Today recognised as one of the most important ornamental gardens constructed in England, few visitors realise that Compton Acres in Canford Cliffs, Poole, is steeped in history.

Founded by a margarine entrepreneur in the 1920's the gardens, which were once thinly wooded heathland, were first created to reflect his worldly travels.

Local businessman Thomas William Simpson bought the land, complete with house, in 1920 and set about realising his dream of building a series of gardens to his own unique design.

The gardens were to further his interest in plants and their cultivation and remind him of his extensive overseas travels. He appointed a head gardener named Mr Middleton and together they supervised the construction, an undertaking which involved a small army of workers to remodel the natural land form and move thousands of tons of rocks and top soil. At the time, the work was thought to have cost in the region of £220,000, roughly equivalent to £10 million today.

A short time after their completion and up to the outbreak of the Second World War the gardens were opened to the public, before they were purchased by London architect J Stanley Beard in 1950, who restored the gardens following their neglect during the war years, along with his head gardener Walter Bill Collins. They were re-opened to the public in 1953.

In 1964 the gardens were sold on again to John Brady who added a shop and restaurant while making the garden’s borders and beds bright with colourful plantings. By this time the gardens were attracting thousands of visitors per year Following its sale in 1985 to London property developer, Lionel Green, water features were added and visitor access to the more remote parts of the garden improved.

The gardens changed hands several more times before the present owners, Bernard and Kaye Merna, purchased them and undertook a great deal of development, with the construction of a Compton Acres Visitor Centre, café and tearooms, plant centre, gift shop and most recently, The Italian Villa, which has become a popular venue for weddings and functions.

Huge efforts have been made to return the gardens to their original superb quality of design and high standard of horticulture, with Compton Acres today boasting a collection of more than 3,000 species of trees, shrubs, bulbs and herbaceous plants.