An abbey nestled in lush greenery in the heart of a Regional Nature Park
In the heart of the Oise-Pays de France Regional Nature Park, Royaumont Abbey stands between ponds and forests, in accordance with the principles of the Cistercian monks who channelled two rivers upstream from the site to bring water into the monastic enclosure. The seven hectares of greenery surrounding it consist of a park and three gardens classified as ‘remarkable’ by the French Ministry of Culture.
At the centre of the abbey, the cloister garden is a haven of peace where time seems to stand still. This delightful little French garden, designed around a fountain, was created by landscape architect Achille Duchêne in 1912 and restored in 2010.
Designed in 2004 by Damée, Vallet & Associés Paysagistes (DVA), the medieval-inspired 9-square garden is home to collections of plants, both themed and perennial.
Designed by landscape architects Astrid Verspieren and Philippe Simonnet (†) and inaugurated in 2014, the Potager-Jardin combines tradition and English-style vegetable gardening while revealing the natural regenerative capacities of plants.
The abbey park and its three gardens
The park
The Royaumont Foundation park is organised around a network of canals.
The 9 squares garden
It is designed to host exhibitions on plants, their uses and how they are viewed.
The Potager-Jardin
Creating a vegetable garden at Royaumont means reconnecting with the past of a prestigious abbey.