About the garden
Owned by
Mr and Mrs Andrewjohn Stephenson Clarke
Listed by English Heritage as being of Grade II* historic importance and set within 383 acres of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the High Weald, Borde Hill is of national botanical importance and features one of the largest collections of privately owned champion trees in the UK, with over 70 specimens. Five generations of the Stephenson Clarke family have committed the last 130 years to protecting and enhancing Borde Hill’s significant collection of plants, trees and shrubs for future generations of visitor to enjoy.
Plants have been in Borde Hill’s DNA since 1598 when Stephen Borde, the grandson of Henry VIII’s private herbalist and physician Andrew Borde, rebuilt the picturesque Elizabethan Mansion House at the heart of the Estate. Centuries later, Colonel Stephenson R Clarke sponsored plant hunting trips around the world - across Japan, China, Burma, Tasmania and the Andes – to create a nationally important plant collection and one of the only places in the UK that you can still see plants from all four corners of the world, including spectacular displays of magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons.
Surrounded by rolling parkland and ancient woodland, the garden is planted with passion as a series of 'outdoor garden rooms’, with highlights including the Azalea Ring, tranquil Italian Garden, stunning Rose Garden, the sub-tropical Round Dell and newly planted perennial summer borders by acclaimed garden designer Chris Beadshaw providing all-season colour.
We invite you to come and experience ‘joyous balance’ and the beauty of nature, where there’s something for everyone, from woodland walks and horticultural talks to food and drink events, live music, wellbeing workshops and activities for families of all ages.
