Pashley Manor Gardens — Local services in Rother

A pretty garden but very small and greatly overpriced for the experience. Not suitable for those with limited mobility due to the very irregular and poorly maintained paving. Will literally take an hour or less to walk the entire place for the avg person. Lovely, well established and lush flowers but predominated by only a few types repeated throughout the grounds. Cafe is very pricey and staff were pleasant except for the lack of knowledge about dietary restrictions. I am a celiac who cant have gluten. Although they had 'gluten free' cake, the staff used the same utensil for this cake as the other cakes, causing cross-contamination. Staff seemed baffled when I pointed this out as dangerous, and thus the cake was not celiac safe and we had to go without. Real shame since they only had one glutenfree cake that day. We purchased tea, ginger beer and salad and sat outside to eat. I had some glutenfree cookies for my tea I had brought with me. Sadly, staff thought it necessary to interrupt my tea to tell me "picnic food" could only be eaten in the car park. Excuse me? Since I have spent £25 on tea and have no cake due to staff's own poor food knowledge, I think I'm permitted to enjoy my gf cookie with my over priced tea in the overpriced garden, thankyou kindly! A very lowbrow comment from the staff, overtly focused on maximising profits, but incorrectly directed at guests who had already spent good money on the cafe. May I suggest these sorts of comments be directed at people who have not spent money at the cafe.

Sadly the pond with fish smelt vile and was thick with slime, rotting vegetation, flies and sludge. Since the ponds are half the garden, this was an appalling situation, particularly for the suffering koi.

Toilets were dreadful. Huge spiders by the dozens, masses of cobwebs and ingrained dirt. Soap and tissue all well stocked at least! But a regular good scrub and dust highly needed! We mentioned this to staff who rambled some excuse about the weather. May I suggest you simply crack on and clean it up properly on a regular basis.

Veg garden and greenhouse was very pretty and clearly managed with skill. Gardeners obviously talented and knowledgeable.

Lots of statues around which are all for sale. The giftshop also lovely little items and trinkets though incredibly pricey. Not unique but certainly pretty. Could do with a lot more plants and casual ornaments for sale outside. No bird items at all, no feeders. Also can I suggest moisturisers? Loads of hand soap, but no floral body cream. We love to buy rose scented moisturising body lotions.

Overall a nice but small garden with major flaws. Welcoming staff, talented gardeners but poor food and hygiene and ruined...

The gardens are beautiful. My last visit was about 15 years ago. Then you could walk around the pond. It’s sadly unrecognisable. Sad.

The receptionist didn’t like it when i asked if they did concessions for disabled. She didn’t want to give me the discount and made me feel like i was a nuisance.

In the cafe i saw a couple of older folk asking for help with a tray. One member of staff snapped saying didn’t they have someone to carry for her? My friend offered. As a disabled person i have never experienced this negativity. It’s like they are only there to serve food. Not friendly. While she helped these ladies i tried to hold my tray with soup. You can’t do that with a stick. I ended up wearing it. My friend felt awful as she was trying to do the job the staff failed to do. And in doing that forgot she was with me. Equally struggling. The staff were oblivious.

The outside area of the cafe was hard to navigate. With different levels. Even my friend said so. And she doesn’t have a disability. She suggested a waitress table service would be a better option.

The lemon drizzle cake was dry and didn’t taste of lemon. Expensive and poor. Not good enough. The soup was nice.

As i say the gardens were lovely. The staff sadly were not. This is the first time i have ever left a negative review. I just felt it...

Pashley Manor Gardens offers a quintessential English country garden experience. Nestled on the border of Sussex and Kent, the eleven acres of meticulously maintained gardens showcase a delightful blend of romantic landscaping, imaginative planting, and mature trees. What stands out:

Seasonal Spectacles: Pashley is renowned for its impressive seasonal displays, particularly the Tulip Festival in late April/early May with tens of thousands of tulips, the stunning roses in June, and the vibrant dahlias later in the season.

Diverse Garden Rooms: The gardens are thoughtfully divided into distinct "rooms," each with its own color theme and character, offering a sense of discovery as you wander through. Highlights include sweeping herbaceous borders, a historic walled garden with a productive kitchen garden, a serene rose garden and walk, and tranquil water features.

Artful Integration: Sculptures by leading British artists are strategically placed throughout the gardens, adding an unexpected and engaging dimension to the horticultural displays.

Historical Backdrop: The Grade I listed Tudor manor house, dating back to 1550 and with links to the Boleyn family, provides a picturesque backdrop to the gardens, adding...