Gardens and parks in Kent

The leaves may have fallen but the views they were hiding have been revealed. At Emmetts Garden and Chartwell this means you can see for miles across the Wealden landscape. Choose a clear frosty day and you won’t be disappointed. Structural shapes are exposed at Scotney Castle, clipped hedges make angular lines at Sissinghurst, and foggy days wrap the house at Chartwell with an ethereal charm. Don’t miss winter in Kent. Every time you crunch through frosty grass, you help us look after our places throughout the winter months.

Wrap up warm this winter and see our parks and gardens with their structures laid bare. Mists shroud the buildings and frost dusts the tops of trees and hedges. Pick up a hot takeaway drink to keep fingers warm as you enjoy a refreshing walk in these magical landscapes.

Chartwell house viewed from the terrace, surrounded by fog

Chartwell 

Perched on one side of the valley, the house commands even bigger views of the surrounding countryside during winter. The garden is neatly trimmed back and resting ready and waiting for the next season and its spring planting.

Chartwell
A frosty early morning view from the bastion down towards the old castle

Scotney Castle 

The views of the Old Castle, from high up on the Bastion, are revealed now the leaves have dropped. Take in the structure of this picturesque garden laid bare, with the moated ruin at its centre, nestled in the heart of the landscape.

Scotney Castle
The White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 

The roses have been clipped back and the perennials are sleeping, storing up their energy for next year’s spectacular show. See the design and layout of this famous garden, surrounded by frost tinged hedges and mists rising from the moat.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden
The rose garden fountain in frost at Emmetts Garden, a National Trust place in Kent

Emmetts Garden 

Leafless tree and shrub branches frame the wide-reaching views across the Wealden landscape. Ponds are frozen over and the layout of this Edwardian garden, from the rockery to the rose garden, is exposed and easy to read.

Emmetts Garden
View across the frosty Cutting Garden to the west face of Ightham Mote.

Ightham Mote 

The sight of the moated medieval house rising from the water is even more atmospheric in winter. The structure of the gardens can be seen surrounding all four sides of the house, from the expanse of the long lawn to the rows waiting patiently for their new flowers in the cutting garden.

Ightham Mote