Penshurst Place and Gardens

About the museum

Penshurst Place in the Weald of Kent is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, who have owned it since 1552. The oldest part is the medieval Baron's Hall, completed in 1341 as a country retreat for the Lord Mayor of London. It has a chestnut roof about 60 feet high and an octagonal central hearth, and the writer John Julius Norwich called it one of the grandest rooms in the world.

Over the centuries the house passed through royal hands: two sons of Henry IV owned it, Henry VIII used it as a hunting lodge, and it was given to Anne of Cleves in her divorce settlement. In 1552 Edward VI gave it to his steward and tutor Sir William Sidney. The family produced the poet and soldier Sir Philip Sidney, who served Elizabeth I. The Long Gallery wing was begun in 1599, and further building and restoration followed, notably by George Devey in the 19th century and after flying bomb damage in the Second World War.

The house first opened to the public in 1946 to help pay for repairs. Visitors see state rooms with family portraits, tapestries, furniture and a collection of arms and armour, a Victorian kitchen opened in 2023, and the formal gardens. The Toy Museum, in the 1836 stables, opened in 1970 and was renovated with National Lottery Heritage Fund support, reopening in July 2025 with about 2,000 toys and games.

Highlights

• Baron's Hall of 1341 with its 60-foot chestnut roof
• Elizabethan Long Gallery and state rooms with portraits and tapestries
• Toy Museum with about 2,000 toys and games, reopened in 2025
• Victorian Kitchen, opened in 2023
• Formal gardens, adventure playground and woodland trail

Permanent exhibitions

• State rooms – Rooms from the medieval Baron's Hall and Crypt to the Elizabethan Long Gallery, with family portraits, tapestries, furniture and a collection of arms and armour.
• Toy Museum – About 2,000 toys and games from the Georgian period to the 1980s, including dolls' houses, toy theatres and mechanical toys, arranged in four themed zones.
• Victorian Kitchen – A restored kitchen opened in 2023 that shows how the heart of a Victorian house worked.

Founded

1341

Operated by

Sidney family (Viscount De L'Isle)

Admission & discounts

There is no pre-booking; tickets are bought on arrival. Members of the Historic Houses association get free access to the house and gardens during the 2026 season. English Heritage members get a free house upgrade when buying a gardens and grounds ticket. RHS members get free gardens-only entry from Monday to Friday, except at weekends, school holidays and bank holidays.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The visitor entrance, cafe and gift shop can be reached by a concrete path from the disabled parking. The house is entered at ground level through the Baron's Hall using portable ramps, but the upper state rooms are reached by a single staircase. The gardens are mostly tarmac and grass paths, though some areas are harder to push a wheelchair along because of terrain and slopes. The Toy Museum has five steps with a handrail and a motorised lift, which is not for pushchairs. Two manual wheelchairs can be hired free of charge at the visitor entrance and should be booked by phone; mobility scooters are allowed at walking pace. Accessible toilets are outside the cafe and near the house entrance. House guides are available in large print and braille, and the Toy Museum has a pictorial and large-print guide. Only assistance dogs may enter the house and gardens.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

The Toy Museum has a trail, an activities area and interactive displays for younger visitors. There is an adventure playground and a woodland trail, and baby-change facilities are at the cafe, the playground, the Lime Walk and the Stable Yard.

Getting there & parking

Penshurst Place is 7 miles from Royal Tunbridge Wells and easily reached from junction 5 of the M25 via the A21 and the Hildenborough exit, then brown signs. Satnav postcode TN11 8DG. Cyclists can follow Regional Cycle Route 12 from Tonbridge, and there are cycle racks outside the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Porcupine Pantry cafe is outside the visitor entrance and open to everyone, and a kiosk by the playground opens on busy days. There is a gift shop and a plant centre. Dogs are welcome in the gift shop and on marked tables in the cafe.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The estate offers weddings, private events, corporate events and team building, and film and photography location hire.

Plan your visit