Group visits to Emmetts Garden

Bronze statue of a cherub holding a fish on top of the fountain in the Rose Garden at Emmetts Garden, Kent — A bronze statue of a cherub can be found in the Rose Garden's fountain | © National Trust Images/John Miller

Organising a group trip to Emmetts Garden? Here you'll find everything you need to know to plan a visit to these beautiful, historic gardens near Ide Hill, Kent.

Booking your group visit

Emmetts Garden is a great place to bring groups of all ages. Your trip to these beautiful gardens couldn’t be easier to organise. Discounted group rates are available to parties of 15 or more when you pre-book. Please get in touch with us by emailing chartwell.groupbooking@nationaltrust.org.uk or call us on 01732 861142.

Bank holiday weekends

We regret that we are unable to welcome groups over bank holiday or school holiday weekends when the site is at its busiest. This may also be the case during the peak of the Spring colour season when our famous bluebell banks burst into life. Please check with us for availability.

What we need to know

When making a booking we will ask you for:

The name of your group
The group leader’s name
How many people will be in the group
The date you wish to visit
Your arrival time

Confirming you booking

Once we have provisionally booked your visit we will send an acknowledgement with a booking form attached. To confirm your booking please complete and return this form to us as soon as possible.

Payment

We ask that payment is made on arrival on the day of your planned visit in one transaction. Payment can be made in cash, by credit card or cheque. Alternatively, if you have a National Trust account, we will invoice you after your visit.

Who is eligible for free entry?

Registered tourist board guides (on production of a valid badge), coach drivers and tour leaders escorting groups of 15 or more. National Trust members also receive free entry, so it is at your discretion whether to refund the entrance fee to members if you have included it in your package – this is not refunded by the National Trust.

Members must bring their current membership cards with them to avoid paying the full group rate. If any of your group would like to join the National Trust please direct them to our Membership page or call 0344 800 1895.

Pink, red and purple tulips in the Tulip Meadow at Emmetts Garden in Kent — The Tulip Meadow in bloom | © National Trust Images / Sam Milling

Make a day of it

Emmetts Garden is close to both Chartwell, the family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill, and Quebec House, the childhood home of General James Wolfe. Our team would be happy to help you organise a combined group visit.

Additional information for groups

Coaches can park in the coach area on the north side of the car park. A member of our welcome team will meet you on board and give an introduction.

Emmetts Garden is a scenic hillside garden with steps and steep slopes - please see our access statement for more information.

There is limited space inside our tea room which were formally a stable block. We would kindly ask that groups stagger their visit during busy periods.

Schools or education groups can benefit from an Education Group Access Pass, which gives the whole group free admission and parking at most of the places in our care for a year.

Free familiarisation visits for group leaders

If you're planning a group visit you can request our free Travel Trade Pass and you and a friend or colleague will gain free entry to over 300 of our places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 12 months. There’s nothing quite like seeing or experiencing somewhere for yourself to help you plan a successful visit. To receive your pass, call 0344 800 2329 or email us at NTTravelTrade@capita.co.uk.

A view down a paved pathway with a rose covered pergola overhead, covered in pale pink roses, and two white benches facing the sun

Discover more at Emmetts Garden

Find out when Emmetts Garden is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

Plan your visit

The bluebell bank at Emmett Garden in Kent, in full bloom

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The garden at Emmetts Garden

Find a garden area to suit your taste here at Emmetts Garden. With different and diverse designs, and views that are always impressive, there's something to see at any time of year.

Afternoon tea laid out on a dark wooden table in the tea-room at Emmetts Garden in Kent with a plate of scones, jam, cream, a slice of cake, tea cups and a teapot

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Eating and shopping at Emmetts Garden

Stop for refreshments at the Old Stables Tea Room, with indoor and outdoor seating. In the shop you'll find seasonal ranges for the home and garden, local products and peat-free plants.

A black and white archive image of a garden party at Emmetts Garden in Kent, possibly taken during the Lubbocks' era. Guests are wearing Edwardian clothing.

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History of Emmetts Garden

Discover the history behind Emmetts Garden where Frederic Lubbock displayed his rare and international plant collection.

A garden volunteer kneeling in the lower Alpine area at Emmetts Garden in Kent

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Our work at Emmetts Garden

Take a look behind the scenes at Emmetts Garden in Kent and discover the work that goes into keeping this special place looking its best.

Costumed interpreter as the school mistress and visitors in the recreated Victorian classroom at Sudbury Hall and the National Trust Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire

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Education Group Access Pass

If you’re planning educational group visits to National Trust places, then you could benefit from an Education Group Access Pass, which gives you free admission for a year.

Visitors in the garden in January at Charlecote Park, Warwickshire

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Touring Pass

If you're travelling to the UK from overseas this year, buy a National Trust Touring Pass for entry to more than 300 places in our care. With 7-day and 14-day options available, the pass can be tailored to fit your trip. Discover where you can visit with the Touring Pass and how to buy yours.