Hamilton Gardens opens the door to the medieval world 

Hamilton Gardens’ newest Enclosed Garden opens to the public today, inviting visitors to step through its cloisters and into a world inspired by medieval monasteries and apothecary gardens.

At its heart is a working garden arranged across four quadrants, featuring plants selected for the practical roles they played in medieval life. Monastery gardens were forerunners to modern hospitals, supplying ingredients for remedies, food and everyday household use.

Surrounding the planting is a cloistered walkway with 52 archways and a 12-metre bell tower. Every part of the structure has been carefully aged to create the sense of a place shaped over centuries, from the uneven walls and chipped edges to the varied tones of its 10,000 hand-finished tiles.

The Medieval Garden is the 19th in Hamilton Gardens’ internationally recognised collection of Enclosed Gardens.

Hamilton Gardens Director Lucy Ryan said the opening was a major milestone for the Gardens and the many people who had helped bring the project to life.

“The Medieval Garden is much more than a beautiful new space. It is an immersive story about how people once understood health, nature and the world around them,” Ryan said.

“Every detail has been considered, from the plants growing in the apothecary garden to the materials and craftsmanship of the cloisters. Around 258 tonnes of concrete and 10,000 cement-and-limestone tiles have gone into creating the garden, with each tile deliberately varied in thickness, texture and colour so the space feels centuries old rather than newly built.

“Even the 52 archway sections weigh around half a tonne each and contain structural steel. That extraordinary attention to detail is what makes the garden feel so immersive. We are proud to open it for Hamilton and to share it with visitors from across New Zealand and around the world.”

Hamilton Gardens Horticultural and Operations Manager Gus Flower said the planting would continue to transform the space as it matured.

“These plants were chosen first for their usefulness, just as they would have been in a medieval monastery garden, but together they create something full of scent, texture and seasonal interest,” Flower said.

“The garden will keep evolving. Herbs such as basil will flourish through the warmer months, while ivy will gradually grow over the building and add to the sense that the garden has been here for generations.”

The bell tower features the sound of chiming bells, while a stained-glass window is expected to be installed by the end of 2026.

The Medieval Garden is another step towards Hamilton Gardens’ long-term vision of 30 Enclosed Gardens, each exploring a different chapter in the history, culture and meaning of gardens. Work is already under way on the collection’s 20th garden, which will explore the Baroque period.

The Medieval Garden has been made possible through sponsorship and donations. Hamilton Mayor Tim Macindoe said the project demonstrated what could be achieved through strong partnerships between the city and its supporters.

“The generosity of the garden’s sponsors and supporters, alongside the skill and commitment of its construction partners, has created something our community may be proud of and visitors can enjoy for generations.”

The Medieval Garden opens to the public at 10am, Thursday 24 September 2026. Entry to the Medieval Garden and all other Enclosed Gardens requires a general admission ticket or MyGardens Pass. Hamilton ratepayers can access the Enclosed Gardens free with a MyGardens Resident Pass. Children under 16 are free.