- Heritage

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens is a World Heritage Site. It is a mixture of stunning vistas, magnificent glasshouses and beautiful landscapes beside the River Thames. This once Royal residence represents nearly 250 years of historical gardens and today its 300 acres are home to over 40,000 types of plants from rainforest to desert. There is…

Kew Palace, Historic Royal Palaces

Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. The most intimate of the five royal palaces, Kew was built as a private house but became a royal residence between 1728 and 1818. Both the palace and the nearby Queen Charlotte’s cottage, built in 1770, are most…

RHS Garden Wisley

A garden to enjoy all year round with something to see for everyone. Wisley provides the visitor with ideas and inspiration and the benefit of experience from experts. Mixed borders, fruit and vegetables, spring bulbs, rock garden, arboetum, model gardens and glasshouse. The Wisley Plant Centre with plants for sale, The Wisley Shop with…

Ramster Gardens

An idyllic, mature flowering shrub garden of 20 acres, with unusual and interesting plants. Spring colour changes from subtle daffodils and magnolias in April to the famous fiery display of rhododendrons, azaleas and bluebells in May, followed in…

Arundel Castle & Gardens

A thousand years of history is waiting to be discovered at Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Dating from the 11th century, the Castle is both ancient fortification and the family home of the Duke of Norfolk. Set high on a hill, this magnificent castle commands stunning views across the River Arun and out to sea. Climb the Keep, explore the battlements, wander in the grounds and recently restored Victorian gardens and relax in the garden of the 14th century Fitzalan Chapel. In the 17th century during the English Civil War the Castle suffered extensive damage. The process of structural restoration began in earnest in the 18th century and continued up until 1900. The Castle was one of the first private residences to have electricity and central heating and had its own fire engine. Inside the Castle over 20 sumptuously furnished rooms may be visited including the breathtaking Barons’ Hall with 16th century furniture; the Armoury with its fine collection of armour and weaponry, and the magnificent Gothic library entirely fitted out in carved Honduras mahogany. There are works of art by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Canaletto and Mytens; tapestries; clocks; and personal possessions of Mary Queen of Scots including the gold rosary that she carried to her execution. There are special event days throughout the season, including Europe’s largest Jousting and Medieval Tournament in July and a series of historical interpretation events such as Pirates & Smugglers, Life in a Medieval Castle, Castle Siege and Normans and Crusaders. Do not miss…

Charleston

Situated in the heart of the South Downs, Charleston was from 1916 the home of the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. Influenced by Post Impressionists such as Picasso and Cezanne, they took painting beyond the canvas, decorating walls, doors, furniture, ceramics and textiles, transforming the house itself into a work of art over the decades they spent here. Within the walled garden they created a summer haven overflowing with flowers and punctuated by sculptures, mosaics and ponds. Charleston was a country retreat for Bloomsbury, the group of artists, writers and intellectuals that included Virginia and Leonard Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E M Forster, Lytton Strachey, Roger Fry and Clive Bell. Today, Charleston contains the only complete example of the domestic decorative art of Bell and Grant anywhere in the world; alongside which hang their own easel paintings as well as works by the artists they knew and admired. The Charleston shop stocks a range of original ceramics, painted furniture, textiles, clothes and books relating to Charleston and to Bloomsbury. The Outer Studio cafe provides light refreshment and the Charleston Gallery shows a changing programme of exhibitions. The annual Charleston Festival is one of the UK’s most successful independent literary events. Every May it presents a series of talks and lectures with an international cast of writers, performers and artists. Charleston runs an exciting programme of events including walks, talks, discussions and workshops that use the collection as a catalyst for a wide range of…

Great Dixter House & Gardens

Great Dixter, built c1450, is the birthplace of the late Christopher Lloyd, gardening author. Its Great Hall is the largest medieval timberframed hall in the country, restored and enlarged for Christopher’s father (1910-12). The house was largely designed by the architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, who added a 16th century house (moved from elsewhere) and knitted the buildings together with service accommodation and bedrooms above. The house retains most of the collections of furniture and other items put together by the Lloyds early in the 20th century, with some notable modern additions by Christopher. The gardens feature a variety of topiary, pools, wild meadow areas and the famous Long Border and Exotic Garden. They featured regularly in "Country Life" from 1963, when Christopher was asked to contribute a series of weekly articles as a practical gardener - he never missed an issue in 42 years. There is a specialist nursery on site which offers an array of unusual plants of the highest quality, many of which can be seen in the fabric of the gardens. Light refreshments are available in the gift shop as well as tools, books and gifts. The estate is 57 acres which includes ancient woodlands, meadows and ponds which have been consistently managed on a traditional basis. Coppicing the woodlands, for example, has provided pea sticks for plant supports and timber for fencing and repairs to the buildings. There is a Friends programme available throughout the year. Friends…

Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens

Leonardslee represents one of the largest and most spectacular woodland gardens in England, in a most magnificent setting, only a few miles from the M23. With over 200 acres (84 hectares), the valley is world famous for its spring display of azaleas and rhododendrons. Set alongside seven lakes, they provide superb views and magnificent reflections. The exceptional "Beyond the Dolls House" exhibition boasts 140 ft of display and is a fascinating covered exhibition of Victorian life in miniature. Including a complete market town, shopping emporium, with working lift, and a superb Town House, it is one of the world’s most detailed and fascinating models. Leonardslee has been developed over 200 years, and since 1889 maintained by the Loder family. The famous rhododendron loderi, raised by Sir Edmund, blossoms in mid-May and the original plants have grown into stunning trees. In Spring the fragrance of the rhododendrons and azaleas pervade the air throughout the valley. In early May the Rock Garden blossoms with a kaleidoscope of colour. Whilst the many plantings of Kalmias, Cornus and Hydrangeas bring colour to the valley over the summer months. Ducks, geese, and huge carp can be seen enjoying swimming around on or in the lakes. Wallabies, deer and other natural wildlife roam the parks. The wallabies have lived wild within the…

The Royal Pavilion

Universally acclaimed as one of the most exotically beautiful buildings in the British Isles, the Royal Pavilion is the former seaside residence of King George IV. Originally a simple farmhouse, in 1787 architect Henry Holland created a neo-classical villa on the site. It was later transformed into its current Indian style by John Nash between 1815 and 1822. With interiors decorated in the Chinese style and an astonishingly exotic exterior, this Regency Palace is quite breathtaking. Magnificent decorations and fantastic furnishings have been recreated in the recent extensive restoration programme. From the opulence of the main state rooms to the charm of the first floor bedroom suites, the Royal Pavilion is filled with astonishing colours and superb craftsmanship. Witness the magnificence of the Music Room with its domed ceiling of gilded scallop-shaped shells and hand-knotted carpet, and promenade through the Chinese bamboo grove of the Long Gallery. Lavish menus were created in the Great Kitchen, with its cast iron palm trees and dazzling collection of copperware, and then served in the dramatic setting of the Banqueting…

Anne Of Cleves House

This atmospheric timber framed house was once owned by Anne of Cleves. Today you can explore the pretty Tudor garden, kitchen, and house which are furnished in period style, and give you a real sense of how people lived then. The building is also…