Town Gardens in Swindon named best cherry blossom spot in UK

British summertime is now officially underway and more and more people will be heading out to parks and green spaces in the next few weeks to soak in the sunshine and the flowers.

But one park in Swindon has proved more popular than any other.

In a recent study by travel experts LateRooms.com, Swindon's Town Gardens in Old Town has been named the most popular cherry blossom location in the UK.

The study trawled through data to find out which famous UK cherry blossom location had the most dedicated online fans based on Instagram tags and Google searches during the peak of the 2023 cherry blossom season.

With a staggering 28,740 Google searches for 'Swindon Town Gardens Cherry Blossom' and many more Instagram photos and tags to go with it, the Town Gardens has proved to have the biggest fan base.

Swindon's Town Gardens is officially the most 'Instagrammable' cherry blossom location in the UK. (Image: Newsquest)

The Old Town Gardens fought off tough competition, including Greenwich Park in London which came second, and Wavertree Botanic Garden which came third.

Not only has the Town Gardens proved its beauty in Swindon, but it was the only park in the South West to be featured on the list.

With a historic Victorian bandstand backdrop and pink petals galore, many locals weren't surprised that the park's beauty had finally been recognised.

"There aren't many things in Swindon that usually get called beautiful but I do think that the Town Gardens is absolutely deserving of that title," one local told the Adver while out on a stroll through the park.

"What the parish council have done with the place in recent years is absolutely magnificent and it really is a little pocket of beauty in Swindon."

The popular park offers an aviary, fish pond and cafe, as well as beautiful blossoms. (Image: Newsquest)

The Town Gardens, which will celebrate its 130th year in 2024, has been managed by South Swindon Parish Council since 2019 after Swindon Borough Council handed over control of the grounds.

Since then, the parish council has worked hard to restore the gardens to their former beauty, even spending £70,000 to renovate the listed garden gates.

The park is home to many community events year round including the Holi celebration of colour and the Christmas lights trail.

This summer, the Town Gardens Bowl will host performances including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Comedy at the Bowl, and a 'supersonic' Queen tribute band among others.