tasting the spring in wakehurst place
Spring is in the air – the sun is out and little flowers are coming out everywhere. It is starting look prettier and greener by the day! Today we spent the first half of the day buying new wellies, and then testing them in one of the most popular National Trust properties – the Wakehurst Place. There is a mansion here too, but people come here more to enjoy the magnificent gardens and the views of surrounding landscape – as well as exploring the largest seed bank in the world.
We love exploring country houses, castles and gardens and normally there is plenty to see for everyone – kids get fresh air, exercise and fun riddles and activities to solve while parents get to relax, enjoy the beauty of the nature and a cup of coffee or tea with some lovely home-made pastries. This was our second visit to Wakehurst Place and we still haven’t seen everything this place has to offer: lakes, streams, formal gardens, themed Himalayan and other gardens, koi carps, kids activities, family trail – oh you name it!
As it is still winter, the gates close rather early (4.30 pm), so make sure you get there early enough as the tour around the estate is around 4km (2.5 miles). I’d recommend that you join the National Trust too if you like exploring these sort of places – as the low annual membership fee pays itself back after just a few visits and you get a handy map, property handbook, magazines and all those activities for kids – Miss A. is just loving completing her “50 things to do before you are 11/34 years” – workbook. This is the good life: happy family enjoying the countryside together!
Miss A. reading family trail clues
Wakehurst Place mansion
Mansion gardens
Mansion pond
Solar clock
Learning about hummingbirds
Black pond with large koi karps
Crocus time
Art on the grounds – giant fly
Kids just wanna have fun
Exploring the compost corner and water gardens
Spiky art – seedlings?
Exploring little paths and bridges
On trail towards Himalayan Glade
Himalayan Glade
Trails are well marked
View from Pinetum towards Horsebridge Wood
Past the Southern Hemisphere Garden and Walled Gardens back to the Mansion
Colour is everywhere – whites, yellows, pinks, purples keep coming up in different parts of the gardens
A peek into the walled garden
The Mansion is very rustic with pretty details
A lovely cafe on the grounds – as the place is also part of the Kew Gardens, the shop is large and has a very impressive selection of goods (lovely wellies too, which you should have in spring time if you wander out to pinetum and other wet parts)