English Heritage has opened a new Edwardian-inspired garden within the former privy garden of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Beatrice, at Carisbrooke Castle near Newport, Isle of Wight.

The garden, which has been developed in partnership with garden designer and former presenter of BBC's Gardeners' World, Chris Beardshaw, is designed to celebrate the Princess' role as the island's governor between 1896 and 1944. Period plants, fruit trees and a fountain have been incorporated into English Heritage's design in order to keep it as close as possible to the original layout of the garden, which was established as Princess Beatrice's private garden in 1913.

Other recent improvements at Carisbrooke Castle have included a new visitor reception, a new shop and new interpretation of the site, while the garden has also been developed to complement the Victorian garden at Osbourne House near East Cowes, which is also maintained and managed by English Heritage. English Heritage commissioner, Gilly Drummond, said: "Chris Beardshaw's imaginative design interprets and celebrates an important period in the medieval castle's history. Princess Beatrice grew up at Osborne House, married and is buried at Whippingham Church and spent a great deal of her adult life at Carisbrooke Castle."

Beardshaw added: "Inspiration can be found wherever you look and hopefully the keen-eyed visitors will be able to spot where some of my ideas for the garden came from. Gardens bring places to life, they interest people and I'm positive this will add an extra dimension to Carisbrooke Castle." Image: English Heritage