Shopping at Nymans

A selection of throws hung up on a wall with one draped on a chair — A selection of throws | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Take a memento of your visit home with you and browse the shop and plant centre for locally made products and plants grown at the nursery.

Shop and plant centre

Full of unique items and gift ideas, all profits from the shop at Nymans go straight back into looking after this beautiful place. You can find the shop and plant centre near the entrance.

From Refugees to Royalty: the Remarkable Story of the Messel family of Nymans

With over 120 historically sourced illustrations, this is the first book to trace the journey of the Messel family from refugees to royalty.

Full of colour, heartache and celebrity, this is their remarkable story, written by John Hilary, a great-great-grandson of Ludwig Messel, who founded the garden at Nymans in 1895.

This hardback edition is available from the shop priced at £25.

UK-grown, peat-free plants

All the plants in the plant centre are UK grown and are 100% peat free. Peat bogs are among the rarest and most fragile environments in the UK and we've been committed to selling peat free plants for over 10 years.

While browsing in the plant centre look out for anything in a pink pot; these plants have been propagated and grown on site in the nursery.

The bookshop

From its location in the centre of the garden, over 25,000 books are sold each year with funds raised going towards vital conservation projects across the estate.

We stock titles that appeal to a vast range of interests, from modern fiction to vintage books – hundreds of titles are regularly updated by a dedicated team of volunteers who keep the bookshop open.

Many visitors have been delighted to find a book for which they've been searching for several years.

We're always happy to receive donations of books – please email nymansbookshop@nationaltrust.org.uk if you'd like to make a book donation.

Collector's books

We're fortunate to receive some donations of older and often more valuable books. Some of these are for sale in the bookshop and are generally priced at under £10.

There's also a list of the other titles we hold – if you're interested in one of these please ask the volunteer in the bookshop or email nymansbookshop@nationaltrust.org.uk and we'll contact you with more information.

We'd like to thank everyone who has supported by donating or buying second-hand books. It's through this support that we've been able to have an eclectic mix of titles in a lovely atmosphere, which we know has made us such a popular destination.

Thank you

It is through your purchases and support that we are able to continue to care for nature, beauty and history for everyone, for ever.

The Forecourt Garden at Nymans, West Sussex in June

Discover more at Nymans

Find out when Nymans is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

Plan your visit

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Visiting Nymans garden

Romantic ruins, intimate gardens and internationally recognised plant collections all set against a backdrop of woodland and far-reaching views.

A close up of a Victoria sponge cake on sale in a cafe

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Eating at Nymans

If you're after a meal or just a quick pit-stop, try our winter menu with freshly prepared food inspired by the season. Quick snacks and delicious cakes prepared by our chefs are always popular too, especially after a walk in the woodland or garden.

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Explore Nymans’ woodlands and wider estate

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Illustration from The Tiger Who Came to Tea

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Family-friendly things to do at Nymans

With natural play in the Play Glade, activities and events in the school holidays and an ancient woodland and garden to discover, there's lots of fun for families at Nymans. Picnic anywhere in the garden, or pick up a snack from the cafe or kiosk. Baby change available by the house and in the cafe and car park.