Explore West Dean Gardens

Creatively inspired by its rich heritage and setting, West Dean Gardens is brimming with features to enjoy. An impressive collection of working Victorian Glasshouses, a walled kitchen garden, a 300 foot Edwardian pergola, a sunken garden, and the occasional surreal fibreglass tree offer year-round interest to garden visitors.

You can complete your visit by exploring the delicious seasonal menu available at the Gardens Restaurant, and popping into the gift shop - there's ample to tempt gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

Edwardian Pergola

The impressive 100 metre long pergola was designed by Harold Peto and needed extensive restoration following the 1987 storm. It is host to many varieties of magnolia, clematis, rose and honeysuckle.

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Kitchen Garden at West Dean Gardens Credit Trevor Sims

Walled Kitchen Garden

An inspiring area within the Walled Garden, heaving with fruit, vegetables and cutting flowers. Beautifully laid out in a classic Victorian design.

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Spring Gardens and Pond

The Spring Gardens is a peaceful haven, full of secret walkways, flint bridges and hidden benches to sit a while away an afternoon watching some ducklings on the river.

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Sunken Garden

The beautiful Sunken Garden at West Dean reopened in the Spring of 2014 after a six year period of restoration and in July 2014 was awarded a Sussex Heritage Trust Award - Landscape & Gardens category.

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West Dean's Arboretum

St Roche's Arboretum is a must-see all year-round. Enjoy the abundant display of rhododendrons and azaleas in late spring, and the striking red and orange hues of the leaves in autumn. The 2.5 mile circuit walk encompasses a fine collection of specimen trees and shrubs and breathtaking views of the Sussex Downs and of the flint house of West Dean College.

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Apple Orchard at West Dean Gardens West Sussex

The Orchard

West Dean Garden's celebrated apple collection is housed within and around the Walled Garden. There are over 100 varieties of apple and 45 varieties of pear, including heritage varieties with links to West Sussex, many of them trained into exquisite traditional shapes.

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Victorian Glasshouses

Visitors admiring the hyacinths in the glasshouses

West Dean Gardens has an impressive collection of thirteen working Victorian glasshouses. There is always colour on display from the large collection of plants including exotic plants, orchids, strawberry plants, figs, nectarines, peaches, gourds, grapes and melons.

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Photographic Exhibition

2016 marked 25 years since head gardeners, husband and wife, Jim Buckland and Sarah Wain, began the transformation of West Dean into award-winning gardens, in the wake of the Great Storms of 1987. In the years since 1991, they have revitalised the 19th century landscape and overseen tremendous changes which have brought the gardens international respect for both the quality and variety of horticultural practice.

Visitors can come and see our 25 Years of Glorious Gardening photo exhibition, currently on display in the Mushroom Shed. Free entry with a ticket to the gardens (see current admission prices).

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Support West Dean Gardens

West Dean Gardens is part of a registered charity and its upkeep and care are only possible with the support of generous donors, friends and legacy gifts.

If you share our passion for the gardens and gardening excellence,
please find out how you can help support their upkeep.