Kent Historic and Architectural Properties and Gardens

Castles, Abbeys, Churches, Houses, Estates and Gardens, Industrial Heritage attractions and museums (English Heritage / National Trust / others), many with brief details of disabled access.

Along with the attractions listed on this page you may also find places of interest on the Kent Attractions and Nature pages. We suggest that you also visit the pages for the neighbouring counties to see what else there is in the area.

We support ‘Accessible Countryside for Everyone’ in providing a brief guide as to the access / facilities for the sites listed, where we have them.

Belmont House and Gardens - Magnificent neo-classical house, beautiful gardens ste in 3,000 acres, three exciting collections: the armoury, collected by five generations of the Harris family; the Cazabon collection, the finest collection of Cazabon paintings in Britain; and the Clock Museum, an extraordinary horological collection created by the 5th Lord Harris. The gardens consist of a walled garden, pinetum, wooded areas, formal lawns and a large kitchen garden - Harris family - Faversham - we understand that a portable ramp allows wheelchair access to the ground floor of the house and that much of the garden is accessible but please see the access information on their website
www.belmont-house.org

Chartwell - National Trust - Family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill - Westerham - Disabled friendly / facilities but some restricted wheelchair access see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell

Doddington Place Gardens - Oldfield family - 10 acre gardens in area of outstanding natural beauty nr Faversham Disabled friendly / facilities please see website
www.doddingtonplacegardens.co.uk

Down House, The home of Charles Darwin One of the major visitor attractions in the South East. See the study where Darwin wrote 'On the Origin of Species', still as it was when he worked here, and stroll through the extensive gardens that so inspired the great scientist. - English Heritage - Disabled friendly / facilities but restricted wheelchair access see website
www.english-heritage.org.uk

Emmetts Garden - Interesting hillside garden with year-round features - National Trust - Sevenoaks - Disabled & Pushchair friendly / baby changing some steep slopes, uneven paths
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/emmetts-garden

Godinton House & Gardens - Ashford - Tours of the house are led by expert guides unravelling the 600 years of history and revealing an excellent country house collection of furniture, art, porcelain and curios The famous yew hedge surrounds the formal gardens with the wild, Italian and walled gardens beyond, full of colour and interest through the seasons. Events, courses and workshops are run throughout the year, refreshments available in the old Billiard Room - "Partial disabled access around the garden. Disabled access to ground floor of house and tearoom but no access to first floor. Disabled WC near ticket office, please note no disabled WC in the house or inside tearoom".
godintonhouse.co.uk

Goodnestone Park Garden - The gardens have many centuries of history behind them and have been created by generations of the FitzWalter family who have lived here since they built the house - FitzWalter family - Disabled facilities and most areas of the Gardens are accessible to wheelchairs
www.goodnestoneparkgardens.co.uk

Groombridge Place Gardens - award-winning gardens and the delightful enchanted forest with its giant swings, zip wires and Crusoe’s World - Tunbridge Wells - Disabled friendly / facilities but restricted wheelchair access see website
www.groombridge.co.uk

Hever Castle and Gardens - Experience 700 years of history at the romantic double-moated 13th century castle once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the intriguing second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. - Edenbridge - Disabled facilities and most areas of the Gardens are accessible to wheelchairs
www.hevercastle.co.uk

Hole Park Gardens - An attractively laid out, privately owned 16 acre garden set in over 200 acres of superb classic parkland. Hole Park Gardens are open every day in Spring and then Wednesdays and Thursdays from mid-June until end of October - Barham family - Cranbrook - "The garden is accessible to all with a hard surface loop around most of the garden, there are disabled toilets in the Stable Yard
www.holepark.com

Ightham Mote - Outstanding 14th-century moated manor house - National Trust - Sevenoaks - Disabled & Pushchair friendly / baby changing see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote

Knole - Six centuries of history in a treasure house going through vital repairs - National Trust - Sevenoaks - Disabled & Pushchair friendly / baby changing see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knole

Leeds Castle - Leeds Castle Foundation - Set in 500 acres of beautiful parkland, Leeds Castle is the perfect backdrop to your day out - Leeds Castle Enterprise - Maidstone - Disabled friendly / facilities but please see website
www.leeds-castle.com

Lullingstone Castle - Eynsford owned by the Hart Dykes family- Set in 120 acres it is one of England’s oldest family estates, dating back to the time of Domesday. The present Manor House and Gatehouse, which overlook a stunning 15-acre lake, were built in 1497 and have been home to the same family ever since. The World Garden combines plant heritage with cutting-edge horticulture - it is open every Friday (except Good Friday), Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from April until October. The House and Garden also open for pre-booked guided groups (min 20 people) on Wednesdays & Thursdays by arrangement The ground floor of the House is accessible by wheelchair or mobility scooter but the first floor is not. There are 27 steps up to the first floor. The World Garden is accessible by wheelchair or mobility scooter except for the polytunnels. The Church is also accessible. Wheelchairs are available upon request and there are concessions available for those with a disability
www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk

Mount Ephraim Gardens - 10 acres of stunning Edwardian Terraced gardens against a breathtaking backdrop of the Kent countryside - Dawes family - Faversham - we have no disabled access info for this site
www.mountephraimgardens.co.uk

Penshurst Place - Described as “the grandest and most perfectly preserved example of a fortified manor house in all England. The 11 acres of walled gardens are as old as the original house with walls and terraces laid out in the Elizabethan era - Tonbridge - Viscount De L'Isle - Disabled & Pushchair friendly but some restrictions for wheelchairs see website
www.penshurstplace.com

Quebec House - Childhood home of General James Wolfe, victor of the Battle of Quebec (1759) - National Trust - Westerham - restricted wheelchair access please see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quebec-house

Red House - Iconic Arts and Crafts home of William Morris - writer, artist, craftsman and socialist - National Trust - Bexleyheath - partly accessible please see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/red-house

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens - Discover world-class British sculpture, and learn about Riverhill's fascinating history, with its links to Darwin and the Great Plant Hunters, with over 170 years of continual planting and gardening, creating a rich and valuable plant collection for visitors to enjoy there is also a cafe and shop - family-owned and family-run The Riverhill Cafe and Shop and Walled Garden are accessible for wheelchairs but please note there are no disabled toilet facilities and the site has steep gradients and twisty paths.
www.riverhillgardens.co.uk

Scotney Castle - Country house, romantic garden, 14th century moated castle - all in a beautiful wooded estate - National Trust - Tunbridge Wells - partly accessible please see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle

Secret Gardens of Sandwich - At the heart of this stunning Kent attraction stands the Grade I-listed manor house, The Salutation, which was designed by famous English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Lutyens also devised the three-and-a-half acres of ornamental gardens with the help of Gertrude Jekyll - we have no disabled access info for this site
www.the-secretgardens.co.uk

Sissinghurst Castle - The legendary poet and writer, Vita Sackville-West, with her diplomat and author husband, Harold Nicolson, began the transformation of the land at Sissinghurst Castle in the 1930s - National Trust - Disabled & Pushchair friendly / baby changing some restrictions for wheelchairs see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle

South Foreland Lighthouse - A landmark of the White Cliffs, the Victorian lighthouse was built to warn mariners of shifting sands and guide them through the Strait of Dover. A place of innovation and science, the lighthouse was the first to display an electric light anywhere in the world - National Trust - Dover - restricted wheelchair access please see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/south-foreland-lighthouse

Squerryes Court - 17th century manor house which has been in the Ward family since 1731 - Westerham - we have no disabled access info for this site
www.squerryes.co.uk

Stoneacre - Medieval yeoman's house and garden - National Trust - Maidstone - partly accessible please see website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stoneacre

Temple Manor - Part of a manor house of the Knights Templar, built in about 1240, with a fine first floor hall displaying traces of wall paintings - English Heritage - Strood we have no disabled access info for this site
www.english-heritage.org.uk

Upnor Castle - rare example of an Elizabethan artillery fort was begun in 1559 and redeveloped in 1599-1601, to protect warships at Chatham dockyards - English Heritage - Strood - Disabled friendly / facilities restricted wheelchair access see website
www.english-heritage.org.uk