Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden — Attraction in Sevenoaks

Lullingstone Castle and Gardens offer a charming and educational experience, blending historical intrigue with horticultural beauty, making it a delightful destination for history enthusiasts, garden lovers, and families. Lullingstone Castle and Gardens is a historic estate located in Eynsford, Kent, England. It's renowned for its beautiful gardens and rich history.The interior of the house features period furniture, family portraits, and historical artifacts, giving visitors a glimpse into the lives of the Hart Dyke family over the centuries.One of the main attractions is the World Garden of Plants, created by Tom Hart Dyke. This garden features a unique collection of plants from around the globe, organized geographically. The World Garden has garnered much attention for its innovative design and diverse plant species.The estate also includes formal gardens, herbaceous borders, a lavender field, and tranquil water features, all set within the beautiful Kent countryside.Visitors can take guided tours of the manor house and gardens, learning about the history and horticulture of the estate.A tea room on-site provides refreshments, including traditional English tea and cakes, making it a pleasant stop during a visit.Ample parking is available for visitors.The castle and gardens are typically open to visitors from April to October, but it's best to check their official website or contact them directly for the most up-to-date information on opening hours and any special events.Tickets can be purchased at the entrance, but checking online for any booking requirements or special offers is...

Country estate that has been in the same family's ownership since the time of Domesday, with a large 15th century manor house, impressive gatehouse and the superb World Garden. The house is only open on certain dates, but all visitors benefit from access to the World Garden, estate walks and St Botolph's Church. The World Garden is a standout, with a unique layout recreating different regions from around the globe. The landscaping and planting is very successful in capturing the feel of areas as diverse as North America, Japan, Australasia, Scandinavia and South Africa. Other components of the garden include the Cactus House, with a remarkable collection of over 1,000 varieties of cacti and succulent plants, the Moroccan Blue Room with an immersive Mediterranean feel, and the tropical Cloud Garden. The estate is open to visitors from Thursday to Sunday, and on bank holiday Mondays from the beginning of April until the end of October. Tickets at the time of my visit in May 2025 were £9.00 for adults (under 16s visit free), representing very good value for money considering the exceptional variety of plants on display. Special offers are available to those holding certain memberships including English Heritage, detailed on the website. Onsite facilities are good, with parking (accessed by a single track road), a refreshments kiosk with covered seating, picnic tables and toilets. Those looking to extend their visit can take a pleasant walk alongside the...

We had a delightful family day out at Lullingstone on August bank holiday Monday. As well as adults, we had an eight year old and a 17month old with us; they both enjoyed themselves! We visited on a day when Tom Hart Dyke, the creator of the World Garden, was taking visitors around; most engaging, knowledgeable, entertaining and informative, and when the house was open and there were visiting rescue meerkats, hedgehogs and a pony too; so that was the icing on the cake, but on a normal day, the lovely lawn with arboretum trees and dahlia borders, the handsome and aged Manor House, the huge lake and the woodland walk alongside the river with the water gushing over the weir would all be delights in addition to the World Garden. The world garden was a brilliant novelty, showing plants in their designated continent borders, with sculptures too and little winding walkways within the ‘continents’. Then lovely greenhouses; cacti, orchids and more. Amazing plants with amusing and informative labelling. The tea room in a small gothic marquee beside the lawn was just right, making up a small range of delicious sandwiches freshly for each order. Very pleasant staff, clean and well provided loos, and, we thought, very reasonably priced tickets. Highly recommended. We...