going local: enchanting doddington place gardens in sittingbourne

I have just made this discovery – after years of wondering what kind of place it might be I finally took the drive to the nearby private gardens called Doddington Place Gardens (located between M20 and M2 in Kent, South East England). And what a pleasant surprise this place was: once you enter the gates there’s a flock of sheep roaming around freely with their little lambs against a beautiful backdrop. Such a storybook beginning!

Doddington Place is private Victorian mansion with ten acres of lush gardens surrounding it. The gardens are considered of being of historical importance by English Heritage and include an Edwardian rock garden with pools, a formal sunk garden, a woodland garden which is at its best in the spring and immaculately manicured lawns with clipped yew hedges. And of course there are far-reaching views of green pastures with horses and sheep grazing.

I managed to choose a rainy day for my visit, but the gardens still looked glorious – and the rain seemed to bring out the contrasting shades of green and pops of pink here and there.

The planters are adorable and the colourful tulips looked magnificent in them. Elsewhere in the garden there were purple and other dark shades which just looked so stunning – something I’d like to add to my gardens for next year!After a relaxing walk in the gardens there is a tea-room on site, where there are home-made lunches and pastries made with local ingredients on offer. 

I would definitely recommend visiting Doddington Place  – it might not be as large as some other National Trust properties, but it’s worth visiting for it beauty. And if you think that these gardens look familiar you are probably right for they have been used in many TV programs and also featured is many magazines. As this is a private house, you need to check the opening hours first, but they are normally open on Wednesdays, Sundays and Bank holidays.