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Future plans at Scotney Castle

Transforming Scotney Castle - bird's eye view of planned work
Transforming Scotney Castle - bird's eye view of planned work | © HTA

In 2026, work begins at Scotney Castle to restore heritage, bring communities together and ensure a sustainable future. Read on to find out more.

Project update

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About the project

Scotney Castle is one of the UK’s finest examples of a 'Picturesque landscape'. An ambitious project of works will restore heritage, improve access, and recreate parts of the original 'Picturesque' vision that have been lost over time. All planned work aims to create an inclusive, welcoming environment with opportunities for community engagement.

What work is taking place?

The project is scheduled to start in the spring with the creation of a new year-round car park. This will replace the current overflow car park at Scotney, providing an improved visitor arrival point and an inspiring first impression of the Picturesque landscape. It will provide increased capacity, as well as an improved parking experience for visitors.

A new cafe will be created in the current office building, with conservation work planned for the barn to provide new spaces to gather. The existing cafe and shop facilities will remain in the courtyard. 

There will be some disruption when the car park is built with a reduced number of parking spaces. All visitors should book their car parking slot in advance here to avoid disappointment.

For a more detailed look into the planned work, please refer to the timeline below. This will continue to be updated as we progress. 

The Picturesque landscape at Scotney can be seen as one of the final developments of English Landscape Garden designs. Each element of the Picturesque Landscape at Scotney was considered important and the whole was intended to be enjoyed as a ‘total work of art’. By restoring the Walled Garden and Vine House, by reinstating the orchard, we are restoring the original Picturesque vision of this nationally significant garden.

A quote by Dr Jerzy J. Kierkuc-Bielinski National Trust Cultural Heritage Curator for London and the South East

'Reconnecting Scotney'

The 'Reconnecting Scotney'  project aims to recreate the original Picturesque vision at Scotney Castle and has initially been granted round one development funding of £281,567 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by the Heritage Fund at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award of £3,259,882.

Thanks to National Lottery players, the historic Vine House in the Walled Garden will be restored, the surrounding orchard reinstated with historic species, a new visitor hub will be built next to the car park and a new play area created outside of an additional cafe. 

Learn more about 'Reconnecting Scotney' here. 

Our Partners

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.

'Reconnecting Scotney' is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

A scenic images of the house and ruins of the fourteenth-century moated castle at Scotney Castle, Kent surrounded by garden and trees
The ruins of the fourteenth-century moated castle at Scotney Castle, Kent | © National Trust Images/John Miller

About 'The Picturesque'

The Picturesque is not about being picture-perfect but celebrates the imperfections of nature and its effect on even man-made structures.

This idea of getting away from beauty in the conventional sense and seeing the beauty of more wild and naturalistic settings is vital to the Picturesque.

Here at Scotney, Edward Hussey III had some of the essential elements of these dramatic and characterful landscapes already with the creation of the quarry. On the advice of the Reverand Gilpin's nephew, the Reverand William Sawry Gilpin, who helped create the garden at Scotney, he partly demolished the old castle as he began to build the new house.  

The Reverend William Gilpin wrote essays on Picturesque landscapes and believed that if any buildings were to be incorporated into a scene they should be deliberately ruined to soften harsh outlines.

Between the neatness of a house and the wildness of the surrounding land, Scotney's garden was the Picturesque middle ground where the two combine and blend seamlessly and incorporated elements of both.

The work carried out as part of this wider project will aim to return to these Picturesque roots, re-instating a more wild landscape around the Walled Garden. 

Timeline of works

9 - 16 March 2026

Archaeology digs

Before construction begins, our team of National Trust archaeologists will set about digging in the overflow car park to ensure there is nothing of significance or historic note in the ground. 

This work is due to take place from Monday 9 March and is expected to last one week. The overflow car park will be closed to visitors during this period. 

Heavy machinery will be used so there may be some noise disruption. 

The entrance, exit and footpaths connected to the overflow car park will be fenced off to the public to allow for this work to be carried out safely. 

Our partners

Heritage Fund

Inspiring, leading and resourcing the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.

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Parking at Scotney 

The only way to guarantee entry to this fairy-tale castle, mansion house and garden is to book your car parking in advance. Learn how to do this, plus what to do if you're arriving by other means.

The old castle and moat at Scotney Castle in spring sunshine

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