Dilston Physic Garden

About Us

Wander up a country lane in a panoramic stretch of Northumberland to find a unique garden on the banks of a winding river. Dilston Physic Garden is brimming with over 700 medicinal plants, plants used by humans throughout history for health and medicine and all grounded in the science of how they work.

This physic garden has a unique character that evokes the magic and medicine of plants. It is also a garden for wellbeing, a unique space to relax and calm the mind. Watch 4 minutes of summer solstice at Dilston Physic Garden.

Throughout the physic garden signboards show the plant medicine use, the science and bioactive ingredients, as well as the folkore and magic!

It features plants that are active in the mind/brain, with special collections of science backed plants to boost memory, mood, sleep and more.

Here are some amazing plant medicine facts:

medical drugs can be derived from plants, like pain-relieving morphine from opium poppy
plant medicines are different form single drug medicine and contain more than one active ingredient and work by more than one way to treat a condition
science is now showing exactly how plant medicines work in the brain and body

human history shows that people have evolved to use the plants around them as medicine
60% of people in the world today effectively treat many common ailments with plant medicine
foodstuff medicinal plants can protect you from oxidation, inflammation and help boost immunity

when used correctly plant medicine is powerful and safe
it is important to get the right plant medicine and the right dose for an individual’s needs
seeing a qualified NIMH medical herbalist is the best way to use plant medicine effectively
NIMH register medical herbalists are trained just like GP’s in treating common ailments

Dilston Physic Garden is a dedicated enterprise exploring and educating on the science of plants for health and medicine. As a registered charity it receives with no central funding and is run by a small group of scientists, medical herbalists and volunteers.

Opening Times

We are closed for winter, reopening Wednesday 3rd March 2021.

NOTE: Please bring suitable footwear for a walk along a muddy lane; we are not open when the temperature is on or below 1 oC; there is currently no booking required.

January & February Closed

March & April Wednesday and Saturday 12-3pm

May to October Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11am – 4pm.

Open any day for Group or School visits by appointment and for workshops, events and private hire.

Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine will be open at the physic garden this summer – just come along Wednesdays 12-3pm from 5th May to 1st September 2021 to meet with NIMH affiliated medical herbalist Davina Hopkinson – the dispensary is also available online anytime – just email Davina to arrange a Phone or VideoCall.

NOTE:

Footwear Please bring suitable footwear for a walk along a muddy lane.

Workshop Parking is in our Top-up Car Park only (shared with Dilston scouts; directions) – allow for an 8-min flat country walk. Please do not park in the small visitor car park.

Freeze We are not open when the temperature is on or below 1 oC.

Takeaway drinks Enjoy a cup from our range of botanical infusions or hot chocolate – available outside/takeaway 12-3pm. Please note that we do not have a cafe.

Payment by contactless/ card machine, transfer or cash by dropbox – please bring change if you can.

Dogs are welcome on a lead but are not to go near plant beds.

WC is open March to October only (closed November & December).

Access We only have limited disabled access at present.

Lots to See & Do

Relax, take 2 minutes out, watch a snap shot of Dilston Physic Garden. Come to unwind and take it easy, away from life’s hustle and bustle. Relax on the clinically calming chamomile lawn, wander the labyrinth, medicinal meadow or 100 willow coppice – dedicated to the most used medical drug in the world. Soak up the sun at the sundial seat or be soothed watching the wind sculpture.

Make a wish at the Cloutie Tree, stop by a TimeSpace collection to see plant medicines from round the world and through history and visit the The Physic Shop for local botanical products including teas, tinctures, oils and balms. Children can visit the witches den, play croquet, giant chess or plant a magic bean, as well as meet botanical sculptures Mandrake, Mugwort, Belladonna and Angelica.

Find over 20 plants that have given us cutting edge medical drugs, like the opium poppy giving us pain-killing morphine, white willow giving us aspirin and the toxic foxglove giving us the key heart drug digoxin.

Explore Trails that introduce the physic garden or highlight plants shown by scientific research for Calm, Happy and Memory. Children can join an Explorer Trail.

Workshops We’re open all year round for school and group visits and for workshops & events – visit our workshop page for the latest courses or for our 10-day Foundation in Plant Medicine course info here. Hire the physic garden and Herbology House.

Plants & Modern Medicine

Dilston Physic Garden is a Registered Charity for education.

With links to the University of Newcastle in several ways, including interactions with Northeast Universities Medicinal Plant Research Group (MPRG), educational visits from North East university medical students, groups from other university departments.

As well as taking interactive educational visits from schools, college and other groups, Dilston has research links to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and other research bodies and is running a second clinical trial testing plants for memory.

Science Garden
This physic garden has its origins in neuroscience. Created by a professor of neurochemistry at the University of Newcastle and developed by a pharmacognosist (study of the science of plant medicine) specialising in aromatic plants for memory and the brain. Dilston has a focus on plants shown by science to be active in the brain and on brain protective preventative medicine. Dilston Physic Garden is grounded in science and testing the efficacy of traditional medicine and embraces sound evidence from a multidisciplinary and trans-boundary perspective.

Dilston began in the 1990’s because of the team’s pioneering scientific research showing that plants used historically to boost memory, like European sage, are shown to clinically boost memory memory. To take part in our next clinical trial for memory email info@dilstonphysicgarden.com – our last pilot trial showed those under 63 years, who took the plant medicine, improved in their word recall by over 50% compared to those who didn’t take it.
Plants for Health
One of the ideas behind why this physic garden exists is to help bridge the gap between traditional, so called complementary or alternative medicine.

Modern science is now providing the evidence to help do this. Scientific research from round the globe show that herbs – the word is synonymous with plant medicine, botanical medicine and medical botany – will become established, as they were in the past, as essential components in human health, development and medicine. You only have to look at the hundreds of body boosting bioactive chemical components in each plant to realise the potential out there. Why have we forgotten this knowledge!

Discover what plants can do for health and medicine with the UK’s first 10-day Foundation in Plant Medicine discovery course over 4 seasonal weekends. Visit our Dilston Dispensary of Plant Medicine in the summer to find out more about plant medicine tailored for your needs – an essential component of treating conditions.
Specialist Interest
A focus at Dilston is plants for the brain. You will find special collections of plants shown by science to be effective in controlled clinical trials, and some as effective as conventional drugs. Find Blues Busters (for depression), Chill Pills (for anxiety), Memory Matters (for attention and memory), The Senses (for pain) and Sweet Dreams (for insomnia). We also have other collections such as Magic & Medicine, Culinary Medicine, Heart & Mind, Flower Power, Botanic Bliss and Opium Den collections.
Essential Advice
When visiting Dilston Physic Garden please be aware that some plants are poisonous and can be fatal.

Certain plant medicines can interact with other medications and in are not advised in some medical conditions.

Before taking any plant at a medicinal level always first consult a registered medical herbalist and inform your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, have any medical condition or are taking any medication.

Always be sure of the identity of your plant and source plant medicines from an established reputable source.

Read any caution and do not exceed the suggested dose or duration, but note that there is an effective dose and duration.

For further information on preparations, dose, effects, side-effects, interactions with other drugs visit http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/ or consult a registered medical herbalist.

Volunteer

Our volunteers are central in caring for the plants at Dilston Physic Garden and they experience many rewarding opportunities and in a number of different and exciting ways.
As well as keeping all of the physic garden plants healthy and happy and harvesting them to make tea or to dry and pack, volunteers also show visitors around and answer questions.

We provide any training needed and volunteers pick up herbal tip bits, enjoy good company and a healthy herbal lunch

Volunteers can be reimbursed for travel expenses and also have the chance to join a workshop of their choice, free of charge. Just contact us to start your experience !

Volunteer

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What others say about us

I have had the good fortune to visit this beautiful garden over a number of years and so have seen it grow and develop. Each visit is a new and thrilling experience.

Lucy Carty, London

It’s a nice and interesting garden to be visited. I use it for benchmarking, cause I build the same garden “spice garden” in tropical country Indonesia containing more 400 species of medicinal plants. Thank you

Heru D. Wardana, Indonesia

“What a fantastic find! Thank you.”

L.S., Salford

I found your site by accident while looking for something else. It looks wonderful! I am involved in a small garden of health behind one of the departments in Glasgow University so I am very interested. I hope to be able to pay you a visit before too long and will be in touch.

Susie Stewart, Glasgow

“A beautiful and peaceful garden and a real source of inspiration.”

M.R., Newcastle

“Absolutely fabulous. Thank you.”

P.N, Sheffield

“The most exquisite magical garden you could find”

A. Robson

RESIDENCY: Plant Historian & Folklorist in Residence

February 17, 2016/in News /by Ros

History, Uses and Beliefs of Plants grown at Dilston Physic Garden. Between April and September 2016, we are delighted to welcome Dr Marie Addyman, plant and garden historian. Marie will be working at the Physic Garden to explore the beliefs, uses, history, nomenclature and folklore of selected plants grown at Dilston. These will include plants […]

An invitation from the Northumbrian Grove of Bards, Ovates and Druids to join them in their Imbolc ceremony at Dilston Physic Garden on Saturday 6 February, 3 – 6 pm.

January 25, 2016/in News /by Ros

November & December at Dilston Physic Garden

October 22, 2015/in News /by nicolette perry

Four more workshops this year. And we need your help – please fill in a survey! Though officially closed for the season, we are still open for group visits by appointment. The physic garden re-opens to the public on Wednesday April 13th 2016. SURVEY Win a free trip to Dilston Physic Garden! Newcastle University […]

About Us

Opening Times

Lots to See & Do

Plants & Modern Medicine

Science Garden

Plants for Health

Specialist Interest

Essential Advice

Volunteer

What others say about us

RESIDENCY: Plant Historian & Folklorist in Residence

An invitation from the Northumbrian Grove of Bards, Ovates and Druids to join them in their Imbolc ceremony at Dilston Physic Garden on Saturday 6 February, 3 – 6 pm.

November & December at Dilston Physic Garden

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