Jardins de Beauchamp visitor guide

Visit Jardins de Beauchamp, France

The Jardins de Beauchamp are a series of themed gardens attached to a garden centre, the Jardinerie Jay, on the edge of Marmande in the Lot et Garonne. The garden was established in 2004 and is full of mature plants and trees.

Explore the Jardins de Beauchamp

The Jardins de Beauchamp is a series of 14 gardens each with a different theme and which run fairly seamlessly one to another. Water is a key theme in the gardens and appears in large ponds, fountains and a swimming pool.

Initially when you enter there is a Japanese garden, a patio and a woodland area. This leads to one of the highlights of the garden which is a walkway over the large pond packed with different coloured water lilies and with lotus plants.

From here an English garden, an attractive pigeonnier on stilts, a labyrinth and a rose arch can all be discovered. Each area is planted with mature shrubs and trees and there are various seats along the way allowing you to sit and admire the views.

One of the most dramatic parts of the garden is the Mediterranear garden with its long water rill and double rows of both Italian cypress trees and conical shaped topiaries. Large box balls decorate one end a decorative wall is at the other end.

A medieval style garden, an oasis with lots of palms, banana plants and phormium, and a swimming pool also feature in the gardens. Personnally I would prefer to see a bit more perennial planting in the garden which relies heavily on shrubs and trees for interest but there is certainly plenty to see and admire to make a visit worth while.

The garden is linked to a reasonable size garden centre and so it is possible to buy any plants that may have inspiered you as you walked round.

The garden has been awarded the 'Jardin Remarquable' or Remarkable garden status by the Ministry of Culture, a notable achievement for gardens in France.

The Jardins de Beauchamp and its associated garden centre, the Jardinerie Jay are open every day from 9.00 to 12.00 and 14.00 to 18.00 except for Mondays when it is only open in the afternoons. The address is Jardinerie Jay, Rue des Isserts, 47200 Marmande. Entry to the gardens costs 6 euros.

Places to visit nearby

Marmande is a pleasant town with an attractive centre and plenty of bars and restaurants offering a chance to sit outside and enjoy a coffee or a meal whilst soaking up the sun and enjoying the local architecture.

The nearby village of Allemans du Dropt is worth visiting if you are nearby as it has a church with lots of 15th century frescoes which have been restored and show bible scenes, especially the Last Judgement.

La Reole is an attractive town with lots to see including a 12th century Town Hall which was built for Richard the Lionheart and is the oldest Town Hall in France and at Duras there is a chateau, the Chateau de Duras, which you can visit and also has a medieval clock tower.

You can find more travel ideas in the Lot-et-Garonne guide and the Aquitaine guide.