In and around East Sussex

The woodland walk at Scotney Castle, Kent

The home of a famous author, fairytale castles and more await you in and around East Sussex

Places to visit

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Where you can visit 

We have opened most of our National Trust gardens and parks, as well as car parks, in line with government guidance. You will need to book your visit in advance. In South Kent and East Sussex, you can book visits to Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Scotney Castle, Sheffield Park and Garden, Bateman's and Bodiam Castle.

Find out what to expect and how to book

Places to visit in Sussex

View of the Rose Garden at Bateman's

Bateman's 

Rudyard Kipling wanted his garden to be a place for family and friends; to relax and unwind. As we venture from spring into summer, the gardens at Bateman's continue to explode with colour and now there's the delicious scent of rose in the air too.

Bodiam Castle in East Sussex reflected in the moat on a bright summer day

Bodiam Castle 

Stroll around the grounds of this archetypal 14th century moated castle for a glimpse of medieval splendour

Standen in the summer image

Standen House and Garden 

Wander around the Arts & Crafts garden at Standen and find the plants that inspired the famous patterns by Morris and Co.

Middle Lake at Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex

Sheffield Park and Garden 

Acres of landscape garden bordered by historic parkland and woodland await at Sheffield Park and Garden

The cottage garden in the summer at Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 

Historic, poetic, iconic; a refuge dedicated to beauty. Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and created a world renowned garden.

Scotney Castle summer garden venetian well-head old castle

Scotney Castle 

Scotney Castle in Kent boasts a romantic garden with a view of the 14th-century moated castle and the Victorian country mansion and all in a beautiful wooded estate.

Yellow rattle in the wildflower meadow

Wildflower meadows from Kent and East Sussex 

Find out more about the work our rangers in Kent and East Sussex are doing with new and existing wildflower meadows.

Take a look at our meadows

Virtual highlights

Wisteria growing in the rose garden at Chartwell, a National Trust property in Kent
Scotney Castle summer garden white wisteria on old castle
The azaleas at Emmetts Garden, a National Trust property in Kent, in bloom in May
Irises in the garden during May
Ightham Mote in the spring

Wonderful wisteria

We know you can’t visit our places right now, but we can bring a little bit of them to your home. Here’s the wisteria blooming at Chartwell.

Wonderful wisteria

We know you can’t visit our places right now, but we can bring a little bit of them to your home. Here’s the wisteria blooming on the Old Castle at Scotney Castle Garden.

Azaleas at Emmetts

We know you can’t visit our places right now, but we can bring a little bit of them to your home. Here are the azaleas bursting with colour at Emmetts Garden.

Irresistible irises

We know you can’t visit our places right now, but we can bring a little bit of them to your home. Here are the irises at Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

Marvellous moats

We know you can’t visit our places right now, but we can bring a little bit of them to your home. Here is the romantic manor house at Ightham Mote.

Cattle on a misty morning in June on the Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire

Dawns to brighten your day 

Wake up with the birds and make the most of those extra hours of morning daylight. Whether it’s learning how to identify birdsong or watching how the golden hour transforms the appearance of your street, there’s plenty of reasons to fall in love with the morning again.

The herb garden at Llanerchaeron

Gardening tips: From our garden to yours 

While we're all staying at home, for many of us our thoughts turn to gardening. This week we're thinking about the herbs that you can grow easily whether you have a garden, a patio or a windowsill.

Things to try at home

A child digging with a small trowel some soil from a wooden tray into a flower pot

50 things activities to do in your back garden 

Even bold adventurers don't need to go too far from home to tick off challenges from the '50 things' activity list. Here are our top ten ideas for activities that you can do in your own back garden, nearest park or outdoor green space.

Child listening to a device at Wembury, Devon

Listen to podcasts from the National Trust 

Did you know that we now produce podcasts? You can download episodes for free on a variety of subjects, from the stories behind our gardens, collections and outdoor places, to the houses that helped shape and influence the work of great writers.

Visitors baking together in a National Trust kitchen

Top family-friendly bakes 

We've picked out top recipes to cook with kids. Quick, easy and delicious, take a look at recipes for cakes, biscuits and savoury snacks.