The Garden Museum is restoring and reviving the house and garden of artist plantsman Cedric Morris as a new centre of art and horticulture.
An Artist’s Home
Benton End in Hadleigh, Suffolk is the former home of celebrated artist and gardener Sir Cedric Morris (1889 – 1982) and his lifelong partner, artist, Arthur Lett-Haines (1894–1978).
Cedric and Lett established the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing. They created one of the most remarkable art schools of the period, a place ‘outside the system’. One of the first pupils was the 17-year old Lucian Freud, one of the last, Maggi Hambling. The artists were often joined by friends such as Elizabeth David, Vita Sackville-West, Constance Spry, Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.
Artist Plantsman
In his lifetime, Cedric became better known as a gardener than an artist. The garden at Benton End was influential for its naturalistic style. It was home to a collection of rare and unusual plants, many of which were brought back by Cedric on his winter trips abroad. Cedric famously bred bearded irises, naming over 90 cultivars, many of which carry the ‘Benton’ prefix.
His closest protégé was Beth Chatto who credited Benton End with opening her eyes to what a garden could be, and went on to become one of the most influential gardeners of her generation.
The Garden Museum and Benton End
In 2021 Benton End was majority gifted to the Garden Museum by the Pinchbeck Charitable Trust with the intention that the house and garden might be restored and re-opened as a place of learning once again. Head Gardener James Horner has been working in the garden since 2023, beginning to revive Benton End as a place of art and horticulture, learning and friendship. James works with Project Director, Beatrice Prosser-Snelling, who is leading on the capital projects to renew the house and gardens.
The Revival of Benton End
Benton End will become a centre for artistic and horticultural study once more. ‘To encourage freedom of invention, enthusiasm and enjoyment,’ echoing the spirit of Cedric and Lett.
We have begun with renewal of the Walled Garden, in collaboration with landscape designer Sarah Price, which re-opened to visitors in summer 2026.
The next step is Benton End Revived: a £5m capital project to repair, renovate, restore and adapt the house and wider grounds to become a cultural centre at the heart of the Brett Valley.
Benton End Revived is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and thanks to National Lottery players.
The walled garden project has been made possible thanks to:
The Linbury Trust
Project Giving Back
The Tanner Trust
The Broadwall Foundation
The Stanley Smith Foundation
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund via HM Government
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
The Cedric Morris Foundation
The Rick Mather David Scrase Foundation
WFGA
The Bedford Family
Reed Educational Trust
J Paul Getty Jnr Foundation
