Kent

A pink standard 'cabbage' rose with the north face of Ightham Mote behind

Fairytale castles, historic royal residences and the home of Churchill

Places to visit

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The White Garden in summer at Sissinghurst Castle

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 Kent, you can book visits to Ightham Mote, Emmetts Garden, Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Scotney Castle, Chartwell and Knole.

Find out what to expect and how to book

Places to visit in Kent

Summer roses in the gardens at Chartwell

Chartwell 

History and nature merge seamlessly across the estate from the distinctive pastel colours of pink and white roses favoured by Lady Churchill, fruit and vegetables framed by the walls Sir Winston Churchill helped build, to acres of woodland and wider meadows.

Roses in bloom in June at Emmetts Garden, a National Trust property in Kent

Emmetts Garden 

A late 19th century design, Emmetts Garden contains many exotic and rare trees and shrubs from across the world. Explore the rose and rock gardens, take in the views and enjoy the peace and tranquillity.

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.

Garden and house in summer evening light

Ightham Mote 

Ightham Mote is surrounded by peaceful gardens with an orchard, water features, lakes and woodland walks. Sitting at the heart is the 700-year-old romantic moated manor house rising from the moat.

Ightham Mote

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.

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
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.

Take a look around from your home

The White Garden in July at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent

Virtual tours of Sissinghurst 

Sissinghurst may be closed but that doesn't need to stop you getting your fix. Here's some tours of the garden and library to keep you going until they open again.

Stationery in the Gatehouse Tower at Knole

Knole's 500-year bite-size history  

Knole might be closed but this great 14 minute film gives an intriguing insight into its history. Covering 500 years of different owners and their stories, grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy.

Batemans house

Kipling's poem at Bateman's 

Bateman's may be closed at the moment but here's a way that you can take in its beauty from the comfort of your sofa. Watch and listen to one of Rudyard Kipling's poems narrated in his study accompanied by views of the garden.