Botanic gardens · East of England
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
In or near Cambridge.
Cambridge's 40-acre teaching botanic garden — taxonomic beds, Henslow's 1846 founding.

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.
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
- Cambridge — 0.7 km
- Opening
- Tues-Sat 10am–4pm; closed Sun and Mon
- Official site
- www.spri.cam.ac.uk
Sources
- manual: cambridge-university-botanic-garden (manual)
- wikipedia: Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Featured in these 2 guides
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Nearby
Botanic gardens · East of England
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
botanical garden located in Cambridge, England and associated with Cambridge University
📷 5Memorials & monuments · East of England
Coming Home
Coming Home — War memorial, dating to 1922.
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.
📷 7Historic 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.
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.
Where to eat & stay near Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Places to stay
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Gonville Hotel
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Hotels · East of England
Travelodge Cambridge Central
Travelodge Cambridge Central — a hotel in england london. 2-star. Brand: Travelodge.
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Regent Hotel
Regent Hotel — a hotel in england london.
Hotels · East of England
Graduate by Hilton Cambridge
Graduate by Hilton Cambridge — a hotel in england london. 4-star. Brand: Graduate.
Places to eat & drink
📷 7
📷 5Historic pubs · East of England
The Oak Public House
The Oak Public House in England East, United Kingdom.
📷 5
📷 7Restaurants · East of England
The Cambridge Chop House
The Cambridge Chop House — a restaurant in england london. Cuisine: steak house.
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The Eagle, Cambridge
The Cambridge pub where DNA was announced — and the WWII RAF ceiling-graffiti bar.
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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.