My visit to Belmont House & Gardens: A Perfect Spring Day Out

There’s something rather special about discovering a historic house and garden that feels like a well-kept secret, even when it’s been sitting in the Kent countryside for centuries. Belmont House is one of those places – not quite as famous as other historic houses in Kent, but all the more charming for it. I visited on a lovely spring day, and I can tell you now, it’s the sort of place that makes you want to linger far longer than you’d planned.

I loved the fact that you can wander in the gardens at your own pace without too many people, that the café has amazing homemade food and that you can buy seasonal vegetables and fruit from the kitchen garden.

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What can you see at Belmont Gardens

The gardens at Belmont are beautifully organised without feeling overly formal – there’s a natural flow that takes you from one area to the next.

You’ll find the gardens divided into several distinct areas, each with its own character. The main garden sweeps away from the house in that classic English country house style, with generous lawns and mature trees that must have been standing for generations.

But my favourite part has to be the kitchen garden, where you can even buy produce when it’s in season. I picked up some beautiful forced rhubarb during my visit, and there were also root vegetables and herbs available. The kitchen garden has that wonderful productive feel to it – neat rows of vegetables, fruit trees against old brick walls, and the sense that everything here has a purpose.

There’s also a pinetum if you’re into specimen trees, and the Clock House Garden, which is more intimate and sheltered. You can tell that the gardens have been designed to work with the landscape rather than against it, and that makes for a really pleasant walking experience.

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The History of Belmont House

Belmont House was built between 1787 and 1793 for Colonel John Montresor, though the estate itself has much older origins. The house is late Georgian in style, and it’s a rather elegant example of the period, symmetrical and perfectly proportioned.

The Harris family acquired Belmont in the 1850s, and it’s been their family home ever since. That’s nearly 170 years of continuous occupation by the same family, which is actually quite remarkable!

What makes Belmont particularly interesting is the clock and art collection inside. The 4th Lord Harris was Viceroy of Bombay in the late 19th century, and he brought back an extraordinary collection of Indian art and artefacts. You’ll find Mughal paintings, clocks that belonged to Tipu Sultan, and all sorts of fascinating pieces that tell the story of Britain’s colonial past – for better or worse. The house also has a significant collection of religious artefacts from across different faiths, which is quite unusual.

The Harris family were also rather keen on cricket – the 4th Lord Harris was a keen cricketer and administrator who had a significant influence on the development of the modern game. You can see some of the cricketing memorabilia when you visit the house during the guided tour.

The house isn’t a museum, though. It’s still very much a family home and it’s lovely to see that.

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How Long to Allocate for Your Visit

I’d suggest giving yourself at least two hours to proper visit Belmont, though you could easily spend longer if you’re a keen gardener or history enthusiast.

The house tour takes around 45 minutes to an hour and the gardens can be walk around in 30-45 minutes (if you walk all the way to the far end of the property on both sides).

Practical Information for Visiting Belmont House and Gardens

Location and Getting There

Belmont House is about 5 miles from Faversham. The full address is Belmont Park, Throwley, Faversham, Kent ME13 0HH.

By Car:

From London and the M25, take the M2 eastbound towards Faversham. Come off at Junction 7 (signposted Brenley Corner) and follow the A2 towards Canterbury. After about a mile, turn right onto Staplestreet Road (there’s a brown tourist sign for Belmont House). Follow this road through Staplestreet village, and you’ll find the entrance to Belmont on your right after about 2 miles.

From Canterbury, take the A2 westbound and turn left onto Staplestreet Road. It’s quite well signposted once you’re in the area, which is always reassuring.

The postcode works perfectly well for sat nav, and there’s plenty of parking right by the house – no lengthy walks from a distant car park, which is rather civilised.

By Public Transport:

This is slightly more challenging, as Belmont isn’t right in town. The nearest train station is Faversham, which has regular services from London Victoria, St Pancras, and Canterbury. The journey from London takes about an hour.

From Faversham station, you’re looking at a taxi ride of about 10-15 minutes to reach Belmont. There aren’t really any buses that go past the house, so a taxi is your best bet if you’re coming by train. You could also combine it with a visit to Faversham itself, which is a lovely market town worth exploring.

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Opening Times

Belmont opens from April through September. The gardens are open Thursday – Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, from 10 am to 5pm (last entry at 4 pm).

The house is open on Thursday, Friday & Sunday and guided tours are at 11 am. Between 1 pm – 3.30 pm you are welcome to visit the house without the tour (self-guided/free flow visit).

I’d really recommend checking their website before you visit, as they sometimes have special event days or may close for private functions. The Harris family still live there, remember, so opening times are necessarily limited. It’s worth planning ahead rather than just turning up.

Parking

There’s a good-sized car park right at the house, and parking is free for visitors.

Admission Prices

Gardens only – Adults £10, with concessions for children (12-16 years) £4, under 12 free

Garden & Guided Tour – Adults £16, children £8

Garden & Self-Guided Visit – Adult £12, children £6

Belmont is a private house (so not National Trust or English Heritage), but if you are a Historic Houses Member your entrance is free.

Facilities – Cafe

I need to give special mention to the café at Belmont because it genuinely exceeded my expectations. It’s housed in what I think was the old clock tower (as part of the estate buildings) and it has that lovely rustic feel to it.

We had a long drive to get to Belmont, so I appreciated the homemade sausage rolls and hot coffee we had before we started to explore the gardens.

There were other tempting options too – scones with jam and cream, various traybakes, and some lovely looking cakes. The prices were very fair, and the portions were generous.

Making It a Perfect Day Out: What Else Is Nearby

One of the great things about Belmont is that it sits in an area with quite a lot to offer, so you can easily make it into a full day out.

Faversham itself is worth spending time in. It’s a proper historic market town with a lovely medieval centre, independent shops, the Gunpowder Mills, and some excellent pubs. The creek area is particularly nice for a wander, and there are some good places to eat if you’re planning lunch before or after Belmont. The market on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays is also worth catching if you’re there on the right day.

Brogdale Farm, home to the National Fruit Collection, is just outside Faversham and has over 4,000 varieties of fruit trees. If you’re interested in horticulture or just fancy seeing some unusual apple varieties, it’s an interesting stop. They have a shop selling fruit-based products too.

Oare Marshes Nature Reserve (one of my favourite nature reserves in Kent) is about 15 minutes from Belmont and is absolutely wonderful for birdwatching. It’s an RSPB reserve with excellent hides and a good variety of wading birds and waterfowl. Even if you’re not a serious birder, it’s a peaceful place for a walk with big skies and that distinctive Kent marshland landscape.

If you’re interested in more historic houses, Mount Ephraim Gardens near Faversham are lovely – particularly in spring and early summer. And Doddington Place Gardens has a wonderful Edwardian garden and woodland area.

You could also explore some of the Kent villages in the area – Chilham is particularly picturesque with its medieval square and castle, and it’s only about 15 minutes from Belmont.

This blog post was originally published on 11 March 2026 and last updated on 11 March 2026