Great Comp Garden: Discover Beautiful Gardens with Extensive Salvia Plants Collection
Great Comp Garden is definitely one of Kent’s hidden gems – a beautiful and peaceful garden around an old farm house with one of the best salvia plants collections in the whole England. You can stroll along winding paths through woodland, explore the man made ruins or Italian style gardens. The salvia plants are fabulous especially in the late summer.
I’ve recently visited the gardens with my mum and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the garden at a relaxed pace, and stopping off at the charming tearooms for a coffee.
My favourite things about Great Comp Garden
I really liked how quiet the garden was and how despite being on a perhaps smaller size, every bit of the garden is being used and planted with different types of plants.
I was happy to walk around parts of the garden several times, as we always found a different paths that took us to see the garden from a different angle. There are plenty of benches to sit on at various parts of the garden, so that you can just enjoy the views and don’t need to rush your visit.
We stopped at the tearooms twice, once when we arrived for a coffee and then half-way through visiting the garden we also had an ice-cream from a local ice-cream company.
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History of Great Comp Garden
Great Comp Garden was founded by Roderick and Joyce Cameron. They moved to the 17th-century manor house in 1957, which had been Grade II* listed since 1952. Their vision was to transform the grounds into a plantsman’s paradise, and over the years, they developed seven acres of gardens filled with rare and beautiful plants, Italian Gardens, romantic ruins and woodland walks.
The house itself was originally a farmhouse, and the stables have since been converted into the Old Dairy Tearooms.
One of the most famous owner of Great Comp House was Mrs. Frances J. Heron Maxwell. She lived in the house for more than 50 years in the early 20th century. Mrs. Heron Maxwell has done a lot for promoting women’s cricket and she was also a leader in the Women’s Institute. During both World Wars, she also played a significant role as the head of the West Kent Women’s War Agricultural Committee and made Great Comp a headquarters for the Women’s Land Army in Kent.
The main house is currently being under reconstruction and once refurbished the plans are to open up part of the house with information about the garden and house history.
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What to see inside the gardens
Great Comp Garden is one of the smaller Kent’s gardens, but every area has been carefully planned and then planted with different plants. The gardens have sweeping lawns, winding woodland paths, bamboo forest, formal areas, an Italian Garden, several romantic ruins, and enchanting woodland walks.
As you walk around you can see a wide variety of rare and exotic shrubs and perennial plants throughout the year. Early in the season, you can see the hellebores, followed by magnolias, rhododendrons, and azaleas, which fill the woodland areas with vibrant colour in late spring.
Later in the year, salvias, lilies, hostas, and many other unusual perennials and shrubs come into their own, so there is always something flowering as you go through the summer into autumn.
Great Comp Garden is probably best known for the extensive collection of salvia plants. The garden is considered one of the UK’s top destinations for salvia enthusiasts, largely thanks to the expertise and passion of William Dyson, the garden’s curator and owner of Dyson’s Nurseries, a specialist salvia nursery based at Great Comp. The garden also has a large number of rosemary varieties as recently it was found that they are related to salvias. So much so, that since 2017 rosemary has been re-clasified as salvia.
There are over 200 different varieties of salvias. Their flowering season peaks in late summer and autumn, when their vivid blues, purples, pinks, and reds create a spectacular show throughout the borders and themed areas of the garden.
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Practical Information for visiting Great Comp Garden
Address: Comp Lane, Platt, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 8QS,
Tickets
- Adults: £10.00
- Children (6-17): £5.00
- Children under 6: Free
- Family ticket (2 adults + up to 3 children): £25.00
Great Comp Garden participates in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Partner Gardens scheme. RHS members can gain free entry to Great Comp Garden on selected days of the week (usually a specific day such as a Tuesday, but this can vary each year). The garden is run by a charitable trust and there is no other arrangement with other societies (such as the Historic Houses, National Trust or English Heritage).
The annual membership for Great Comp Garden is £30 per person, which is a great value, especially if you live close by and can visit more than 3 times a year. This pass allows unlimited entry to the gardens for one year from the date of purchase and includes admission to some garden event days.
Parking
There is plenty of free parking in front of the house.
Opening Times
Great Comp Garden is typically open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm during the main visiting season, which usually runs from March to October. The last entry is at 4:30 pm.
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How long to allocate for your visit
If you want to visit the garden quickly, you can possibly walk around in about 45 minutes (the house is not accessible to general public). But, if you want to visit the tearooms and re-visit some parts of the gardens, you should allocate at least 2 hrs for your visit.
This will give you enough time to explore the seven acres of gardens at a relaxed pace, enjoy the various themed areas and plant collections, and perhaps stop for refreshments at the Old Dairy Tearooms. If you are a keen gardener or plant enthusiast, you might want to allow extra time to look around the plant nursery and buy a salvia plant to take home with you.
Facilities
There is lovely tearoom (Old Dairy Tearoom) within the grounds of the house and the garden, but it’s not accessible without paying the entrance ticket. Toilets are also inside the grounds, at the back of the tearooms.
How to get to Great Comp Garden
By Public Transport:
- From London:
Take a Southeastern train from London Victoria to Borough Green & Wrotham station. The journey takes about 40–50 minutes. From the station, Great Comp Garden is about 2 miles away. You can walk (about 40 minutes), take a local taxi, or use a bus towards Platt or Comp Lane (check local bus schedules as services are limited). - From elsewhere in Kent:
Use local rail services to connect to Borough Green & Wrotham station. From there, follow the same directions as above. Alternatively, check local buses to Borough Green or Platt, then walk or take a taxi.
By Car:
- From London:
Take the M20 motorway and exit at Junction 2, then follow the A25 towards Borough Green. Turn onto Comp Lane and follow signs to Great Comp Garden (postcode: TN15 8QS). - From Kent:
Use the A25 or A20 to reach Borough Green, then follow Comp Lane to the gardens. There is free parking available on site.
What can you see nearby
- Ightham Mote
A stunning medieval moated manor house managed by the National Trust, just under 3 miles from Great Comp. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and woodland walks and has very popular cafe. - Old Soar Manor
A small but fascinating English Heritage property, Old Soar Manor is a 13th-century stone manor house located about 2 miles away. - Platt Woods
This local woodland area is ideal for walking, birdwatching, and enjoying the Kent countryside. It’s very close to Great Comp Garden and perfect for a peaceful stroll. - Borough Green Village
A charming Kent village about 2 miles away, Borough Green has local pubs, cafes, and small shops—ideal for a bite to eat or a leisurely wander. - Wrotham Village
Just over a mile away, Wrotham is a historic village with picturesque streets, traditional pubs, and the ancient St. George’s Church. - Yotes Court Vineyard is about 2 miles from Great Comp Garden. It’s a beautiful 75-acre vineyard, which is partly set on a hill, so you get an amazing views from the Cellar Door seating area. Yotes Court is one of the newer vineyards in Kent, where you can take a vineyard tour, taste the wine or purchase wines directly from the vineyard shop.
This blog post was originally published on 20 July 2025 and last updated on 20 July 2025
