From RHS Hampton Court to Norfolk – a brilliantly bizarre new addition is on its way

Pensthorpe is getting ready to welcome something truly unique… and very Norfolk.

This summer, Norfolk’s favourite fictional broadcaster, Alan Partridge, will debut a brand-new garden at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (1-6 July 2025). But that’s not where the story ends, the entire garden is set to find its forever home at Pensthorpe, arriving later in the season and opening to the public by late September.

It’s quirky. It’s immersive. It’s so Alan.

The Alan Partridge Sound Bath Garden

Designed in collaboration with Carey Garden Design Studio, this delightfully oddball space blends sculptural design, sound bathing, and countryside planting… all with a signature Partridge twist.

Described as “a sound garden for the people of Norfolk”, the installation will include:

• Gentle, nature-based tones and bird calls
• Partridge-approved planting (including his favourite Verbascum pulverulentum)
• Sculptural elements with audio surprises
• A nod to Alan’s rambling countryside lifestyle

Alan Partridge says: “As someone not poor enough to have ever lived in a flat, gardens have been a feature of my domestic life for decades.”

Following its Hampton Court appearance, the garden will be relocated to Pensthorpe over the summer, where the team will carefully integrate it into the wider landscape – making it part of the reserve’s much-loved mix of nature, play and family fun.

A Natural Fit for Pensthorpe

With five existing gardens already flourishing on the 700-acre reserve, Pensthorpe is the ideal final stop for this wonderfully eccentric project.

“Alan has gifted the components of his garden to the people of Norfolk” says Ben Marshall, Managing Director of Pensthorpe. “It will be reconfigured in its ‘forever home’ as a sculptural nature sound bath for families to enjoy for many years to come.”

Joe and Laura from Carey Garden Design add:

“Designing for Alan has been a completely unique experience, in fact the whole project from the very beginning has been a wonderful mixture of the totally bizarre, laugh-out-loud funny and in the realms of the ridiculous.

It’s been a true venture in both creativity and realising a brief – we’re pretty confident it’s never been done before (not like this anyway!)”

Plan Your Visit for Autumn 2025

The Alan Partridge Sound Bath Garden is due to open to the public at Pensthorpe by late September 2025, and will be included in standard admission (from £16.50 for adults). Entry is free for Pensthorpe members.

In the meantime, why not plan your day out and explore the rest of what Pensthorpe has to offer?

🪴 The new Seasonal Sculpture Trail
💩 The much-loved Family Poo Trail
🌍 The immersive Migration Maze
🎠 Indoor and outdoor play areas
🐦 Wildlife, wetlands and walks for all ages

Last updated: June 2025

For up-to-date visitor info, opening times and discounts, check attraction websites. Don’t forget to sign up for the latest NSTA vouchers – exclusive discounts on Norfolk & Suffolk attractions.