The Tunnel
Our regular Tunnel Tours are currently postponed. Please email foh@botanic.co.uk if you'd like to enquire about a private tour.
Ventnor Botanic Garden has many secrets, some dating back to the days of the Royal National Hospital that formerly stood on the site. Underground caverns, secret passageways and a tunnel through the cliff can be found by the visitors to the Garden.
A proposal to dig a tunnel from the gardens down to the shore was mooted in the late 1800s. The Royal National Hospital annual report for 1875 states that “There can be no doubt that if the patients were able to obtain free access to the shore it would be very conducive alike to their recovery and their enjoyment.” Money for the tunnel at that time was not forthcoming and although it was built later, its function was by no means the rather romantic conception that has given rise to a good deal of speculation and comment; it was in fact used as a conduit for rubbish that was propelled through it and dumped into the sea. Steel tramlines are still visible on the floor. Exactly when the tunnel was built is unknown; possibly it was in relation to a new system of drainage and sewage disposal that was completed sometime in the 1880s. The tunnel was closed at both ends in 1940.
The 350 foot long vaulted roofed tunnel exits through the cliff midway down and is inaccessible. DO NOT attempt to locate the exit, or try to enter unless with one of our guides, as the cliff is extremely dangerous. Bolted gates are also in place for safety.
John Vanderplank Visits VBG
On 10th June we were very pleased to greet John Vanderplank at the Garden. John is the National Collection Holder of Passiflora and well recognised as the leading authority on the genus in the UK (or anywhere else for that matter!). John visited us whilst on holiday...
VBG Plants Online Now Open
Buy our most popular plants online June 3rd We are pleased to offer for the first time our most popular plants for sale online for mail order. Jason has selected the plants most requested from our Plant Sales and added to the list some of the plants which VBG has made...
Carbon Neutral Heating for Tropical Display
Ventnor Botanic Garden showcasing New Green Deal Technologies Ventnor Botanic Garden's Tropical Display House will soon be heated via a new 15kw photovoltaic array system. The Garden plans to use the technology to heat the pool where we are growing two species of...
New VBG @ Home Garden Service
Ventnor Botanic Garden in your garden May 24th Do you need help with your garden? Our Experts can visit your site or garden to survey the garden as it is, understand your horticultural desires, review the health of your plants, shrubs, and trees; or critique a new...
Endangered Aloe begins to flower
High Mountain Aloe in our Arid Garden May 17th Aloe polyphylla is only found at high altitude in the Drakensburg mountains of Lesotho, South Africa. It is listed as CITES Appendix 1, the highest level of threat. It has become an endangered species primarily due...
VBG has plant fossils on loan
Plants from the landscape of pre history Ventnor Botanic Garden has on loan a number of plant fossils from Dinosaur Isle. These date to the Cretaceous period, 125-110 million years ago. All of the plant material we have loaned is from the same period as the...
Wall Lizards at VBG
The long established Wall Lizard population continues to thrive May 9th The Wall Lizards, Podarcis muralis, are a frequently seen and popular part of the Undercliff ecology. Research by the University of Oxford using the mitochondria of the animals has discovered...
Rare crop for VBG
VBG's Rare Harvest April 25th After a long winter, everyone at VBG was delighted to see the very first harvest from one of our many rare plants and trees. South Wight TV captured the very special event for us......
Giant Waterlily Update – May 9th
The Giant Waterlily, Victoria spp., is an annual plant grown every year from seed. Its prodigious growth rate takes it from a pea sized seed to a plant nearly 10m in diameter with leaves able to bear the weight of a child within a few months. In 2013 we sowed the...
Garden Blog
Well it had to happen once in thirty years! Snow fell at Ventnor Botanic Garden on the 7th March 2013. The whole of the UK was snowed in with drifts as the cold air blew in from the south east. The lowest temperature we recorded here was -1ºC, so in fact this has...
Acacia begin their Spring flowering
2013 has been an early year for Acacia at VBG, in fact the Cootamundra Wattle, Acacia baileyana,(below) has been open since the last week of December This specimen (above) is from a ten year old plant seed raised from our own seed. This was collected from a...
Garden Blog
The Cornish climate is very suited to the large Tree Magnolia, Magnolia campbelii. In Britain they flower early in the year at a time when frost still reigns supreme, and will turn newly open blooms brown in bright morning sunlight. Therefore the prospects for us,...
Mexican monster conquers VBG
A rare Buddleja cordata from Mexico has staked its claim on our Arid Garden and is filling the top of VBG with exotic scent. This is one of the largest Buddleja and in its native land is capable of attaining heights in excess of 80 feet (25m) according to its...
Eco Island’s Electric Car, Mia, Visits VBG
As part of our drive to operate in a sustainable way we struck up a conversation with Eco Island (another CIC) on our vision of what we can do at VBG. We hope to work with Eco Island go beyond the basics we have already tackled on packaging and water use and start...
Irene’s Education Blog
I’m back! And something exciting is happening at Ventnor Botanic Garden. Activities and visits have begun with the local school, St Francis, following the welcome news that we have obtained a grant from the AONB Partnership. Tuesday and Thursday I did a mini beast...
Tel: 01983 855397 | Ventnor Botanic Garden Community Company C.I.C | Company Number: 07976468 | Registered Address: Undercliff Drive, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 1UL