Tudor Physic Garden

A Tudor Physic Garden, part of the new Herb Garden Walk, has been developed which pays homage to the ancient wisdoms of Sudeley’s former inhabitants. Lady Ashcombe led on the project, researching the vast knowledge of herbal healing from many cultures, stretching back in recorded history over 4000 years.  The Tudors & Elizabethans would have had a productive physic garden at Sudeley to provide the household with culinary and medicinal plants. Herbs remained necessary and popular throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries until they were pushed aside by the advances in medical science and the evolution of synthetic substitutes. Today the interest in natural remedies has been steadily re-emerging and Sudeley’s gardening team are very excited about the range of traditional plants they will be growing in the new garden.

Lady Ashcombe has been working with a professional group to develop a range of herbal cosmetic products that will be exclusive to Sudeley, based on the latest research as well as traditional recipes and methods. The range will feature some of the herbs and plants that will be grown in the herbal garden and will be available to buy in our Plant Centre.