Boscobel House and The Royal Oak

Davies White were appointed by English Heritage to help transform the gardens and wider landscape at Boscobel House, making it more family-friendly, accessible, and inclusive. At the heart of these improvements is a new Royal Oak-inspired Nature Play Garden, designed to connect families to the site’s extraordinary 17th-century history through playful, sensory, and immersive outdoor experiences rooted in the story of Charles II.

Built around 1632, Boscobel House is a Grade II* listed site best known for sheltering Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The Royal Oak seen today is a direct descendant of the original tree. The 2021 investment in  enhanced visitor facilities, restored the 17th-century garden, and added new features including the nature play garden, willow tunnel (28m), veg beds, and a two-mile walk to the nearby White Ladies Priory.

Completed:  2021 Client: English Heritage  Budget:  £250K

Inspired by Charles II’s dramatic escape and hiding place in the Royal Oak, the play garden was co-created through engagement with local school groups. Pupils took part in creative workshops including model-making, site exploration, and playful planting activities. Elements such as the willow tunnel, sensory pods, and ‘Hunting Lodge’ hide-and-seek structure clad in fallen stag horn oak—draw directly from Boscobel’s history and landscape. Secret shelters, talking tubes, and views across the trees invite children to move, hide, and imagine.