Hole Park Gardens

Today I was invited by Quentin, the head gardener, at Hole Park Gardens for a tour of their beautiful gardens, ahead of the reopening to the public on Thursday 1st April.

I have always wanted to visit but for one reason or another not ever got around to doing so. They are famous for their bluebell display and, after visiting today, I am so eager to return to see the woodland covered in a carpet of blue and wild garlic. The scents will be divine.

Hole Park is home to the Barhams family who currently reside here with their children making them fourth and fifth generations to cherish this wonderful place to live! From April to October they open up the grounds to the public to explore the 16 acres of gardens.

The gardens include many stunning features such as the walled garden, the Eagle Slayer statue, the sundial garden, a rockery, the dell, an ice house, Camelia walk, egg pond, Millennium garden, the pine walk, the woodland garden, to name but a few.

Quentin explained the family history of the estate which started from relatively humble beginnings; George Barham had the idea of bringing fresh milk into London on the newly available trains using refrigeration. This did away with the backstreet dairies which were known to be a source of disease and of dubious quality. George became known as the father of the British dairying industry. By 1885 he was bringing 30,000 gallons of milk into London every night.

You may have also heard of 'The Old Dairy' beer brewing company, which started in the dairy here at Hole Park, before moving to larger premises in Tenterden.

The garden has tentatively started its Spring display; we were welcomed by magnolia trees, flurries of daffodils, cherry blossoms, hyacinths and much more. Quentin was so knowledgeable and passionate about his work and, having worked here 20 years, he knows every inch of the garden like the back of his hand!

I had dressed a little inappropriately for the weather, the forecast for the UK in the next few days is set to go to 20 degrees, but it was very windy today and I did spend most of it wishing I had warm gloves on.

Hole Park is located in the High Weald area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Not far from the pretty Kent villages of Benenden and Rolvenden, it is a lovely part of the world to discover.

The gardens also have lovely tea room that serves light lunches and afternoon teas in the stable yard coach house. 

Hole Park can be hired for weddings and events and they host evenings like 'Proms Spectacular', so it's worth keeping an eye on their social media to see what they have planned for the year.

Quentin has kindly invited me to return in late April/May once the bluebells are out and he has also mentioned that there will also be lots of wisteria on display which is one of my favourites. I will be sure to post another blog on this to show the difference in the gardens.

Pictured above is of the Eagle Slayer. The statue is an interpretation of one of Aesop's fables; the eagle has just slain a lamb and the shepherd boy is exacting his revenge for doing so. However on a previous visit the eagle had left a feather, in the same way that he has on this occasion, and from such a prize feather the shepherd boy has been able to fashion the most accurate arrow with which to shoot the eagle upon his return. The moral of the story being "We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction".

I really liked how some of the garden areas were pristine and there were others areas that had a more wild feel about them, as nature intended. No two areas looked the same and there was so much to stop and marvel at.

To the front of the house, the fountain pool contains lead figures of cherubs and dolphins modelled for this position by Gilbert Bayes in 1913. To either side are large 'pianos' of yew giving a foretaste of the extensive yew hedges that follow.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit today and am very much looking forward to returning.

This was a gifted visit but all of the opinions are my own and I would only write and promote places to visit if I honestly thought it was worth it and Hole Park is no exception.