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Smallhythe Place
Ellen Terry's early 16th-century house and cottage gardens
Smallhythe, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7NG
Important notice
Smallhythe Place is now closed for the winter season and will reopen on Wednesday 26 February 2025.
Opening times for 28 November 2024
Asset Opening time House Closed Garden Closed Tea-room Closed The house, garden, and tea room will reopen from Wednesday 26 February 2025.
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Parking is free of charge and can be found next to the property in a layby 50 yards from the house. Extra parking is available further along the main road in the Church car park.
Tea-room
The Theatre Tea Room is located next to the Barn Theatre, and serves drinks, cakes, light lunches and snacks.
Dogs allowed
Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds but regrettably are not allowed in the house or theatre.
Toilet
Toilets are located in the garden beside the theatre.
No allocated blue badge parking spaces, drop-off at the main gate. Portable ramp for entry to Museum, toilets and tea-room. Ground floor of Museum is wheelchair accessible, restricted access to the upper floor. Two unfenced ponds around the garden.
Drop-off point
Blue badge holders are welcome to drop off at the main gate to the property but there are no allocated parking spaces.
Steps/uneven terrain
Ground floor of Museum is wheelchair accessible, however there is restricted access to the upper floor. Please speak to Visitor Reception for alternative visual aids. Wheelchair users might find some areas of our garden challenging due to uneven paths and steps, please take care.
Ramped access/slopes
A portable ramp is available for entry into the Museum, Tea-room and toilets. Please speak to Visitor Reception
Wheelchairs available
Please ask staff on arrival for assistance.
Seating available
Picnics are welcome in the gardens on our picnic tables located beside the theatre. We politely ask you to take your rubbish home with you.
By road
on east side of Rye road (B2082)
Parking: free (not National Trust), 50 yards
By train
Rye 8 miles; Appledore 8 miles; Headcorn 10 miles
By bus
from Rye to Tenterden
By bicycle
Planning your visit
The Beetlewing dress returns
In 2024, Ellen Terry's famous Beetlewing dress returned from its starring role in touring exhibitions and is now back home at Smallhythe Place.
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The Ellen Terry museum at Smallhythe Place
Step into the Ellen Terry Museum at Smallhythe Place, a creative haven dedicated to the late Victorian actress, curated by her daughter Edy Craig.
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Visiting Smallhythe Place with your dog
Smallhythe Place is a one pawprint rated place. Dogs are welcome around the grounds on leads. Here's some useful information to help you enjoy your walk.
Venue hire
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Weddings and venue hire at Smallhythe Place
Hire the unique Barn Theatre venue in the Kent countryside for your weddings, events, and functions.
Highlights
The Ellen Terry Museum
The early 16th-century house, once home to renowned Victorian actress Ellen Terry. After her death in 1928, it was transformed into a museum displaying her collection.
Barn Theatre
Seventeenth-century thatched Barn Theatre, keeping Ellen's legacy alive with a diverse programme of productions in the theatre throughout the year.
Garden
A sprawling garden made up of a traditional rose garden, featuring the Ellen Terry rose, orchard, nuttery and ponds.
Rose Arbour
A 55m long rose pergola, with 52 roses of 9 varieties flowering from May to July.
Writing Hut
Built in the early 1900s as a writing space for Christopher St. John, the hut faces the herb garden just below the house she shared with Edy Craig and Clare Atwood.
The Costume Room
A display room within Smallhythe Place showing costumes from Ellen Terry's collection.
Eating
The Theatre Tea Room serves drinks, cakes and snacks. Located next to the Barn Theatre, it enjoys views of the Kent countryside.
Things to see and do
Article
The Ellen Terry museum at Smallhythe Place
Step into the Ellen Terry Museum at Smallhythe Place, a creative haven dedicated to the late Victorian actress, curated by her daughter Edy Craig.
Article
The Barn Theatre at Smallhythe Place
Step into the theatrical world at Smallhythe Place and experience live performances in the National Trust's only working theatre.
Article
Theatrical Mementoes at Smallhythe Place
From scripts and costumes to props, discover what theatrical treasures you can see at Smallhythe Place.
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Family activities at Smallhythe Place
Discover what's on offer for families throughout our open season.
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The garden at Smallhythe Place
Discover this charming cottage garden surrounding the house, with borders packed full of flowers, an orchard underplanted with bulbs and roses tumbling over the front of the house.
Eating
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Eating at Smallhythe Place
Complete your visit to Smallhythe Place with a bite to eat in our quaint tea room, nestled within the 17th century Barn Theatre.
Places to stay
2 Bettenham Cottages
Immerse yourself in rolling farmland and peaceful countryside. This cosy cottage is the perfect getaway for friends, family and one well-behaved dog.
Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse
Located on the grounds of Sissinghurst Castle Garden, this stunning Victorian Farmhouse offers a luxurious bed and breakfast service in the very heart of the Weald of Kent.
Priest's House
Sitting on the edge of Sissinghurst Castle’s gardens, this is the perfect spot for garden lovers.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Smallhythe Place
Built in the early 16th-century when Smallhythe was a thriving shipbuilding port, Smallhythe Place was later purchased by renowned Victorian actress, Ellen Terry, in 1899. A year after her passing in 1928 her daughter, Edith Craig, transformed the house into a museum which now displays a fascinating personal and theatrical collection that reflects Ellen's extraordinary career and unconventional private life.
Latest news
News
Exploring Smallhythe Place: Archaeological Investigations by the River Rother
Between 2021-2023, a team of archaeologists have dug trenches in and around Smallhythe Place, revisiting a site once investigated by the Time Team. In August 2023, the team returned for a third dig. Discover more about their work here.
History
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The history of Smallhythe Place
Discover the history of Smallhythe Place, from a centre for royal ship building to the home of Ellen Terry, one of the most famous Shakespearean actors of the Victorian times.
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LGBTQ+ history at Smallhythe Place
Learn about the lives of the extraordinary women who transformed Smallhythe Place into a creative haven, and a space now remembered for its local LGBTQ+ heritage.
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Who was Edith Craig?
Find out more about Edith Craig and her work with partner Christopher St John to further the suffrage movement’s cause for the right to vote.
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The shipyard and port at Smallhythe
The community of workers living in Smallhythe made it a thriving and successful port. Learn about what was there before the shipyard’s decline in the 16th century.
Art and collections
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Costume conservation
Discover the painstaking processes behind restoring some of the most beloved costumes in Smallhythe's collection.
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Pamela Coleman Smith at Smallhythe Place
Discover the work displayed at Smallhythe Place by Pamela Coleman Smith, illustrator, designer and close friend to Ellen Terry.
Project
Project
Conserving the Embroidered Cushion at Smallhythe Place
Conservator, Tabby Gibbs, tells us about the process of treating the embroidered cushion from Ellen Terry’s bedroom.
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust
Follow the journey of conservation at the places in our care in a new series, Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, broadcast on the BBC. Go behind the scenes and hear from the experts and conservators who look after many treasured objects, including Ellen Terry's famous Beetlewing dress and a collection of illustrations by Pamela Coleman Smith at Smallhythe Place. Catch up on our episode on BBC iPlayer here.
Our work
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Smallhythe Place’s famous patron, Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley follows in some famous footsteps as patron of the Barn Theatre. Discover how her local connections, love of the stage and acting pedigree make her the perfect choice.
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Our work at Smallhythe Place
Find out about the work we do in the winter months to maintain and conserve the museum, house, theatre and garden at Smallhythe, ready for the next season, including costume conservation.
Support us
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Volunteer opportunities at Smallhythe Place
Join the volunteer team at Smallhythe Place working to preserve and share the story of actor Ellen Terry’s historic home.