The idea of creating a herb garden in the Abbey Gardens came from one of the most famous surviving illustrated manuscript of Apuleius Platonicus that was written at the Abbey in approximately 1220AD. (The Bury Herbal as it is known is now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.)
The new Pilgrim's Herb Garden was opened in June 1998 by HRH Prince Charles and forms a link between the Cathedral and the Abbey Gardens.
Volunteers from the Friends of the Cathedral now maintain it.
Most of the plants are hardy perennials and climbers including old favourites such as Lavender, Paeonia and Roses.
There are also many traditional native medicinal plants including Yarrow, Plantain and Betony, which is reputed to cure most ills and to have powers against evil spirits.
