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The Gainsborough's House logo. A landscape ratio rectangle with a light, slate blue colour is accompanied with white typography within.

Our garden

Step off the bustling street and into our garden at Gainsborough’s House, a completely free oasis of colour, scent and history. You don’t need a ticket—our courtyard café, The Watering Place, shares this peaceful haven, inviting you to pause over a coffee or a light bite beneath dappled sunlight.

Wander along organic paths to discover four remarkable fruit trees: the gnarled 400‑year‑old Mulberry, already mature in Gainsborough’s day; the sweet‑scented Medlar with its autumnal pudding fruits; the fragrant quince in blossom with glorious flecks of yellow; and, tucked discreetly at the garden’s rear, a quietly thriving pear. Together they mark the seasons and whisper of centuries past.

An image of the Mulberry tree branches up close in the Gainsborough's House garden.

Our planting is as diverse as it is delightful. Throughout the year, swathes of ornamental grasses sway beside silvery olive and tender fig trees, while globes of alliums punctuate the borders with their striking blooms. Come spring, the garden awakens with carpets of snowdrops, cheerful daffodils and the elegant, painterly rhizomes of Cedric Morris irises. As summer unfolds, beds burst into a luscious riot of roses, lavender, salvias and foxgloves. Every corner is alive with bees, butterflies and dragonflies drawn by heady aromas and vivid hues.

We invite you to linger over a slice of cake at The Watering Place café, sketch the lofty Mulberry in a quiet glade, or simply stroll in search of a moment’s peace, our garden is yours to explore: always open, always free, always waiting.

Crinkle-crankle wall

Dominating the northern boundary is our celebrated crinkle‑crankle wall, a distinctive Suffolk curved brick structure that catches and radiates the sun’s warmth. The deep red bricks absorb daylight, creating a series of natural sun traps where warmth-loving plants thrive even on cooler days. Climbing roses, sun-loving-perennials and tender Mediterranean planting flourish in these microclimates, their blooms and scents intensified by the wall’s gentle heat.

Take a closer look at special hand-drawn indentations on some of the bricks, the wall incorporates carved bricks made as part of a prisons outreach project at HMP Hollesley Bay with artist, Anna Hennings. Echoing the weave-like bricks shaping our state-of-the-art Galleries, these bricks as well as Suffolk flint were handmade and locally sourced at Bulmer Brick & Tile Company.

An image of the Garden at Gainsborough's House. There is a crinkle-crankle wall to the left.

History of the Mulberry

In the seventeenth century, James I, the sovereign of the era, encouraged the planting of mulberry trees with the idea of establishing a strong silk–producing industry in England. The black mulberry tree was cultivated throughout England, in estates and in substantial gardens throughout the country, all in hopes that the rise of the silk industry would bring success to the nation.

The King and his adviser’s lack of botanical knowledge meant the silkworm breeding industry did not take off as planned. There are two kinds of mulberry trees:

  • The white berry variety which feeds silkworms
  • The black berry variety which supplies fruit

Gainsborough’s House is lucky that this 400-year-old tree still produces a healthy crop of fruit each year.

An offshoot of the silk–weaving craft worth noting, is that Sudbury is the biggest exporter of silk goods in the UK. We aim to bring light to the vivid history of textiles, silk and design as a heritage inspiration. More history on silk can be discovered in our Sudbury Silk Room in the historic house.

© Gainsborough’s House | Jackie Mellor Photography

Here we go round...

It’s the interplay of light and shade that truly defines our garden. Beneath the Mulberry’s broad canopy and tucked behind the lush borders, cool, dappled retreats offer respite on warm afternoons for your quiet reflection or perhaps, a shaded sketching session.

This living tapestry is maintained year‑round by a devoted team of volunteers whose care—from early pruning to autumn leaf‑clearing—ensures that both plants and wildlife thrive. Whether you choose a sun‑warmed bench beside the meandering wall or a cool nook beneath a tree canopy, our garden offers a perfect balance of warmth and shade.