| Hever Castle |
he gardens were laid out between 1904 – 1908 to William Waldorf Astor’s design. One thousand men were employed, 800 of whom dug out the 35 acre lake and teams of horses moved mature trees from Ashdown Forest. There are many superb features which include a 4 acre Italian garden, a magnificent Pergola, Camellias, Wisteria, Crab Apple, Virginia Creeper and Roses. There are less informal areas including the Rhododendron walks, Anne Boleyn’s orchard and her walk.
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| Penhurst Place |
The gardens and house are 600 years old and consist of many separate enclosures surrounded by tall yew hedges. There is an Italian garden with an oval fountain and a 100 year old gingko. The herbaceous borders are very colourful from Irises, Phlox, Anemones, Anchusas, Coreopis and Yuccas which contrast with the nut trees and over a dozen different Crab Apples. These are underplanted with Daffodils, Myosotis, Tulips, Bluebells, Lenten Lilies and Peonies.
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| Monk’s House |
This was the cottage home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf for 50 years from 1919. Leonard Woolf had kept the village self-sufficient in vegetables and his original vegetable area is still thriving. The one and three-quarter acre garden is a mixture of chalk and clay and contains a wide variety of species including specimen trees such as Salix hastata ‘Wehrhahnii’, Chinese lantern (20 feet tall), Magnolia Lififlora, Walnut, Mulberry and Catalpa Bignoniodes (Indian Bean). There
is also an orchard underplanted with a range of spring and
autumn bulbs.
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| Firle Place |
This is a small garden which lies at the foot of the South Downs, with views over a nearby lake and parkland. There are formal Italianate terraces and balustrades, a fountain and
a Ha-Ha.
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| Great Dixter |
One of the best known gardens in
England. The 15th century house was restored by Lutyens. The sunken garden was designed and constructed by Mr Nathaniel Lloyd after he bought Great Dixter in 1910. It comprises of a series of gardens which include fine topiary, a long mixed border and a tropical garden where vegetables and flowers mix. There are pockets of wild flowers throughout the gardens. |
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| Brick Wall |
This is a Stuart garden which was planted between 1680 – 1720 by Jane Frewen. There are Day Lilies, Bergamots, Lychnis Chalcedoniaca, Cheddar Pinks and Columbines as well as large Lavender beds, two old Mulberries, groups of clipped Yews and a Bleached Beech walk. One of the most striking features is the Chess Garden with green and golden yew pieces in iron frames set in squares of white and black limestone chips. |
| Bateman’s |
This was Rudyard Kipling’s house from 1902 – 1936. The house was built in 1634 and many of the rooms remain as they were when Kipling wrote many of his best known works. There are formal gardens, a wild garden and a herb garden all of which owe much to Kipling’s influence. |
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| Dover Castle |
The special highlight is the recently opened network of secret tunnels which functioned as the nerve centre for the evacuation of Dunkirk. It is possible to experience the sights, sounds and smells of life underground. There is also much to see above ground including the Keep, battlements and Roman lighthouse. |
| Sissinghurst Garden |
This is a romantic garden which was created by Vera Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold Nicholson, with seasonal features throughout the year is thought to be among the best in the world. Certain colour schemes have been followed, such as the purple border, the orange and yellow cottage garden, and the white garden which is possibly the most beautiful at Sissinghurst. The rose garden contains many old fashioned roses as well as flowering shrubs such as Ceanothus Impressus, Hydrangea Villosa which together with Iris, Clematis and Pansies fill the area. It has had an enormous influence on garden design due to the structure of it’s separate ‘outdoor rooms’ |
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