Restoration of the Royal Pavilion Garden began on 10 November and runs to late 2027. The garden stays open while the work moves round it in phases.

Contractors started work on the £8.038 million restoration of the Royal Pavilion Garden on Tuesday 10 November. The garden will stay open throughout, with the work done in phases so that only parts of it are closed at any one time.

Specialist landscape firm Blakedown Landscapes arrived on site that day. The work is due to finish by late 2027. The details come from Brighton & Hove Museums, which runs the Royal Pavilion estate, in its announcement of the start of works.

The Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museum & Art Gallery will both stay open as normal while the work goes on.

What the restoration includes

The 3.3-hectare garden is Grade II listed. According to Brighton & Hove Museums, the project will bring:

  • more than 16,000 plants and shrubs, to recreate John Nash’s original picturesque design
  • conservation work on the garden’s elm collection
  • restored paths, historic lighting and boundary railings
  • a new outdoor learning space
  • a fully accessible Changing Places toilet

The aim is to get the garden taken off Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. We reported the full plans, the tender and the budget when they went to the council’s Cabinet in October: our earlier story.

Who is paying for it

Funder Amount
National Lottery Heritage Fund £5.346 million
Historic England £500,000
Brighton & Hove City Council, the Wolfson Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation and others the rest of the £8.038 million

The museums’ announcement gives the first two figures. It does not break down the rest.

Trees already cut back or removed

Preparatory tree work took place from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 November, according to a separate museums notice:

  • two elms near the toilets and cafe had their crowns reduced to cut the risk of them failing
  • two limes were removed: one was in poor condition and crowding nearby elms, and the other, on the southern boundary, had not regrown after earlier pruning
  • a Chusan palm and a Monterey pine near Palace Place are coming out to make way for a new service entrance

The museums say the elm cuttings are taken to a council site to reduce the risk of spreading Dutch elm disease. The new entrance has planning permission. It will let event vehicles get into the garden without using the historic North Gate.

What it means for you

Expect fenced-off sections and some disruption as the work moves around the garden. Staff and volunteers will be on site to answer questions, the museums say.

The work is also why there is no ice rink in the Pavilion garden this winter. The rink is due to move to the Old Steine from 2027.

Abigail Thomas, interim chief executive of Brighton & Hove Museums, said: “There will inevitably be some temporary disruption as the restoration progresses in phases, but the garden and estate remain open to visitors.”

Councillor David McGregor, the council’s Cabinet member for economy, culture, heritage and tourism, said: “The garden belongs at the centre of life in our city, so it’s important residents and visitors can continue to enjoy it as the work progresses.”