Welcome to Hole Park
A very warm welcome to Hole Park, our family home since 1911. We are the fourth generation to care for and cherish these beautiful gardens, both formal and wild, and are delighted to share them with you, your family and your friends – both two and four-legged. We hope they will bring you as much joy when you visit as they give us every day.
Edward and Clare Barham
Visit us
Our gardens are renowned for spectacular seasonal displays and we are open from 1st April. In Spring the famous bluebell walk is complemented by breathtaking Magnolias and an abundance of wild garlic. These give way to rich formal border displays in Summer, and then to a riot of woodland colour in Autumn. All year round it is framed by 200-acres of classic parkland, offering far-reaching views of the beautiful Wealden landscape.
What our visitors say
Our events
Join us for one of our special events during the year including: a ‘Bubbles and Bluebells’ evening; gardening and conservation workshops; plant fairs; a history of Hole Park tour; the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair and much more besides.
Great Barn Weddings & Celebrations
Searching for a truly distinctive venue for your wedding or special celebration where you have the freedom to choose your own suppliers? Discover our Great Barn or create your own bespoke venue in our parkland setting.
Join us on Instagram and Facebook
Keep up with the changing seasons and what’s happening with our wonderful team as they care for the gardens and wider estate throughout the year.
On Friday (15 May) our ‘early bird’ visitors were able to experience a profusion of bird song in the woodland & gardens before Hole Park opened for the day. A total of 37 different birds were heard and/or seen including: Goldcrests, Yellowhammers, Song Thrushes, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Bullfinches and Dunnocks alongside more regular birds such as Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Wrens and Robins. There was also a wonderful aerobatic display from Hole Park’s House-Martins, darting and diving for insects. These agile stars of the sky return to Hole Park every year to nest and rear the next generation.
The two hour tours were expertly guided by Kent ornithologist & naturalist Chris Gillard of @wildstartsuk who also talked about habitats, behaviours and food sources along the way. He also pointed out at least four different types of bumblebee – Red-tailed; Carder; Buff-tailed and Tree) in the gardens as well as the Great Crested Newts that inhabit the ponds.
#nature #birdsong #rspb #savethebees #wildlife
May 18
We’re in awe: no Ai needed to enhance these colours as the azalea and rhododendron display approaches its peak. Many of the varieties are scented too so walking through a tunnel of tangerine and pink flowers is a full sensory experience. Come and immerse yourself! We are open every day from 11am-6pm. Book via the website to save.
📷 courtesy of @ajmsnaps / Alison Miles
May 16
It’s #worldtopiaryday celebrating the ancient & beautiful horticultural art of shaping hedges, trees and shrubs into creative ornamental forms.
Giving the impressive Yew hedges and trees at Hole Park their annual ‘haircut’ takes two people some four weeks to complete – if uninterrupted and if there are no other tasks to do. The process starts in early August and produces approximately 2 tonnes of clippings, which are composted and put back on the borders so nothing goes to waste.
📷 @ajmsnaps and @qjstark
#topiary #gardening #historicgarden #capturingbritain
May 10
The Dawn Chorus is one of those unmissable, magical Spring experiences and it’s at its height at Hole Park right now. More than 30 different species are to be heard in the woods and gardens, including: chiffchaff, blackcap, song thrush and goldcrest along with the more familiar robins & blackbirds. And we know there are nightingales around too! So if you’re an early bird – or happy to set your alarm – join us at 6:30am this coming Friday 15th May for an exclusive 2-hour guided Dawn chorus experience with ornithologist Chris Gillard from @wildstartsuk
At 9am Chris will also lead a nature walk, taking in both birds and the wider wildlife in the gardens, including butterflies, bumble bees, amphibians and the habitats on which they depend.
Visit the website to book. Tickets include complementary coffee or tea and garden entry for the day. There’s a discount if you book for both events.
Bird 📷 by David Campbell, Wildstarts
#dawnchorus #birdsong #wildlife #gardenbirds #nature
@visitashfordtenterden @visitkent @mytenterden @visitkent @natureinbritain @mytunbridgewells @communityad @kent_online @kentlivenews
May 9
From one local treasure celebrating a Centenary, to an international treasure celebrating the same – Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough.
A century of excellence each in very different ways; yet united in inspiring pride and admiration and, here at Hole Park, in a shared appreciation for the beauty of the natural world.
With warmest congratulations Sir! #davidattenborough #centenary #rollsroyce #100thbirthday #holeparkgardens
May 8
It’s Friday and the gardens are full of vibrant colour, ready to welcome everyone this weekend. A special sight to greet you as you arrive at the house is this glorious climbing Rosa Banksiae ‘Lutea’ (yellow banksia rose). It always blooms beautifully in late Spring/early Summer but this year it is looking particularly stunning and smelling delicious. We’re open from 11am every day – see you soon!
#rose #climbingrose #garden #kent #beautifulbritain
May 8
This birdsong was captured at 11am, when our gardens open to the public – peaceful, but only a fraction of what dawn brings.
At 7am, the soundtrack is entirely more!
Robins, blackbirds, wrens and tits are soon joined by chiffchaffs, blackcaps, song thrushes and woodpeckers, with calls travelling through woodland before the day truly begins.
Join our Dawn Chorus Experience on Friday 15 May with expert ornithologist Chris Gillard of Wildstarts — limited to just 10 guests.
☕ Arrive 6.30am for a complimentary coffee, then we set off at 6.45am for peak birdsong.
Experience it properly on Friday 15 May, with our expert‑led Dawn Chorus walk (6.30–9am), limited to just 10 people. £49 per person includes entry to the gardens until 6pm.
🎧 Turn the sound on
🌿 Then imagine more
🔗 Book via the link in our bio
#birding #ornithology #wildlifewalk #dawnchorus #natureandwellbeing @visitashfordtenterden @visitkent @ajmsnaps @mytenterden @visit_tunbridgewells
May 5
We promised you more colour and here it is! This reel captures the magnificent kaleidoscope being provided by Hole Park’s rhododendrons and azaleas as their display begins around the gardens – from yellow and apricot to vibrant pink and tangerine. And more are coming into flower every day to delight the senses. The light rain will have given them an additional boost too. The next spectacle to enjoy at Hole Park 🩷🧡💛🤍❤️
#rhododendrons #azaleas #colourfull #capturingbritain #gardenphotography
May 3
There is so much new colour and fragrance here at Hole Park that we can’t fit it all into just one reel, so this is Part 1: the wonder of wisteria.
These beautiful climbers feature on the side of the house, within the long borders and in spectacular style in the Vineyard. In this tranquil garden ‘room’, there are both standard tree forms, with a unique umbrella display, and a delightful fragrant curtain across the pergola walk. We wish we had ‘smell-a-vision’ to covey their gorgeous perfume. Visit us soon to experience this latest Spring beauty. We are open every day 11am-6pm.
📹📷 Parts 2&3 to come!
#spring #wisteria #kent #gardens #capturingbritain
May 2
Our 1926 Rolls Royce is turning 100 – and we’ve launched a visitor competition to celebrate.
Visit Hole Park over the next 20 days, find the special code in the front seat, then enter online (or using a paper form onsite).
The winner will be drawn at random at our birthday party for this beautiful historic vehicle on Monday 25th May.
Full details are on the Rolls-Royce Centenary page on our website #holeparkgardens #visitashfordandtenterden #rollsroyce #vintagecar #kentgardens @visitashfordtenterden @visitkent @ajmsnaps @mytenterden @visit_tunbridgewells
May 1
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