A garden for all seasons
Tucked away in the
Weald of Kent, between the pretty village of Rolvenden and the
charming town of Cranbrook,
(www.cranbrook.org)
lies Hole Park Gardens which has to be one of the best
gardens in Kent.
An attractively
laid out, privately owned
15 acre garden, Hole Park is often referred to as a hidden gem,
and there are plenty of
treasures to be found within
its walls and hedges.
Hole Park has been owned by the Barham family for the past four
generations and is set in over 200 acres of
superb classic parkland. The colourful gardens enjoy far reaching views over the hills, woods and fields of
the
picturesque Kentish Weald. They are a skilful mix of formal design and more naturalised planting, giving colour
throughout the seasons.
The house, which is a private family home and therefore not open, was
largely reconstructed in 1959 and is now
little more than a quarter of its
previous size. It resembles the house as it used to be before additions in the
Elizabethan style were built in 1830.
Hole Park Gardens are open everyday in spring
with limited opening times in summer and autumn.
Please see Diary
Page for opening times and dates. In spring visitors can enjoy
the wonderful
carpet of bluebells, daffodils,
camellias, wisteria, magnolia and other spring delights. In
summer
the long borders are filled with colourful herbaceous
plants with the exotic border coming to life in
late summer. The
woodland area and gardens are also a delight in autumn with
trees planted
specifically with autumn colour in mind.
The Weald in
the Garden of England offers a wide variety of gardens, large and small, to
interest and captivate
gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Hole Park Gardens hold
their own against the more well-known gardens of
Sissinghurst and Great Dixter. The nearby village of Rolvenden and the town
of Cranbrook (www.cranbrook.org)
are equally worth visiting for picturesque white weatherboarded
buildings, mills and attractive high streets in
typical Kentish scenery.
