5.Get it fixed →
The Great Britain Guide

Botanic gardens · East of England

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

In or near Cambridge.

VictorianFree admission4.7 · 7,571 Google reviews

Cambridge's 40-acre teaching botanic garden — taxonomic beds, Henslow's 1846 founding.

Cory Lodge, Cambridge - geograph.org.uk - 614767

Derek Harper — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
Nearest railway station
Cambridge · 0.7 km
  • Free entry

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the nearest railway station is Cambridge, located 0.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is CB2 1NN, and entry to the garden is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Cambridge University Botanic Garden, founded by John Henslow in 1846, is the working garden of Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences. 40 acres of formal collections — the Systematic Beds (every major plant family arranged for taxonomic comparison), the Glasshouse Range, the British Wild Flower Garden — plus a working hot-house and the original collection from Charles Darwin's tutor.

Photo gallery

Summary from the official site

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a beautiful green space featuring a diverse collection of plants from around the world. Visitors can explore various themed gardens, glasshouses, and educational exhibits that highlight the importance of plant conservation and biodiversity.

Read more on the official property page.

From the Wikipedia article

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a botanical garden located in Cambridge, England, associated with the university Department of Plant Sciences (formerly Botany School). It lies between Trumpington Road to the west, Bateman Street to the north and Hills Road to the east. The garden covers an area of 16 hectares (40 acres). The site is almost entirely on level ground and in addition to its scientific value, the garden is highly rated by gardening enthusiasts. It holds a plant collection of over 8,000 plant species from all over the world to facilitate teaching and research. The garden was created for the University of Cambridge in 1831 by Professor John Stevens Henslow (Charles Darwin's mentor) and was opened to the public in 1846. The second-highest temperature recorded in the UK, 38.7 °C (101.7 °F), was recorded on 25 July 2019 at the garden. The garden held this record for four years until it was broken in 2022, when 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) was recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire on 19 July of that year. On this day, the garden broke its own record, reaching 39.9 °C (103.8 °F).

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

on Free School Lane was once the home to the Walkerian Garden. Eventually, the University built the Cavendish Laboratory here, but a small patch of garden has been planted with plants representative of the stock of the original garden.]]

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.1942, 0.1278
County
Cambridgeshire
District
Cambridge
Parish
Cambridge, unparished area
Postcode
CB2 1NN
Parliamentary constituency
Cambridge
Annual visitors
~334,461/year
Nearest railway station
Cambridge0.7 km
Opening
Tues-Sat 10am–4pm; closed Sun and Mon
Official site
www.spri.cam.ac.uk

Sources

Featured in these 2 guides

Other places nearby

Nearby

Cotula 'Yellow Marbles' (Compositae) plant📷 5

Botanic gardens · East of England

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

botanical garden located in Cambridge, England and associated with Cambridge University

botanic.cam.ac.uk
Coming Home📷 5

Memorials & monuments · East of England

Coming Home

Coming Home — War memorial, dating to 1922.

Free🐕capturingcambridge.org
Cambridge Botanic Garden, along snowy Main Walk - geograph.org.uk - 7364069📷 5

Historic bridges · East of England

Bridge Over Hobson's Bridge At Entrance To The Botanic Garden

Bridge Over Hobson's Bridge At Entrance To The Botanic Garden — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-london, United Kingdom.

Free🐕
Coronation Street and The Panton - geograph.org.uk - 4293350📷 7

Historic pubs · East of England

Panton Arms

Panton Arms in England East, United Kingdom.

Brooklands Lodge and a stinkpipe - geograph.org.uk - 7402433📷 5

Historic bridges · East of England

Bridge Over Hobson's Brook At Brooklands Lodge

Bridge Over Hobson's Brook At Brooklands Lodge — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-london, United Kingdom.

Free🐕
Cambridge, looking up Hobson's Conduit from a footbridge - geograph.org.uk - 6665775📷 5

Historic bridges · East of England

Bridge Over Hobson's Brook Mid Way Along Brookside

Bridge Over Hobson's Brook Mid Way Along Brookside — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-london, United Kingdom.

Free🐕spri.cam.ac.uk

Where to eat & stay near Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Places to stay

Tenison Road, protesting against cuts - geograph.org.uk - 3895071📷 5

Hostels · East of England

YHA Cambridge

YHA Cambridge — a hostel in england london.

Refreshment Kiosk off Parkers Piece - geograph.org.uk - 3988325📷 5

Hotels · East of England

Gonville Hotel

Gonville Hotel — a hotel in england london.

gonvillehotel.co.uk
Travelodge, Cambridge - geograph.org.uk - 5467166📷 7

Hotels · East of England

Travelodge Cambridge Central

Travelodge Cambridge Central — a hotel in england london. 2-star. Brand: Travelodge.

Freetravelodge.co.uk
A crane viewed from Queen Anne Terrace car park, Cambridge - geograph.org.uk - 4874364📷 5

Hostels · East of England

YMCA

YMCA — a hostel in england london.

Enjoying the snow on Parker's Piece - geograph.org.uk - 7360811📷 5

Hotels · East of England

Regent Hotel

Regent Hotel — a hotel in england london.

theregentcambridge.com
Stinkpipe 41 in Granta Place - geograph.org.uk - 6536035📷 7

Hotels · East of England

Graduate by Hilton Cambridge

Graduate by Hilton Cambridge — a hotel in england london. 4-star. Brand: Graduate.

hilton.com

Places to eat & drink

Coronation Street and The Panton - geograph.org.uk - 4293350📷 7

Historic pubs · East of England

Panton Arms

Panton Arms in England East, United Kingdom.

Benchmark at 6 Lensfield Road, Cambridge - geograph.org.uk - 2973871📷 5

Historic pubs · East of England

The Oak Public House

The Oak Public House in England East, United Kingdom.

Cut Mark, Cambridge, Mill Lane - geograph.org.uk - 5836013📷 5

Historic pubs · East of England

The Mill

The Mill in England East, United Kingdom.

Cambridge - Corn Exchange - geograph.org.uk - 6885220📷 7

Restaurants · East of England

Pho

Pho — a restaurant in england london.

Freephocafe.co.uk
1 – 3 Free School Lane, Cambridge - geograph.org.uk - 8224387📷 7

Restaurants · East of England

The Cambridge Chop House

The Cambridge Chop House — a restaurant in england london. Cuisine: steak house.

cambscuisine.com
The Bath House, Bene't Street - geograph.org.uk - 797016★ Iconic📷 4

Historic pubs · East of England

The Eagle, Cambridge

The Cambridge pub where DNA was announced — and the WWII RAF ceiling-graffiti bar.

Free🐕cambridgeartstheatre.com

Other places from this era

The Norfolk Pavilion - geograph.org.uk - 3961589Flagship📷 10

Botanic gardens · South East England

Wakehurst

Kew's 535-acre Sussex sister garden — home of the Millennium Seed Bank.

More places in this region

Cotula 'Yellow Marbles' (Compositae) plant📷 5

Botanic gardens · East of England

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

botanical garden located in Cambridge, England and associated with Cambridge University

botanic.cam.ac.uk
Chiswellgreen Lane - geograph.org.uk - 2311185📷 5

Botanic gardens · East of England

Royal National Rose Society Gardens

Royal National Rose Society Gardens — a botanic garden in england london.

Mannington Hall, The North West corner - geograph.org.uk - 5861412📷 5

Botanic gardens · East of England

The Heritage Rose Garden, Mannington Hall

The Heritage Rose Garden, Mannington Hall — a botanic garden in england east midlands.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
Cambridge University Botanic Garden is in Cambridgeshire, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode CB2 1NN), in the parish of Cambridge, unparished area.
What is Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
Cambridge's 40-acre teaching botanic garden — taxonomic beds, Henslow's 1846 founding.
How do I get to Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
The nearest railway station is Cambridge, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode CB2 1NN.
When was Cambridge University Botanic Garden built?
Dates from the Victorian period.
Who owns Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
Cambridge University Botanic Garden is owned by University of Cambridge.
Is Cambridge University Botanic Garden free to visit?
Yes, Cambridge University Botanic Garden is free to enter.
How do I get to Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
The nearest railway station is Cambridge, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CB2 1NN.
How busy is Cambridge University Botanic Garden?
Cambridge University Botanic Garden draws around 334,461 visitors a year.