The Garden of Heroes and Villains
Heart of England Forest
Admission by pre-purchased ticket. Click on the dates above to purchase tickets.
Set in beautifully landscaped gardens, the Garden of Heroes and Villains is home to more than 50 life-size, bronze statues of some of the most iconic figures in history.
Only open for a limited number of days each year, this private sculpture garden was commissioned by the Heart of England Forest’s late founder, Felix Dennis, and it is one of the largest and most personal collections of figurative sculptures in the world.
After his death, the garden was bequeathed to the Heart of England Forest and remains a centrepiece of our fundraising activities.
When can I visit?
The private sculpture garden located in the village of Dorsington, near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, is only open to visitors for a limited number of fundraising days each year and tickets must be booked in advance. In order to preserve the incredible statues that lie within it, we only allow access during our exclusive Forest events.
What is there to see?
Cultural icons Bob Dylan, Billie Holliday, Josephine Baker stand side-by-side with The Beatles, William Shakespeare and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry among others.
Figures who shaped the 20th century including adventurer Lawrence of Arabia, Muhammed Ali, Stephen Hawking, Sir Winston Churchill rub shoulders with four-minute-miler Sir Roger Bannister and computer masterminds Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. The list of VIPs goes on and on.
Famous characters of literature and mythology including Alice and the White Rabbit, The Minotaur, Sherlock Holmes,the Owl & the Pussycat and King Kong also reside amongst this truly unique collection.
It is a personal collection of saints and sinners made by 28 of the world’s finest portrait sculptors.
As well as the trail of handpicked muses, the Garden, which is managed by gardener Pete, has a handsome selection of specimen trees, a series of ponds, a yew maze, and a Japanese meditation garden.
Also featuring the Shard Garden, a great creative gesture, containing a display of 44 large shards embedded in the ground with lines and verses of Felix’s poems inscribed on each. Installed after his death, it was his last imaginative concept, his final commission.
We advise you check with the venue regarding any changes to their opening time / availability before leaving home
