Lullingstone Castle

About the museum

Lullingstone is a manor in the Darent valley in Kent that appears in the Domesday Book. The present red-brick house was begun in 1497 by Sir John Peche, and its gatehouse may be one of the first buildings in England made entirely of brick. In 1543 the estate passed to the Hart family, and it has stayed with their descendants, the Hart Dykes, for twenty generations. Henry VIII and Queen Anne are known to have visited, and the Norman parish church of St Botolph next to the house contains some of the oldest stained glass in England.

The family's history includes a silk farm set up in the 1930s, which produced silk for the coronation robes and wedding dress of Queen Elizabeth II, and a spell during the Second World War when the army used the estate and a dummy airfield was built in the fields behind the gatehouse. Lullingstone also has a connection with lawn tennis that goes back to the 1870s, when the rules of the game were drawn up.

Today the estate is best known for the World Garden of Plants, planted since 2005 in the walled garden by Tom Hart Dyke, the current heir, to raise money to keep the house going. Its beds represent the continents and plants of the world, with cactus and orchid houses, a cloud garden and sculptures. The manor house itself opens to visitors only on bank holiday weekends and on special event days, and objects such as a 1740s fire engine and some Romano-British pottery have been rediscovered on the estate.

Highlights

• The World Garden of Plants, with beds arranged by continent
• The Tudor gatehouse and manor house, built from 1497
• St Botolph's church with some of the oldest stained glass in England
• Cactus house, orchid house and the Cloud Garden
• The 1740s fire engine and Romano-British pottery found on the estate
• Family events such as the Medieval Weekend

Permanent exhibitions

• The Manor House and gatehouse – The Tudor manor house, home of the Hart Dyke family for twenty generations, shows historic rooms and local finds such as a 1740s fire engine; it opens on bank holiday weekends and event days.
• The World Garden of Plants – A walled garden planted with species from across the world in beds laid out by continent, with cactus and orchid houses.

Operated by

Hart Dyke family

Admission & discounts

Prices are for standard garden admission. English Heritage members get 2-for-1 entry, Gardeners' World card holders get 2 adults for the price of 1, and members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England pay half the adult price; these offers are not valid at events, on bank holiday weekends or for pre-booked groups. Historic Houses members have free entry, as do members of the British Cactus and Succulent Society and the Australasian Plant Society (garden only). Event prices are listed on the events page.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The World Garden can be visited by wheelchair or mobility scooter except for the polytunnels. The ground floor of the house and the church are accessible, but the first floor is not (27 steps). Wheelchairs are available on request. Only assistance dogs are allowed. Large print guide books are not available.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

Children can follow a free Plant Hunter Quiz in the garden and a House Quiz, look for sculptures such as Colin the Cobra, try warped mirrors and discover the bee hives and insect inn. Family events include an Easter plant-hunting trail, a Medieval Weekend in May and the Plant Hunters' Weekend in August. Baby changing facilities are in the gatehouse entrance toilets.

Getting there & parking

Cars should follow the brown signs through Eynsford along Lullingstone Lane to the gatehouse entrance, using postcode DA4 0JA or what3words slowly.simple.defend.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Castle Tea Marquee serves light lunches and cakes, including gluten-free and vegan options, with indoor and outdoor seating. The gift shop sells guidebooks, postcards and Tom Hart Dyke's books, and a plant nursery stocks unusual plants. Visitors may bring picnics and their own chairs or blankets, but no barbecues. Toilets are in the gatehouse entrance and in the garden near the nursery.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit