Chartwell
Inside Chartwell
Hever Castle
Ightham Mote
Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place Gardens
Scotney Castle
Scotney Castle Gardens
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Sissinghurst Castle Entrance
The Weald of Kent

The County of Kent, often referred to as "the garden of England", is studded with pretty villages, gardens and castles. On a full-day tour from London you can visit two or three of the places mentioned below and still have time for a leisurely lunch at one of the local country pubs.

Chartwell

The family home for over forty years of Britain's famous wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, and his wife Clementine, Chartwell owes its attraction not only to its historical links but also to the beauty of its surroundings. Visitors are welcomed to a house which remains very much as it was when Churchill lived there, with daily newspapers, fresh flowers and the dining room set for afternoon tea. The furnishings will evoke memories for older generations, while many items in the house will bring history to life for younger visitors. There are also many personal reminders of the great man himself, ranging from family photographs and memorabilia, uniforms and insignia to his extensive library.

In the lovely gardens visitors can wander round lawns and terraces with spectacular views over the Weald of Kent. There are black swans on the lake, and a water garden with ponds containing golden orfe like the ones Churchill loved to feed. The Golden Rose Walk was a gift to Sir Winston and Lady Churchill from their children for their Golden Wedding anniversary. Visitors can also see Sir Winston's famous brick walls, the "Marycot" playhouse which he built for his children, still a "children only" area, and the studio containing many of his paintings.

Hever Castle

There have been three main periods in the construction of this historic castle. The oldest part of the castle dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey. In the early 1500s, the Bullen family bought the castle and added a Tudor dwelling within the walls and so it became the childhood home of its most famous inhabitant, Anne Boleyn, ill-fated second wife of Henry VIII. It later passed into the ownership of Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. From 1557 onwards the Castle was owned by a number of families including the Waldegraves, the Humfreys and the Meade Waldos. Finally, in 1903, William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle, building the 'Tudor Village' and creating the gardens and lake.

The castle has a homely atmosphere and houses historic 16th century portraits, furniture and tapestries. Other artefacts include two magnificent Books of Hours (prayer books), both signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn. A costumed figure exhibition in the Long Gallery adds to the atmosphere. The newly presented Council Chamber in the thirteenth century gatehouse contains recently acquired swords and armour which have been added to the existing collections of historic instruments of execution, torture and discipline.

One of the most magnificent areas of the grounds is the Italian Garden, which was designed to display William Waldorf Astor's collection of Italian sculpture. The garden is only now reaching its full maturity and includes the colourful walled Rose Garden which contains over 3,000 plants. There are many water features around the gardens, including Half Moon Pond, the Cascade Rockery, the cool and shady grottoes, the formal loggia fountain based on the Trevi fountain in Rome, and the more informal Two Sisters Pond. Other areas that you can stroll through include the Tudor Garden, Rhododendron Walk and along Anne Boleyn's Walk with its collection of trees planted over 100 years ago. In addition to the existing Yew Maze, a splashing water maze has been built on Sixteen Acre Island - a unique feature which is especially popular with children!

Ightham Mote

Nestling in a sunken valley and dating from 1330, the house has features spanning many centuries. These include the Great Hall, Old Chapel, Crypt, Tudor chapel with painted ceiling, drawing room with Jacobean fireplace, frieze and 18th-century wallpaper, and billiards room. There is an extensive garden and interesting walks in the surrounding woodland. Although medieval in layout, the garden is now primarily a reflection of the 19th century.

Penshurst Place

Set in the rural Weald of Kent surrounded by picturesque countryside and ancient parkland, Penshurst Place and Gardens has changed little over the centuries. This mediaeval masterpiece has been the seat of the Sidney family since 1552 and retains the warmth and character of a much-loved family home. Today, Philip Sidney, Viscount De L'Isle, continues the family guardianship of this wonderful old house and garden with his wife Isobel and their two children, Philip and Sophia.

At the heart of the medieval manor house lies the Barons Hall with its awe-inspiring 60 foot high chestnut roof, supported by satirical representations of peasants and estate workers at the time. A rare surviving central octagonal hearth in the centre of the hall, still lit on special occasions, formed the focal point of the household, where servants and estate workers slept, ate and lived out their lives, whilst the Lord of the Manor and his family resided upstairs in the Solar.

The architectural additions made to Penshurst Place during its 670-year history have seen the house grow into an imposing stately home that reveals at least eight different styles. The State Rooms are filled with a wonderful collection acquired through the centuries by generations of the Sidney family. The West Solar, or State Dining Room, part of the medieval building, contains an interesting collection of family portraits, furniture and porcelain. The Queen Elizabeth Room, named after Queen Elizabeth I, who often held audience there during her many visits to Penshurst, has a remarkable display of early upholstered furniture. Visitors can admire the beautiful tapestries in the Tapestry Room, then wander along the magnificent Elizabethan Long Gallery, full of royal and family portraits, before descending to the Nether Gallery with its fascinating array of arms and armour.

The gardens at Penshurst Place offer an abundance of variety in form, foliage and bloom throughout the year. From spring flowering bulbs, through fragrant summer roses and exuberant herbaceous borders to mellow orchard fruits. The garden culminates in a vivid blaze of autumnal colour before the winter starkness reveals its original shape and structure.

Scotney Castle Garden

The moated 14th century castle and landscape of Scotney together make this one of England's most romantic places. Created in the 1830s by Edward Hussey who had the imagination to transform the medieval Scotney Castle from derelict dwelling to quaint ruin, thus forming the focus of his picturesque landscape garden, which he called his pleasure gardens.

The view from the Bastion, just below the formal terraces of the "new" Scotney Castle, takes in the glorious colours of Ghent azaleas in late spring. In the autumn, golden tulip trees and crimson liquidambers take centre stage against a back cloth of parkland and woodland which are part of the 770 acre Scotney Estate. The estate walks can be enjoyed throughout the year. There is a magnificient display of bluebells in May and spectacular autumn colours. The hop farm is one of the few surviving in Kent.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Sissinghurst Castle Garden is one of the world's most famous 20th century gardens. It is the creation of the writer and poet Vita Sackville-West and her husband, diplomat and writer, Harold Nicolson.

The garden is made up of ten distinct 'garden rooms' each with a different feel. For example the Lime Walk, designed for spring effect, the Cottage Garden using only hot colours, reds oranges and yellows and the White Garden, with its many shades of white, greys and greens, all of which have been such an influence on gardening in the 20th century.

Please note: The number of places you can visit on any day will depend upon how long you choose to spend at each one. Your Chauffeur-guide will advise you as to what is possible on the day of your tour.