Newstead Abbey was founded by King Henry II
about 1170 as an Augustinian Priory. After the dissolution of the
monasteries in 1536 it was converted into a domestic home and is best
known as the ancestral home of the famous poet George Gordon Byron who
became the 6th Baron Byron.The gardens, parkland and lakes at Newstead cover more than 300 acres.
The lakes and ponds were created by damming the River Leen.Most of the gardens around the park were created by William's wife Emilia Jane Webb and her daughters Geraldine and Ethel. These include the Fernery, Spanish garden, Japanese garden and Venetia's garden, all can still be seen today. They also planted many of the azaleas and rhododendrons.
The old walled kitchen garden was replaced by The Rose Garden by Nottingham City Council in 1965.
The last owner of Newstead Sir
Julian Cahn gave the estate to Nottingham City Council in 1931, today
the Abbey is open to the public for everyone to enjoy.