Penshurst Place and Gardens
Free RHS Member days
Monday–Friday when open (excluding bank holidays and school holidays)
About the garden
Walking through the 11 acres of formal gardens at Penshurst Place is a truly unique experience. Owned by the Sidney family since 1552, Penshurst Place is first and foremost a family home, where the gardens serve as a fascinating horticultural family album. Many of the garden areas feature new plantings to commemorate events in the lives of the second Viscount and Viscountess De L’Isle’s family.
Records for the gardens date back to 1346. They are divided into 11 garden rooms by over one mile of yew hedging, with each room offering a unique theme. Among them is the Italian Garden, originally laid out in the 1560s by Henry Sidney as a kitchen garden.
Add to this 10 more garden rooms showcasing over 5,000 roses, an abundance of fruit trees, spring-flowering tulips, a magnolia garden, ponds and fountains, ancient trees and parkland, lakes and woodland, statues and topiary, and it is easy to see why Penshurst Place is one of Kent’s most cherished gardens.
Facilities
- Assistance dogs only
- Accessible garden
- Children’s play area
- Parking
- Plant sales
- Refreshments
- Toilets
Key features
- Sculpture
- Herbaceous border
- Arboretum
- Pond or lake
- Autumn colour
- Children’s garden (not playground)
- Colour themed borders
- Mediterranean/Italian garden
Get involved
The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.