There are nine hectares of garden surrounding the house at The Vyne. Two lakes, a walled garden, formal garden and meadow along with lawns and a herbaceous border sit neatly inside this area. There is plenty for you to explore through the seasons, from the 17th-century summerhouse to a 600-year-old oak tree.
From early flowering cyclamen, crocuses and golden daffodils to later-blooming blossoms, bold Crown Imperials and bright pink peonies, repeat visits will reveal an evolving landscape of blooms. Come late spring, you can indulge the eye with a palette of blues and purples with Alliums, wisteria and Camassias.
Look out for these spring highlights
• From February: Daffodils in the walled garden.
• From March to April: Plum, pear and apple blossoms in the orchard.
• In May: Pink cherry blossom in the wild garden.
Daffodils blooming at The Vyne
Hundreds of daffodils are in bloom in The Vyne's gardens, with the best show in the walled garden. You’ll see displays on the South Drive by the house too.
These golden yellow blooms can be seen thriving in beds that line one side of the walled garden's central path as well as in hazel coppice borders by the glasshouse. The gardeners made the coppiced borders by recycling hazel harvested from the estate as a sustainable way of caring for The Vyne's gardens.
The walled garden
Dating back to the 18th century, the walled garden houses a variety of fruit and vegetables as well as a dahlia border. An ambitious restoration programme restored the glasshouse and the fruit and vegetable beds to their former glory.
The summerhouse
Possibly the earliest domed garden building in England, the summerhouse dates from around 1635 and has been used as a banqueting house and a dovecote. Designed by John Webb and built in the shape of a Greek cross, it is one of two originally built.
Today, the remaining summerhouse is the focus of the formal garden with beds which reflect the shape of the structure itself. The bedding plants are chosen to complement the shades of the summerhouse during the seasons and the garden is enclosed by a yew hedge.
Frail but still standing, the Hundred Guinea Oak is now over 600 years old. William John Chute, who owned The Vyne in the late Georgian period, was offered £100 and later 100 guineas for the timber.
He flatly refused to sell the oak, which you can see for yourself at the top of the Lime Avenue.
Wild garden
Here, the informal layout gives the impression of a natural landscape that has emerged all by itself. Laden with seasonal colour, trees gently arc over the main path at intervals while the paths mown through the long grass bring you to the lakeside where you can spot waterfowl gliding across the lake.
Family activities in the garden
There are plenty of self-led trails around the estate for families to enjoy. Unfortunately ball games, frisbees, bikes, scooters and drones are not allowed on the estate. This is to prevent further damage to the house and grounds.
Discover more at The Vyne
Find out when The Vyne is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Easter egg hunt at The Vyne returns 21 March to 6 April 10am-4pm. Easter trail sheet and egg £3.50. From 16 May to 28 June, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is coming to The Vyne. Normal admission applies. On 17 July, gates 10am, film 11am-12pm, don't miss double-bill outdoor cinema The Gruffalo & Stick Man (U). Cinema Tickets (non-refundable): Standard Under 1 Years £0.00, Standard Under 12s £9.80, Standard £12.89, Premium £15.13, Director's View + Treat Bag + Blanket £36.41. Click through and scroll down for the link to book cinema tickets.
Enjoy a refreshment stop in the atmospheric tea-room at The Vyne. Treat yourself to a gift in the shop or get comfy in the window seat while browsing pre-loved books.
The Sandys and Chute families made The Vyne their home for over 500 years. They accumulated beautiful and important objects and made significant changes to the house during their lives. Enjoy the collection in opulent state rooms and humble servants’ quarters. Read on for more information.
