PENSHURST PLACE & GARDENS Near TONBRIDGE
Tel: (01892) 870307 Fax: (01892) 870866 www.penshurstplace.com
Penshurst Place is one of Kent's loveliest historic houses with 10 acres of walled Tudor gardens, set in a peaceful rural setting in the mediaeval village of Penshurst. The oldest part of the house is the Barons Hall, built in 1342 is regarded as one of the best preserved examples of mediaeval domestic architecture in England. A series of Staterooms contain a wonderful collection of portraits, tapestries, furniture, porcelain and armour from the past five centuries. The gardens, largely unaltered since Tudor times, have been developed by generations of the Sidney family who first came to Penshurst in 1552. The walled garden is divided by yew hedging into a series of small garden 'rooms', each with its own colour and season. Today Penshurst Place remains the ancestral home of Viscount De L'Isle and his family, descendant of the famous Elizabethan poet and courtier, Sir Philip Sidney. Modern facilities include a Toy Museum, a Garden Tea Room, Gift Shop, Plant Centre, Venture Playground, and a Woodland trail with plenty of free parking for cars and coaches. Special events at Penshurst Place include an exciting variety of shows in Home Park, drama, falconry, music, historic entertainment and storytelling in the house and grounds.