What's New?

In 2018, we upgraded our playground with the addition of a 30 metre zipline swing, and a medieval style fort - perfect for playing Kings and Queens in! We'll be adding to the fort over the coming years to create an all-round medieval stately home experience!
A short walk from the playground lies our Woodland Trail; over the winter season the gardeners were hard at work clearing pathways, creating new places to explore, and adding a new route through the woodland. Dotted along the way you'll find natural play equipment, quiet areas, seating, and of course, our brilliant den making area!

This year, we'll be working on exciting plans to extend the Kiosk at the Porcupine Pantry, meaning we'll soon be able to offer a much larger menu variety for our visitors.

Visitors to the gardens this year will notice the progress we've made with our ongoing restoration of Horse Pond which sits adjacent to the Adventure Playground - now surrounded by Daffodil bulbs, the pond will look absolutely wonderful in the Spring. 

Within the walled gardens, we've replanted nearly 500 red roses in the Flag Garden and will see them bloom for the very first time this summer. The George Carter Beds are now in their first established year, and will be opened officially in the early summer. 

Those who venture off to the Woodland trail will be able to enjoy further walls of dead hedging and the wonderful nature they attract, in addition to the new pathways and cleared spaces. 

What should I see when I visit?

Whether you're flying by for a quick visit, or have the whole day, you'll still be able to enjoy Penshurst Place & Gardens!

2 hours or fewer: if you've only really got up to around two hours, you should make the house and formal gardens your priority! Dating from 1341, the medieval hall of the house is unlike that of anywhere else and needs to be seen to be believed! With 11 acres of formal gardens to get through too, you'd be better off saving the further estate until your next visit.

2 - 3 hours: if you've got a little longer to spend with us, why not enjoy a relaxing lunch along with your visit to the house and gardens? We've two on-site eateries plus plenty of space for picnics! if you've already eaten, we'd suggest filling the extra time with a trip to the playground, or the craft barn if you visit during one of our event weeks!

3 hours - the whole day: if time is no object then we would whole-heartedly recommend a long visit to the Woodland Trail as an addition to the house, gardens and playground. The trail has just been regenerated and now features an amazing den building centre for kids to get stuck into! If you visit during the school summer holidays, you'll also be able to visit our Maize Maze which is a fantastic challenge for all ages!

What are the new seasonal highlights?

Written as of mid August 2019

Warmer temperatures now permeate the gardens, and with them, oceans of colour can now be seen and enjoyed throughout the gardens.

In the Italian Garden, borders full of lavender provide a beautiful scent as you wander through the pink roses of the hedge-lined boxes. The Jubilee Walk is showcasing a delight of hot to cold colours, with beds brimming with a variety of form, foliage and texture. Elsewhere, the Flag Garden beds have begun to fill out having been renovated in the winter to deal with the bed's rose sickness, and now host a collection of lavender and times roses. 

One of the most unmissable sights in the grounds at this time of the year, is the plethora of roses in bloom in the Rose Garden and beyond. With oranges, whites, pinks, and yellows all on show, rose season in the gardens is truly breathtaking.