Peonies at Penshurst Place

 

I have been signed up to the Penshurst Place peony watch newsletter for a year now, I never want to miss the chance to see these beauties! 

We did have tickets booked to re-visit Little Budd's Farm but decided against it as it's an hours drive from us and we already took 1000 photos and bought a plant, so weren't sure of the point of going again!

So when I received an email notifying me that the peonies are in their full splendour of course I am going to schedule a visit.

Plus I just joined Historic Houses so I thought it was right I used my shiny new membership card!

Historic Houses has a ton of places in Kent, Sussex and beyond. It only cost me £50 for a years membership and once I have visited a couple of venues I will have made my money back. I'm annoyed I didn't join sooner!

Penshurst Place is part of the scheme (not sure if that is the correct phrasing) and its only down the road from me so I enjoyed a sunny afternoon with pretty much the whole venue to myself to explore. I love it when that happens.

It's incredibly romantic. The gardens are extensive and differ greatly from each other, some are well manicured, some have tall wild grass. The peony border was the main reason for my visit but I loved being there and enjoying the slower pace, taking it all in.

I could quite see myself as the Lady of the manor, or some foolish teen in love and desperate to run away with the local butcher.

The only thing that spoilt my afternoon was when I got there, I soon realised my memory card in my camera wasn't working, or it wasn't being recognised? Either way, I didn't take these photo's with my camera and despite being pleased with what I took, I just know that the quality is so much better on the camera. I need to look into what's wrong as I still have space on the memory card.

Anyway, enough waffle about my first world woes. Lets have a little history of who lived here.

Penshurst Place has been home to the Sidney family since 1552 making it one of the oldest family-owned estates in England.

Surrounded by 11 acres of walled formal gardens and housing one of the few surviving medieval Baronial Halls in England, Penshurst Place is an historical gem in the Weald of Kent countryside. The stately home and gardens were once used as a hunting lodge for King Henry VIII, and now feature beautiful staterooms and grounds that are frequently showcased in popular TV and film productions.

Among the staterooms visitors to this historic family home will find The Solar, Queen Elizabeth Room and Long Gallery, which contain a collection of family portraits from across the centuries, antique furniture and skilfully crafted tapestries. Outside, visitors can enjoy a stroll through the 11 acres of formal walled Gardens, discovering hidden corners brimming with fruit trees, an abundance of tulips, roses, colourful borders and water features.

The scent of the peonies was incredible! They are one of my favourite flowers and it was so lovely to see so many in bloom. Please don't ask me what type of flower they are as I know peonies come in  many different varieties.

Once I was done exploring I went for a quick explore around the village. I have been a couple of times before but I like to revisit and recapture in case I can improve from the last time.

The light can make such a difference with photography and with today's low sunlight it did give it a soft glow.

I was tempted to dive into the pub for a quick drink but decided against it, as its cheaper to drink at home! 

Penshurst Place tickets cost around £11 depending on whether you want to visit the gardens or a bit more if you want to enter the house and with lockdown measures still in place, you do need to buy tickets in advance.