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Ruined medieval castle. Victorian mansion house. Rolling parkland. Ancient woodland. Picturesque garden. With romance, drama and nature around every corner, Scotney is truly a castle for all seasons.
Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 8JN
Book a visitAsset | Opening time |
---|---|
Garden | 10:00 - 17:00 |
Estate walks | 10:00 - 17:00 |
House | 11:00 - 16:30 |
Old Castle | 11:00 - 16:00 |
Shop | 10:00 - 17:00 |
Tea-room | 10:00 - 17:00 |
From 15 April to 9 May, and again from 19 to 31 May, the old castle will open to visitors subject to the availability of volunteers. From Friday 10 May - Saturday 18 May 2024 inclusive: The whole property will be closed for filming. There will be no public access to the drive, car park, house, old castle, garden, tea-room and shops. In addition the mansion house will be closed on Thursday 9 May.
Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
---|---|---|
Adult | £18.70 | £17.00 |
Child | £9.40 | £8.50 |
Family | £46.80 | £42.50 |
Family 1 adult, 3 children (under 5s are free) | £28.10 | £25.50 |
Group Adult | £16.15 | |
Group Child | £8.08 |
Betsy's second-hand book shop can be found at the Visitor Entrance and is currently open 10am to 3.30pm daily. There is a wide-ranging stock that includes cookery, gardening, crafts, sport, biography, history, art, novels, collectables and a children's corner.
During the summer months a kiosk selling hot and cold drinks, snacks and ice creams is open in the courtyard and there's also a kiosk at the old castle selling human (and dog) ice creams.
The Coach House tea-room sells a wide range of snacks, hot and cold lunch items, hot and cold drinks, cakes, biscuits, ice-creams and children's meals. The menu changes daily and seasonally. Opening hours are on the website. Indoor and outdoor seating available.
The plant shop in the courtyard stocks garden ornaments, large pots, and a wide range of perennials, all grown in peat-free compost and many in 'hairy' compostable pots.
To guarantee entry to Scotney Castle you need to book your parking space in advance of your visit via the Scotney homepage or the National Trust app. If you are unable to book using either of these methods please call Supporter Services on 0344 249 1895.
The shop sells a wide range of souvenirs and items, homeware, fashion items, garden accessories, plants, stationery, food and drink. Opening hours are on the website.
We welcome dogs on short leads at Scotney. They are allowed in the garden, shop, the outside eating area of the tea-room and on the wider estate, but only assistance dogs are allowed in the mansion house and walled garden.
The Coach House tea-room sells a wide range of snacks, hot and cold lunch items, hot and cold drinks, cakes, biscuits, ice-creams and children's meals. The menu changes daily and seasonally. Opening hours are on the website.
There are regular free guided estate tours and garden tours. Details are on the 'What's On' section of the website.
Toilets and changing facilities for babies and toddlers are available by the courtyard tea-room and by the Scotney property office. Accessible toilets are in the courtyard only.
Accessible parking spaces in main car park. (To guarantee entry please pre-book your parking space via the Scotney website or the NT app by 9am on the day of your visit.) Accessible toilets and changing facilities in the tea-room courtyard. Garden is steep but is criss-crossed by many accessible paths. Motorised mobility scooters and manual wheelchairs are available to borrow – please ring 01892 893820 for more information or to reserve one.
Much of Scotney's garden and some of Scotney's estate, park and woodland is accessible. Most of the paths in the garden are suitable for buggies and mobility vehicles. Ask our visitor welcome team for details on arrival. Powered mobility scooters and manual wheelchairs are available to borrow and can be booked in advance by calling 01892 893820.
There is an external lift that gives access to the ground floor of the mansion house for wheelchairs. For visitors unable to use the stairs to the upper floor a video tour of the upstairs rooms is available. Just ask one of our room guides.
There are accessible toilets by the courtyard tea-room.
Two powered mobility scooters are available to borrow. To book one call the Scotney Property Office on 01892 893820.
There are designated accessible parking spaces on-site. Please note all parking needs to be booked via the Scotney website or NT app.
There are steep slopes across the garden. There is ramped access into the shop.
There are induction loop systems at Visitor Entrance, in the shop and in the tea-room.
There are benches throughout the garden, and a large number of accessible picnic tables in the tea-room courtyard and lawn area.
Access to the food outlets in the courtyard is level but uneven in places.
There are certain areas of the site where there are steps and/or uneven ground eg. the quarry garden and the lower terrace. Please ask our visitor welcome team for details on arrival.
The shop has two entrances - one is level and one has ramped access.
Video tour available on request for visitors unable to visit the upstairs of the mansion house.
There is level access from the car park to the shop, tea-room and mansion house.
We can provide a manual wheelchair or motorised mobility scooter for your visit. To book one please telephone the Scotney Property Office on 01892 893820.
Signposted from A21 at Lamberhurst
Parking: All visitors should book their parking in advance via the Scotney website or the NT app. You can book up to 9am on the day of your visit, subject to spaces being available. Accessible parking spaces are available. If you experience any difficulties booking online please call 0344 249 1895. Please note that if the car park is full and you have not reserved your parking space you will not be able to enter.
Sat Nav: For sat nav please use the postcode TN3 8JN or TN3 8JD. Once on the A21 please follow the brown tourist information signs with the National Trust oak leaf for Scotney Castle. Please note there is no access via Finchcocks, Goudhurst.
Links to local footpath network.
Wadhurst 5½ miles
The 256 Tunbridge Wells to Wadhurst Autocar service runs via Lamberhurst Monday to Friday.
The only way to guarantee entry to this fairy-tale castle, mansion house and garden is to book your car parking in advance. Learn how to do this, plus what to do if you're arriving by other means.
Discover your very own fairy-tale castle tucked away amongst acres of park and woodland, or get involved with some of the family-friendly events and activities running all year round at Scotney Castle and start making memories.
From hidden doors and secret priest holes to amazing collections of art, costume, books, furniture and silverware, discover the two separate but linked dwellings at Scotney.
Discover the Picturesque garden and wider estate at Scotney Castle. Take time to look around as you explore and discover endless vistas and interesting angles for photographs.
Whether you're enjoying a walk through the estate together, soaking up the beauty of the formal garden or popping in for a cuppa, here's everything you need to know about bringing your dog to Scotney Castle, a 3 paw print National Trust place.
Discover our glorious spring/summer range in our main Courtyard shop. Pick up a perfect new accessory for yourself or your home - from gorgeous garden goods and wonderful printed scarves to embroidered cushions and beautiful ceramics. And do pop into the second-hand bookshop by the Visitor Entrance before you leave to discover some bargain recycled reads.
There's nothing better than a warm spring day: fresh air, sunshine and food enjoyed in the outdoors. Whether you're going for the full lunch option or just a snack to keep you going 'til tea, there's a full range of savouries and bakes to entice you. And if the English weather doesn't play ball there'll always be jacket potatoes and fish finger sandwiches ...
Find out the benefits of group visits to Scotney Castle, from dedicated coach parking to guaranteed house admission and personalised garden tours.
The romantic ruined medieval castle sits on its own moated island and forms the centrepiece of Edward Hussey III's visionary Picturesque garden. The castle is currently closed for the winter season. It is open for the 2024 season from 15 April until 20 October inclusive .
With one of the largest and most eclectic collections in the National Trust the mansion house, built in the mid-19th century by Edward Hussey III, combines the formality of Victorian design with the relaxed sociability of family life. The house will be open until 3 November when it will close briefly for cleaning, conservation work and decorating for Christmas before re-opening on 23 November.
Scotney has one of the best examples of a Picturesque-designed garden in the United Kingdom. With a moat, quarry garden, woodland glade, hidden walkways, heather-thatched icehouse, Victorian boathouse, and expansive views across the wider estate, the edges between tamed and wild nature are deliberately blurred. The separate one-acre octagonal walled kitchen garden is filled with wall-trained and standard fruit trees, vegetable beds and flowers for cutting.
Nestled in the Bewl valley, the ancient woods and parkland of Scotney's 780-acre estate are criss-crossed by waymarked routes, one of which leads to the last working hop farm in the National Trust. Much of the estate is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is home to many rare species of flora and fauna. Grazing the North Park area of the estate are a small herd of native-breed Longhorn and Sussex cattle.
Scotney's well-stocked second-hand bookshop by Visitor Entrance is full of pre-loved titles from as little as 50 pence. The regularly-refreshed shelves are crammed with fiction, non-fiction, collectable titles and a children’s corner. Powered by donations and volunteers, every purchase made directly helps us to care for Scotney Castle.
With a moated castle, hidden paths, natural play areas, parkland and woodland to explore, and a packed programme of family activities, there's lots to keep younger visitors happy. There are buggy-friendly paths around the garden, baby and toddler change facilities in the Courtyard, and children's meals available in the tea-room.
With 780 acres of estate covering woodland and parkland, we've certainly got plenty of exhilarating walks to enjoy, but we do ask that dogs are on leads at all times to protect livestock and wildlife. Dog water bowls, poop bins and paw wash facilities are available, and doggy ice-creams are on sale for post-walk treats. Well-behaved dogs on leads are very welcome in the main garden, shops and outside areas of the tea-room, but only assistance dogs may go into the mansion house and walled garden. Dogs are generally also welcome inside the tea-room but, during certain peak times, we regret this may not be possible.
Discover what 10 pairs of underpants, Grandma's false teeth, burnt broccoli, a rubber chicken, a beloved acorn and the complete works of Charles Dickens have in common this half term at Scotney Castle and spin your own classic story-time adventure. Trail costs £3 - usual admission applies. Suitable for children aged 3 to 10 years.
With a display in the old castle and a trail in the garden, 'Changed Priorities Ahead' showcases the work of nature artist, Nessie Ramm. Nessie paints our native wildflowers with exquisite detail as they thrive undisturbed on roundabouts, slip roads and laybys. With metal road signs as her 'canvas', her large-scale art renders visible the wildness and value of these unloved spaces. This display is a call to put away our strimmers and re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world. Entry to the display and trail is included in the general admission.
Discover walks, talks and tours celebrating the natural world this Great Big Green Week. Hear from our specialist garden and ranger team and learn about bees, butterflies, dragonflies and pollinators, gardening for climate change, pond dipping, growing vegetables and cut flowers. Entry included with admission.
On 14 and 15 September, why not visit the Heritage & Harvest Autumn Fair at Scotney Castle? Entry is included with your admission (free for NT members). Browse the craft and artisan stalls in our Makers' Market area, meet the heavy horses back to cut the meadow grass, enjoy displays of traditional skills such as falconry and blacksmithing, and take part in have-a-go activities.
Episode 3 of the BBC's Hidden Treasures of the National Trust (series 2) is all about the traditional country house. At Scotney you'll discover the role its final resident, Christopher Hussey, made to safeguarding these places after the second world war, and see the conservation work on tables designed by Scotney's architect, Anthony Salvin, who also worked on Windsor Castle, Alnwick Castle and the Tower of London.
With a display in the old castle and a trail in the garden, 'Changed Priorities Ahead' showcases the work of nature artist, Nessie Ramm. Nessie paints our native wildflowers with exquisite detail as they thrive undisturbed on roundabouts, slip roads and laybys. Using metal road signs as her canvas, her large-scale art renders visible the wildness and value of these unloved spaces.
Join us at Scotney for a week long programme of green-themed activities to celebrate Great Big Green Week.
Discover your very own fairy-tale castle tucked away amongst acres of park and woodland, or get involved with some of the family-friendly events and activities running all year round at Scotney Castle and start making memories.
Discover the Picturesque garden and wider estate at Scotney Castle. Take time to look around as you explore and discover endless vistas and interesting angles for photographs.
Discover the story behind Scotney's famous ruined castle and explore its stunning 'double island' setting.
From secret doors to ornate furniture and amazing collections of art, costume, books and silverware, find out about the house at Scotney Castle and how the Hussey family made it a home.
Follow the trail to discover historic parkland, take in the view of Scotney Castle and discover fascinating features of the Scotney estate in Kent.
A pretty gatehouse on the Scotney Castle estate, with a tucked-away garden.
Join one of our estate guides on a tour around Scotney's woods and parklands to see seasonal flora and fauna and learn about the history of Scotney. This tour is included in your entry to Scotney.
Scotney has one of the best examples of a garden designed along Picturesque principles in the United Kingdom. Join our guided garden tours (free with your entry ticket) to discover what this means.
The mainstay of many an English garden, there is something magical about a herbaceous border. Hear how we plan, plant and care for our borders here at Scotney.
Discover what 10 pairs of underpants, Grandma's false teeth, burnt broccoli, a rubber chicken, a beloved acorn and the complete works of Charles Dickens have in common this half-term at Scotney Castle ...
Learn how to use a camera to capture light, colour and shade this half-term in the beautiful surroundings of Scotney Castle.
This outdoor photography workshop is a perfect opportunity to learn how to capture the beautiful spring colour in Scotney's garden.
Teazels, cowslips, toadflax, vetch ... Discover the wildflower paintings of contemporary landscape artist, Nessie Ramm, displayed both inside the old castle and doors and as a trail in the garden.
Join us for a week long programme of green-themed walks, talks and tours for Great Big Green Week.
Discover this fairytale medieval moated castle and Victorian country mansion set within one of the UK's best examples of a Picturesque garden. Explore the well-loved family home, stroll in the walled kitchen garden, and venture onto the 780-acre estate to enjoy open parkland and ancient woodland. Check the Things to See and Do section to find special events at Scotney.
Join the volunteer team at Scotney Castle and help to make a real difference to this special place whilst learning new skills and making friends.
Discover our plans for new sub-tropical garden at Scotney nestled within the inner courtyard of the old ruined castle as part of Scotney's work to mitigate against the effects of climate change.
Discover some of what happens behind the scenes to care for the house and garden at Scotney Castle in Kent.
Discover how we're working with Kent Wildlife Trust to help manage the grassland on part of the Scotney estate.
Discover the long and rich history of Scotney Castle and its journey with the Hussey family from moated castle to idyllic country estate.
Growing and harvesting hops is a big part of the Scotney Castle estate’s history. Discover Anne’s story, who picked hops nearby in the 1950s.
Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Scotney Castle on the National Trust Collections website.
Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership. Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever.