The Garden at Scotney Castle

Scotney Old Castle reflected in the moat during summer

Scotney Castle’s garden is like a landscape painting with drama and romance. From a stunning vista of the old castle glimpsed through a swathe of rhododendrons and azaleas in spring to colourful reflections in the moat throughout autumn.

A landscape with drama and romance

From the early 18th century, British landscape gardeners had been creating gardens inspired by pictures, but by 1800 a backlash had set in. Critics considered the grassy vistas designed by Capability Brown too smooth and tidy. Scotney's picturesque garden is a last fling in this backlash style of gardening.

 

A fairytale feel

The garden has naturalistic planting which is seemingly untouched by human hand and its cloud-like planting of rhododendrons and azaleas creates a fairytale feel, with the ruins of the Old Castle at its centre. Wisteria and old English roses adorn its sandstone walls, whilst the surrounding herbaceous beds are always throwing out new colours throughout the seasons.

Walled Garden

Our walled garden is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the flowers. We have fresh produce available to purchase daily and our walled garden Wednesday fortnightly talks allow you to improve your knowledge on growing fruit and vegetables.

Flowers in the Walled Garden at Scotney Castle

Late summer colour at Scotney Castle 

As the summer months draw to a close there’s still plenty of colour to see in our garden. With the beginning signs of autumn colour showing in the trees and the sun sitting lower on the horizon, you can capture some really beautiful images from different perspectives in the garden.

Family peering into the moat at Scotney Castle

Family fun at Scotney Castle 

Scotney has plenty to offer families throughout the year, from bracing walks in the winter to picnics in the summer. Trails bring the house and garden to life for children and there's plenty to explore in our natural play area and wilderness camp.

Scotney Castle   Kent

Download our Scotney map

Download our Scotney map