The three and a half acre gardens were first created in the late 19th century by Ernest Jardine (1859-1947), the Member of Parliament for East Somerset.

Originally from Nottingham, he was an enlightened employer in the mould of other Victorian social reformers such as the Quaker Cadbury brothers at Bournville and Octavia Hill (one of the founders of the National Trust). He created a 'model factory; where he built lace-making machines and laid out the gardens (what he called 'Jardine's Park) for the benefit of his employees. He used the millponds as a boating lake and gave over the surrounding gardens for the workers' recreation. Fruit and vegetables were grown to provide lunchtime meals and he also created allotments where workers could grow their own food.

Originally a rose garden, Roger Saul redesigned the parterre and herbaceous borders in 1996 when he took over Kilver Court. The parterre is based on the classic French geometric designs found in the 'Place des Invalides', and is an immaculate example of low box hedging. The spaces within the hedges are filled with Gertrude Jekyll roses. 

Juxtaposing the formal parterre are vibrantly coloured herbaceous borders. Fiery Crocosmia 'Lucifer', Phlox, Indigo Hued Polemonium and Aconitum, globe shaped Dahlias and Echinops and delicate orchid-like Tricyrtis Formosana form a sensual backdrop full of texture and shape.

When enjoying a tour of the gardens you cannot fail to notice the huge piers and elegant arches of the Charlton railway viaduct. Built in 1874 as part of the 26 mile extension to the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway between Evercreech Junction and Bath.

Constructed of Limestone (except for the brick arch barrels and extension) and spanning 317 yards, it was originally built for a single track. However between 1888 and 1894, most of the line was doubled and the viaduct widened by 15 feet.