Fullers Mill Lake

The lake at Fullers Mill Garden opens to visitors

For the first time, visitors to Fullers Mill Garden will be able to explore one of its most secluded corners: the lake once known as Mill Deep. Long reserved for Bernard Tickner, the garden team and a small fishing syndicate, this peaceful stretch of water now becomes part of the visitor experience.

This peaceful circular nature walk takes around 40 minutes, depending on how long you pause to enjoy the surroundings.We’re privileged to share this special habitat, home to many mammals and birds. As they are not used to people, please respect the wildlife and observe any residents from a distance.We warmly welcome you to come and explore.

From gravel pit to waterside haven

Like the neighbouring Lackford Lakes, the lake began as a sand and gravel working in the River Lark valley. With extraction taking place in an already wet landscape, the excavated pit gradually filled with water, creating the tranquil lake seen today. A mound that once supported an electricity pylon became the island, now softened by mature white willows (Salix alba).

Bernard Tickner’s conservation legacy

Bernard Tickner MBE moved to Fullers Mill in 1958 and spent more than 50 years transforming rough scrub and woodland into the garden visitors enjoy today. His love of plants was matched by a deep commitment to wildlife conservation. In 1987, he bought a worked-out part of the nearby quarry known as The Slough and gifted it to Suffolk Wildlife Trust, helping to establish what would become Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve. Further former quarry land was transferred to the Trust in 1999, and later acquisitions extended and connected habitats for Breckland wildlife. 

The lake at Fullers Mill remained a quieter, more private part of Bernard’s world. Opening it to the public offers a new way to appreciate his vision: a landscape where gardening and conservation sit naturally side by side.

A new view of Fullers Mill

Visitors can now pause beside the water, take in reflections of the island and willows, and discover another layer of Fullers Mill’s story. The opening celebrates both the garden Bernard created and the conservation legacy he helped to shape across the River Lark valley.