Scotney Castle

Important notice -

The garden, estate, shop and tea-room (takeaway only) are open. On weekdays you don’t need to pre-book your visit. At busier times, like weekends and school holidays, booking is recommended to guarantee entry.

Romantic garden with view of 14th century moated castle and the Victorian country mansion and - all in a beautiful wooded estate

Please book ahead before visiting Check availability

More about this place

Visitors walking through a garden in spring

Visiting this spring 

Our gardens, parks, cafés, shops and countryside locations are open to visit. From 17 May, we're reopening houses in England, and subject to government confirmation, we're planning to open houses in Wales from 17 May and in Northern Ireland from 24 May. Advance booking for visits helps us keep everyone safe and socially distanced. At quieter times such as weekdays, booking shouldn't be necessary, but to guarantee entry we recommend booking in advance, especially at weekends and bank holidays. Please check the property webpage before you visit and follow government guidance.

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Scotney Castle

What's on 

Scotney Castle   Kent

We recommend booking ahead before visiting

The garden, estate, tea-room (for takeaway), shop and toilets are open at Scotney Castle. From Monday 17 May the ground floor of the house will reopen, as well as our indoor seating in the tea-room. To avoid disappointment please book in advance, especially at busier times such as weekends and bank holidays. However, where space is available on weekdays, pre-booking may not always be necessary. If you do not book we cannot guarantee admission. Members can book for free, while non-members will need to pay when booking. We'll be releasing tickets every Friday. We're looking forward to welcoming you back.

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Upcoming events

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Timed entry to Scotney Castle (10 May - 16 May)

Thu 13 May 2021
10:00-16:00
Book your timed entry to visit Scotney Castle.
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Scotney Castle

Things to see and do

Things to see and do at Scotney Castle

Scotney Castle summer garden venetian well-head old castle

Scotney Castle Reopening Information and FAQs 

Our garden, tea-room (for takeaways), shop and wider estate are open at Scotney Castle, and we're looking forward to welcoming you back.

Scotney Old Castle reflected in the moat during summer

The Garden at Scotney Castle 

With traditional beds and borders, Scotney Castle is best described as a landscape garden with many unique features including a glade and naturalistic planting.

View of Scotney Castle from the estate

The Estate at Scotney Castle 

The estate at Scotney Castle in Kent offers an array of parkland and woodland with perfect picnic spots, hop gardens and a herd of Sussex cattle.

A carpet of bluebells in the woods around an old tree

Admire the bluebells at Scotney Castle this spring 

As the weather warms up and the days become longer, the bluebells start to appear all around Scotney Castle. From the drive to the formal garden to the outer reaches of the estate, come and admire them as they carpet the ground with their delicate purple flowers.

Two ladies walking their dogs down past the mansion in the garden

Visiting Scotney Castle with your dog 

We love dogs, and they're more than welcome to come and explore the estate and garden at Scotney Castle.

The house at Scotney Castle, Kent

The House at Scotney Castle  

From Monday 17 May the ground floor of the house will reopen via a one-way system. Tickets do not guarantee admission to the house and entry will be controlled via a queue at the front of the house. We advise you visit the house first on arrival.

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Scotney Castle

Eating

A hot drink to go

Eating at Scotney Castle 

Our tea-room is open daily serving a range of takeaway hot and cold drinks, hot and cold food, cakes and snacks. Our indoor seating area will reopen on Monday 17 May. Please comply with social distancing measures and ensure you are wearing a mask when visiting our tea-room. Following the reopening of outdoor seating at Scotney, we are legally required to participate in the NHS Test & Trace programme by asking those visitors over 16 who ‘eat in’ at our outlets to provide contact details.

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Scotney Castle

Shopping

Scotney Castle shop summer 2020

Shopping at Scotney Castle this spring and summer 

No visit is complete without a browse of the shop at Scotney Castle. Take some time to browse the sale, pick up a souvenir of your visit, a gift for someone special or something for your home or garden.

Browse the shelves in the bookshop

Browse the shelves in Betsy's Second-hand Bookshop at Scotney Castle 

Betsy's Second-hand Bookshop is a great spot to pick up a bargain and help support our conservation work. Step away from the garden and browse the shelves, enjoying the view out over the estate.

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Scotney Castle

History

Edwards Hussey III and his family on the Bastion at Scotney Castle

The history of Scotney Castle 

Scotney Castle has a long and rich history dating from 1137 and holds some interesting stories about the last inhabitants of the castle, the Hussey family, as well as a former Prime Minister too.

A River Landscape with Jacob and Laban and his Daughters, by Claude Lorrain, 1654

What is the picturesque?  

The picturesque is an aesthetic category developed in the eighteenth-century. It was associated with fashionable landscape gardening, however its cultural significance extended far beyond this.

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Scotney Castle

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