going local: an afternoon at scotney castle in lamberhurst

Some places are beautiful and worth a visit all year round, and Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent in the South Eastern part of England is one of those places. The estate is 770 acres with lovely walking paths, a beautiful Victorian manor, gardens and of course the old, ruined 14th century castle with its moat – not to forget a lovely little tea room and a cute shop, or activities and education center for the kids – so much to see and do here!

There are also walled gardens, which they are still restoring, but worth a visit with the little ones as there are also chickens there. Book a good 3-4 hours for the place, then enjoy a cream tea and maybe even visit the  Bayham Old Abbey nearby, which is part of the English Heritage buildings (note: although Scotney Castle is open all year round, the Bayham Old Abbey is closed between October and March).

As we liked this place a lot, we also made a little photo video on Youtube, where we have even more pictures of the Lovely Scotney castle and estate: see the link to the video here.

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Cute entrance to the Victorian manor, the gardens and a 14th-century ruined moated castles through the little shop and cafe building
Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Outbuildings with an adorable clock towerScotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Entrance to the Victorian manorScotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
The entrance is very ornate

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
A walk thought the house transforms you back in time with its beautiful interior

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Dining in style in the formal dining room

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
We wondered if these guns were ever used in battle…

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
The house has impressive views over the valley as it in elevated position

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
We spy the old castle and moat!

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Down we walk towards the quarry garden and the little lake

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Early bloom in quarry garden – the gardens are known for azaleas and rhododendrons in late spring

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Snowdrops everywhere

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Old castle – the part with the turret is still accessible

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
I wonder how this corner looked like before…

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Romantic old ruins

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Walk through the ruins…

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
…and around them to reach…

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
…to a pretty corner by the moat

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Historic kitchen in the old castle

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Boat house over the water

Scotney Castle- A National Trust property in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
A romantic view of the old castle from a tree-covered pathway

activities for the kids
Scotney Castle is one of the most picturesque gardens in England

A visit to National Trust property Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
These paths just call for exploring and walking around!

A visit to National Trust property Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Stroll around the lake – the castle is always visible

A visit to National Trust property Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
Rolling down a steep hill – girls competing a task from the National Trust’s kdis booklet “50 things to do before 11 3/4”

A visit to National Trust property Scotney Castle in Lamberhurst, Kent, UK
A beautiful place to take a break and enjoy the sweeping views