15 Houses & Gardens in Kent you can visit with the Historic Houses membership

The Historic Houses Association (or just Historic Houses) is a not-for-profit organization in the UK that represents independently owned historic country houses, castles, and gardens. It was founded in 1973 to support private owners of historic properties and advocate for their interests.

The association now represents over 1,650 historic houses, gardens, and castles across the UK and around 300 of them are open to the public for visits and events. Membership offers benefits such as free entry to participating properties and supports the preservation of the UK’s heritage sites.

I’ve recently joined as a member, because I realised that there are quite a few properties in Kent I can visit and it made sense to get a membership.

In case you are wondering, like I was when I was finding out more about the Historic Houses, the association is supporting privately owned properties, which is different to National Trust and English Heritage who own and manage heritage sites for public benefit.

What I really like about the Historic Houses membership

After being an on and off National Trust and English Heritage member for more than 27 years, it’s actually really lovely to visit somewhere where they do things their own way. There is no corporate signage, uniforms, name badges and it’s a delight to visit the onsite shop and cafes, because you never know what treats you are going to find.

I have now visited all the 15 Historic Houses properties in Kent, well apart from Chevening House, but that one is hardly ever open to public and I’ve really enjoyed my visits. I usually go midweek, so I know my experience is probably a bit different if you visit at the weekend, but I found all the places without too many crowds.

I’ve also noticed, that a lot of places are gardens with houses usually closed to public or open on few occasions during the year. I really like gardens, so I don’t mind and often just walking in gardens around a beautiful mansion is good enough for me, but I know some people might prefer to visit places where you can visit both the house and the gardens.

Membership Cost & Individual Properties Ticket Cost

Historic Houses membership for individuals is £68 per year for a single adult and £113 per year for a joint membership (two adults living at the same address). There are also options for family memberships and life memberships at different rates.

When I looked at the entrance costs for the Kent Historic Houses properties covered by the membership I easily worked out that I need to visit only about 5 places to pay about the same amount of money. Most properties are around £10 -12, but large ones like Hever or Penshurst Place are around £15-20, so it all ads up quite quickly.

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.

My local tip: To get your Historic Houses membership free entry you need to visit during the week and not during school holidays, bank holidays or event days (when normal ticket prices apply). There is so much to see, that you really need a full day to visit if you want to walk around the lake, gardens and visit the castle, shop and tearooms.

• Location: Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7NG
• Opening Times: Daily from 10:30 am – 4 or 6 pm depending on the season
• What can you see: Castle, Gardens, Army Museum
• Facilities: Cafe, Restaurant, Food Carts, Children’s Playground, Maze, Swimming in the lake

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.

My local tip: The cakes in the tearooms are absolutely divine and the homemade sausage roll was honestly the best one I’ve eaten! There is a lot’s to see and do at Penshurst Place, but if you have any spare time, the village is very pretty too and the long distance Eden Valley Walk runs by the garden’s boundaries.

• 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
• What can you see: Castle, Gardens
• Facilities: Cafe, Children’s playground

Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden

The Lullingstone Castle and the World Garden is a very different type of garden you normally see in a stately home. 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.

My Local Tip: Don’t miss the walk along the river Darent at the far end of the property. The long distance path Darent Valley Path runs nearby, but you can’t always get so close to the actual river. But here, you can and it’s so beautiful!

• 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
• What can you see: Gardens, Church, Castle (Bank Holidays Only)
• Facilities: Cafe

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
• What can you see: Gardens, House (Guided Tours Only)
• Facilities: Cafe at the ticket office & Restaurant/cafe in the house

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
• What can you see: Gardens (House is private & not open to public)
• Facilities: Cafe, Woodland playground for children

Belmont House

Belmont House and Gardens is a lovely example of Georgian architecture built between 1769 and 1793 and designed by the renowned architect Samuel Wyatt.

The house is surrounded by ornamental gardens, a walled garden, a pinetum, parkland and also has a large walled kitchen garden with Victorian greenhouses which have been recently carefully restored.

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.

Local tip: The tearoom has absolutely amazing homemade sausage rolls and cakes and if you get the chance to visit the house, you will see the the largest private collection of clocks in England!

• Location: Belmont Park, Throwley, Faversham, Kent, ME13 0HH
• Opening Times: Gardens: Open daily, 10:00am – 6:00pm, House open by guided tour only, on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April through September.
• Tea Room: Open on house open days (Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, April–September).
• What can you see: Gardens, Castle (Guided tours only)
• Facilities: Cafe, toilets

Chiddingstone Castle

Chiddingstone Castle history goes back to the early 16th century. The house was built by the Streatfeild family and it started as a Tudor manor house. The current romantic castle rebuild was done in the early 19th century by architect William Atkinson.

In the 20th century Chiddingstone Castle was bought by Denys Eyre Bower, an eccentric collector whose extensive collections of Japanese, Egyptian, Buddhist, and Stuart/Jacobite artefacts are still displayed in the castle today.

• Location: Hill Hoath Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7AD
• Opening Times: 1st March to 31st October, Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00am – 5:00pm (last entry 4:15pm)
• What can you see: House (Museum), gardens and woodland
• Facilities: Shop, Tearooms

Mount Ephraim Gardens

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
• What can you see: Gardens (House is private & not open to public)
• Facilities: Tearoom

The Powell – Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens

Quex House was first built in 1808 and later extended by the Powell-Cotton family. The gardens around the house include large pond, woodland and greenhouse areas.

Major Percy Powell-Cotton started the museum in 1896 after traveling to Africa and Asia and collecting lots of interesting things, like animal specimens and objects from different cultures. He made some of the first and best animal displays, called dioramas, where animals are set up to look like they’re in their natural homes.

• Location: Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House & Gardens, Quex Park, Birchington, Kent, CT7 0BH
• Opening Times: Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm, Closed Monday and Tuesday (except for Bank Holidays and special events)
• What can you see: Historic House (Guided Tours), Museum, Gardens
• Facilities: Shop (tearoom is not part of the house, but directly opposite the entrance)

Doddington Place & Gardens

Doddington Place is a Victorian mansion surrounded by ten acres of landscaped gardens. The house was built in the 1870s for Sir John Croft, a member of a prominent brewing family. Over the 20th century, the Oldfield family continued to develop and maintain the estate and today, you can visit the formal gardens, woodlands, and a walled garden.

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
• What can you see: Garden & Woodland (house is private & closed to public)
• Facilities: Tearoom

Goodnestone Park Gardens

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 lovely summer borders and colourful autumn foliage.

You can also see the historic house (closed to public) where Jane Austen often visited as her brother married into the family.

My Local Tip: The tearooms are open to all (no need for ticket) and have amazing homemade food, cakes and afternoon tea (needs to be pre-booked). You can go for a walk on the estate (free) and see the cattle grazing and walk through woodland, meadows and the village like Jane Austen would have done when she was visiting her brother.

• Location: Goodnestone, Near Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1PL
• Opening Times: daily, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (last admission 4:00 pm)
• What you can see: Gardens (house is private & closed to public)
• Facilities: tearoom

Falconhurst Gardens

Falconhurst estate was established in the mid-19th century, with the main house built in 1852 by George Henry Drummond, a member of a prominent banking family. The Drummond family’s vision was to create a country retreat that combined the beauty of the English countryside with the practicalities of a working estate.

Over the generations, Falconhurst has remained in private hands, mainly with the Talbot family, who have cared for the estate and its gardens for more than 170 years.

The gardens have evolved into a harmonious blend of formal borders, wildflower meadows, and productive kitchen gardens, all set against the backdrop of rolling parkland.

My Local Tip: The farm shop is stocked with local food produce including wine from local Kent vineyards and there are regular pop up dinner evenings held in the barn.

• Location: Cowden Pound Road, Mark Beech, Kent, TN8 5NR
• Opening Times: Monday to Friday: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Saturday: 9:00am – 3:00pm
• What you can see: Gardens (house is private & closed to public)
• Facilities: farm shop with local produce & take out coffee & tea – seating in a barn next door

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.

The house itself is not open to public, but the gardens are around it so you’ll be able to see it from most angles.

My local tip: Last time I visited it was on an slightly rainy day in summer, but it was one of the most magical garden visits ever. I really enjoyed walking around the gardens and then having homemade cake and coffee in the tearooms, whilst listening to the rain outside.

• 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
• What can you see: Gardens & Woodland (house is private and closed to public)
• Facilities: Tearooms (with a small gift counter with souvenirs and local jams and other produce)

Restoration House

Restoration House is a Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion, that was built in the late 16th century by merging two medieval buildings. It became famous for hosting King Charles II on the eve of his restoration to the throne in May 1660, which gave the house its unusual name.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, it had unfortunately fallen into decline, but its literary associations – most famously as the inspiration for Miss Havisham’s Satis House in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations -made the house famous again. The house was carefully restored in recent decades and the garden extended by absorbing another plot including recently discovered tudor wall.

My Local Tip: Don’t rush, stay a while and enjoy every part of this amazing hidden gem. The garden has lots of lovely separate areas to explore and you can take your tray from tearooms and sit anywhere in the garden (there are seating areas in various parts of the garden). The house itself is so different from any other houses I’ve seen recently – the colours, decor and the history!

• Location: 17–19 Crow Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1RF
• Opening Times: June – September: Thursday – Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
• What can you see: Gardens, House
• Facilities: Tearooms, toilets

Chevening House

Chevening House is a grand country house, which was built between 1617 and 1630 by possibly architect Inigo Jones although his attribution is often debated. The house was built for Richard Lennard, 13th Lord Dacre and later owned by the Stanhope family, who held it for much of the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the 20th century, Chevening House was bequeathed to the nation by the 7th Earl Stanhope, with the stipulation that it be used as a residence for a senior Cabinet minister or a person nominated by the Prime Minister. This is why even today it’s being used as the official country residence for the UK’s Foreign Secretary.

• Location: Chevening, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6HG
• Opening Times: Chevening House is not generally open to the public. As a government residence, public access is extremely limited and typically only possible through occasional pre-arranged charity or group visits, which are rare. The gardens may sometimes be open for special events such as the National Garden Scheme (NGS) open days, but these are infrequent and must be booked in advance.

This blog post was originally published on 14 September 2025 and last updated on 14 September 2025