16 most beautiful gardens in Kent (a local’s guide)

Kent is often nicknamed as “The Garden of England” which originally was to do more with fruit orchards, cherry trees and vineyards, but I think it’s still a perfect name. Kent is absolutely packed with wonderful gardens that come in all shapes and sizes! From grand castle gardens with their perfect flowerbeds to wild woodland gardens with pretty bluebells, I’ve been lucky enough to visit all of them over the years.

I like that these gardens are not just for horticultural experts, but are welcoming and friendly to all visitors, including families. Many gardens, such as the Riverhill Himalayan Gardens or the Penshurst Gardens have a large playgrounds for children and most gardens have special events on for children, such as Easter Egg Hunts.

Most gardens usually open for the season in April and stay open until late autumn, with only few gardens, such as the Scotney Castle staying open during the winter season.

Over the years, I’ve visited all the gardens on my list and it’s really difficult to pick the best ones, as all of them are beautiful in their own right.

I want to share my experience, practical visiting tips, and why I think Kent should be at the top of every garden lover’s list.

One of my most favourite gardens are Sissinghust Castle Gardens because they have beautifully organised areas into different garden ‘rooms’. I always visit Emmetts Gardens in the spring because they have a wonderful bluebell display and spring flowers in full bloom. Recently I’ve been surprised by the large gardens and park at Godington House and Gardens and it’s definitely the biggest delphinium flowers display I’ve ever seen.

I’m also very fond of Hever Castle, because the autumnal display is just so colourful and there are so many hidden parts of the gardens to explore.

There are also places that have beautiful gardens as well as houses, palaces or castles, such as Down House, Ightham Mote, Red House in Bexleyheath, Walmer Castle or Leeds Castle, so the list of the best gardens in Kent could get quite long!

My local tip

If you’d like to see more than two or three gardens, it might be worth joining the National Trust or getting the Historic Houses membership and possibly the English Heritage. This year I got the Historic Houses membership and by visiting only four places the membership pretty much paid for itself.

So, in case you are wondering, whether the memberships are worth it or not, here are the gardens managed by the various trusts in Kent (plus there are of course some that are completely private). Some gardens also accept Gardener’s World 2 for 1 cards or RHS card, so it’s always worth asking at the ticket office before you purchase your ticket.

National Trust

• Sissinghurst Castle Garden
• Chartwell
• Emmetts Garden
• Scotney Castle
• Ightham Mote
• Quebec House

Historic Houses

• Belmont House and Gardens
• Goodnestone Park Gardens
• Godinton House and Gardens
• Hole Park Gardens
• Hever Castle & Gardens
• Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden
• Penshurst Place & Gardens
• Mount Ephraim Gardens
• Riverhill Himalayan Gardens
• Falconhurst Gardens

English Heritage

• Walmer Castle
• Down House

1. Sissinghurst Castle Gardens

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens are one of Kent’s most famous gardens and one of my favourite ones. The garden is a combination of Vita Sackville West’s romantic garden style and Harold Nicolson’s more ordered classical garden style.

The main castle tower (which is practically what remains from the actual castle) is surrounded by rose gardens, several cottage gardens, the beautiful white garden, and orchards with wild grass and spring flowers.

• Location: Biddenden Road, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2AB
• Opening Times: Open daily, 11:00 am – 5:30 pm (last entry 45 minutes before closing)
• Tickets: Adults: £18.00, Children: £9.00

2. Godinton House & Gardens

Godinton House is one of the oldest estates in Kent and covers over 900 acres including historic parklands dotted with majestic oak and chestnut trees.

The gardens have evolved over the centuries with the current layout mostly reflecting Sir Reginald Blomfield’s formal 1898 vision. Terraced lawns lined by towering yew hedges and sculpted boxwood now blend with softer and colourful herbaceous borders and ornamental trees added over the last century.

The gardens are spread over 12 acres and include an ornate Italian Garden, a wild garden, Lily Pond, Rose Garden, and Walled Garden. I particularly liked the delphinium displays, the colours were just spectacular. It was also great to walked around the park and the gardens to see the hidden art sculptures, ponds and more traditional statues.

• Location: Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3BP
• Opening Times: Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm (last entry 5:00 pm), from March to October
• Tickets: Gardens: Adults £10.00, Children (5–16) £3.50, Under 5s free, House & Gardens: Adults £15.00, Children (5–16) £5.00

3. Emmetts Garden

Emmetts Garden is a 4.9 acre estate garden laid out from 1893-1895 by banker Frederic Lubbock in an Edwardian style. The gardens include woodland gardens, floral displays, a rock garden, ornamental hedges, and exceptional views over the Weald of Kent.

There are plenty of different types of plants here and they also include magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and rare trees like the Handkerchief Tree.

I visit Emmetts Garden few times a year, and I particularly like the spring flower display with bluebells. There is a lovely tearoom with a great views and you can follow the walks from the garden into the woodlands.

• Location: Ide Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6BA
• Opening Times: Open daily, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (last entry 4:30 pm)
• Tickets: Adults: £13.00, Children: £6.50

4. Hever Castle & Gardens

The historic Hever Castle is the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and one of the most visited castles in Kent. But the gardens are as big attraction as the castle itself. They are divided into different rooms, including the beautiful Italian Gardens with William Waldorf Astor’s collection of Italian sculptures and the famous Guthrie Pavilion, which overlooks the large lake.

The rose garden has impressive 4,000 rose bushes and it’s amazing to see during the early summer, when the roses are starting to flower. Parts of the gardens also reflect the castle’s Tudor heritage, with clipped yews, box hedges, and traditional herbaceous borders, alongside plants that would have been grown in Tudor times.

• Location: Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7NG
• Opening Times: Daily from 10:30 am – 4 or 6 pm depending on the season
• Tickets: Gardens only: Adults from £19.85, Children (5–17) from £11.35, Castle & Gardens: Adults from £24.80, Children (5–17) from £14.45, Under 5s free

5. The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle

The Lullingstone Castle and the World Garden is a very different type of garden than the rest on my list. It’s a modern garden designed by Tom Hart Dyke in the shape of a world map with indigenous plants in each continent.

It’s a great way to find out where 80% plants that we grown now in England are originally from. I liked that each plant was labelled, because there were so many I didn’t know. There are also large greenhouses with tropical plants, including orchids.

• Location: Lullingstone Park, Eynsford, Kent, DA4 0JA
• Opening Times: Open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays from 2nd April to end of September, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Tickets: Adults: £11.00, Children (5–15): £5.50, Under 5s: Free ,Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £28.00

6. Penshurst Place Gardens

Penshurst Place has been the home of the Sidney family since 1552, which makes it one of the oldest family-owned estates in England. It’s also here, where the king King Henry VIII spend time when he was courting Anne Boleyn who lived in nearby Hever Castle.

At Penshurst Place you can explore 11 acres of beautiful Elizabethan walled gardens which change with the seasons. The gardens are divided into a series of “rooms” by over a mile of yew hedges and each garden has it’s own style.

I lovely surprise is the Union Flag Garden with a little platform, so that you can see the red, white, and blue flowers.

Last time I visited it was in the spring, so I’ve seen the early spring plants with tulips and dafodils and the magnolia garden flowering. The gardeners were just planting the long borders in what used to be the main entrance and I can’t wait to go back to see the peony border.

The apple orchard is also pretty and has lots of heritage apple varieties. Amongst the flowers and greenery, you can also admire classical sculptures, modern art, ponds and water fountains.

• Location: Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8DG
• Opening Times: Gardens: Open daily from 10:30 am – 6:00 pm (last entry 5:00 pm), from mid-February to end of October, House: Open daily from 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm (last entry 3:00 pm), from late March to end of October, Winter opening (gardens only): Weekends in November and December, 10:30 am – 4:00 pm
• Tickets: Gardens & Grounds: Adults £13.00, Children (5–15) £7.50, Under 5s free, House, Gardens & Grounds: Adults £16.00, Children (5–15) £8.50

7. Riverhill Himalayan Gardens

The gardens were first established in the 1840s by the Rogers family who still live on the Riverhill estate today.

The 12 acre gardens have woodlands, meadows, formal gardens with modern sculptures and vegetable garden. I’ve visited Riverhill Himalayan Gardens many times and my favourite part is the spring bluebell walk to the top where you get beautiful views across the Kent countryside.

There is also a lovely hidden rock and water garden with lots of ferns. Don’t miss out the tree maze above the rock garden, wooden swing and another viewpoint from the side of the grass lawn in front of the house.

• Location: Riverhill, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0RR
• Opening Times: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30 am – 5:00 pm & Bank Holiday Mondays from March to November
• Tickets: Adults: £11.50, Children (4–16): £5.50, Under 4s: Free, Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £30.00

8. Mount Ephraim Gardens

The beautiful Mount Ephraim Gardens are over 10 acres and has been owned by the Dawes family since 1876. The gardens have many rare plants which were planted in the early 20th century. The gardens have impressive topiary, herbaceous borders, and interesting trees and shrubs.

I love how the walk around the gardens guide you through different areas like the Japaneese garden and takes you back up to the main house with the tearoom and beautiful rose garden.

• Location: Staplestreet Road, Hernhill, Faversham, Kent, ME13 9TX
• Opening Times: Wednesdays to Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, from early April to end of September
• Tickets: Adults: £9.50, Children (4–16): £4.50, Under 4s: Free, Family ticket (2 adults + 3 children): £25.00

9. Great Comp Garden

The historic Great Comp Garden have been designed and planted in the 1950s by Roderick and Joy Cameron and is now owned by a Great Comp Garden Charity Trust. The gardens have a great collection of more than 200 varieties of salvias and unusual perennials, which you can also buy in the specialist nursery plant at the entrance to the garden.

The gardens surround a 17th century manor house and have sweeping lawns, herbaceous borders and trees. There is also a knot garden, rose garden, bog garden, and several folly structures.

• Location: Comp Lane, Platt, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 8QS
• Opening Times: Daily from 1st March to 31st October, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Tickets: Adults: £10.00, Disabled: £9.00, Children: £3.50

10. Doddington Place Gardens

Doddington Place has formal gardens, woodlands, and a walled garden spread across 50 acres of grounds surrounding a Victorian mansion. The gardens contain rare trees, shrubs, and plants.

There is a woodland garden, spectacular in spring with colourful displays of rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as a large Edwardian rock garden with pools, a formal sunk garden with herbaceous borders, and a flint and brick folly.

The gardens also have mature trees, topiary hedges, roses, and a variety of annuals and perennials, which makes it a perfect garden to visit any time of the year.

• Location: Doddington, near Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 0BB
• Opening Times: Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter Day until the end of September, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Ticket Prices: Adults: £10.00, Children (age 4–16): £3.00, Under 4s: Free

11. Chartwell

Whilst most people visit Chartwell because it was the home of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill, the gardens are actually worth the visit on their own.

The most famous part of the garden is the Lady Churchill’s Rose Garden, which was gifted to Sir Winston and Lady Churchill by their children on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary. The garden has 32 types of yellow and gold roses along The Golden Rose Walk which are absolutely amazing, when they are in bloom.

Churchill himself designed much of the estate’s layout and even built one of the garden walls. I also like the kitchen garden part with vegetable patch, herbs and rhubarb.

• Location: Mapleton Road, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1PS
• Opening Times: March to October: House open Wednesday – Sunday 11:00am – 5:00pm (last entry 3:40pm), Gardens & Studio open daily 10:00am – 5:00pm, November to February: House closed, Gardens open Wednesday – Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm
• Ticket Prices: Adult – £16.50, Child (5-16) – £8.25, Concession – £14.90, Family (2 adults + 3 children) – £41.25

12. Scotney Castle Gardens

I like that there are two types of gardens in Scotney. One, that most people overlook, as they walk straight to the house, the castle and the beautiful a 770-acre wooded and parkland estate.

The walled garden is above the car park and it’s been slowly re-planted as it would have been with practical garden plants, fruit trees, vegetables and cutting flowers. The sunken garden is also interesting to walk through as it’s created from different rocks and planted with shrubs and dry loving plants.

The views towards the 14th-century moated castle, and lakes is very pretty and I’d definitely recommend to walk around the lake to get the best views of the old castle.

Scotney Castle Gardens are also one of the few places open in the winter and in recent years the National Trust started to put on light displays in the garden after dark, which makes the gardens even more magical.

• Location: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 8JN
• Opening Times: March – October: Garden & Estate open daily 10:00am – 5:00pm (last entry 4pm), House open Sat-Wed 11:00am – 5:00pm, November – February: Garden, Estate & Old Castle open daily 10:00am – 4:00pm (House closed)
• Ticket Prices: Adult – £15, Child (5-16) – £7.50, Concession – £13.50, Family (2 adults + 3 children) – £37.50

FIND OUT MORE:

• Scotney Castle & Gardens History and Visiting Guide >>

13. Hole Park

Hole Park Gardens very popular especially in the spring, when the bluebell woods are full of colour. You can also see other spring bulbs flowering such as crocuses, narcissi, and daffodils.

The gardens have an impressive magnolias, camellias, wisteria, and a dedicated ‘Camellia Walk’ lined with shade-loving plants. As the season progresses, you’ll also find wild orchids, scillas, primroses, azaleas, and rhododendrons in bloom.

• Location: Benenden Road, Rolvenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 4JA
• Opening Times: daily from 11am to 6pm, 1st April to 30th June, Wednesdays and Thursdays from July to October & Sundays in October
• Tickets: Adults: £12.50, Children: £2.50

14. Goodnestone

Goodnestone Park and Gardens are often mentioned as being one of the loveliest and most tranquil gardens in the county, with over 300 years of history tied to the Fitz Walter family.

There are different parts of the garden, including formal terraces, a walled garden filled with scented roses, wisteria, clematis, and jasmine, as well as enchanting woodland walks and sweeping parkland.

The gardens are beautifully maintained with plenty of seasonal interest throughout the year, from pretty spring bulbs to lush summer borders and colourful autumn foliage.

You can also see the historic house (normally closed to public) where Jane Austen often stayed as her brother married into the family. There is also a charming café with indoor and outdoor seating, so you can really feel like you are in one of Jane Austen’s books.

• Location: Goodnestone, Near Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1PL
• Opening Times: daily, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (last admission 4:00 pm)
• Tickets: Adults: £10.00, Children: £4.50

15. Belmont House & Gardens

Belmont is a stunning example of Georgian house surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens. The gardens have different areas, including formal terraces, a walled garden, a pinetum, and a charming kitchen garden.

The gardens are planted, so that you can enjoy flowers throughout the year—spring brings displays of daffodils, magnolias, and camellias, while summer is filled with colourful herbaceous borders, roses, and wildflower meadows.

There are also pretty woodland walks, water features, and tranquil seating areas throughout. There are also rare and exotic trees, as well as the Victorian shell grotto and the glass orangery.

Belmont House (guided tours only) has the largest private collection of clocks in England.

• Location: Belmont Park, Throwley, Faversham, Kent, ME13 0HH
• Opening Times: gardens April – October, Thursday – Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (or dusk if earlier)
• House: House open from April to September, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays
• Tickets: Gardens: Adults £10.00, Children (4–16) £4.00, Under 4s free, House & Gardens: Adults £12-16.00, Children (4–16) £6-8.00 (depends if you do a guided tour at 11 am or self-guided visit from 1 pm)

16. Falkonhurst Gardens

Falconhurst Gardens are part of the Falconhurst Estate, which have been lovingly looked after by the Talbot family for several generations. The gardens are surrounded by an organic farm, so when you visit you can also pick up fresh produce from the farm shop on site.

The gardens have a mix of formal and informal areas, including attractive garden rooms, borders, and lawns. There are amazing views across the wider estate, which includes parkland and grazing livestock.

• Location: Falconhurst Estate, Mark Beech, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5NR
• Opening Times: Monday–Friday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Saturday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Tickets: Adults £8 for adults, Children: free. Season tickets: Adults £25 or family (for two adults and up to three children) £50

This blog post was originally published on 23 April 2025 and last updated on 23 April 2025