Discover Penshurst

A trip to Penshurst can bring together a range of interests: the architectural history of Penshurst Place, its gardens, the Church of St John the Baptist, and walking and cycling. With its Baron’s Hall, Italian Garden and garden rooms, Penshurst Place covers several of these themes; the church offers a historical focus of its own. If you are looking for a hotel in Penshurst, you might consider whether you want to focus mainly on architectural history, gardens or time outdoors.

History and architecture

The medieval Baron’s Hall at Penshurst Place was completed in 1341 as a country residence for the Lord Mayor of London. Penshurst Place was once used by King Henry VIII as a hunting lodge. The hall anchors the estate in medieval architectural history, while its use as a hunting lodge adds another historical function to the picture.

The Church of St John the Baptist has Norman origins; its north aisle has a 13th-century arcade. An arcade is a series of arches, so the dating identifies a specific architectural feature of the church. Its important collection of monuments includes two 13th-century coffin slabs, a damaged effigy of Sir Stephen de Penchester and a late Perpendicular-style tomb chest for Sir William Sidney. The architectural forms and funerary monuments each bring a different emphasis to the church’s history.

The interiors of Penshurst Place also contribute to its historical character. The Solar, Queen Elizabeth Room and Long Gallery contain family portraits spanning several centuries, antique furniture and finely crafted tapestries. These furnishings add portraiture, furniture and textile design to the history of the buildings.

Gardens and historic landscape

More than a mile of yew hedges divides the garden at Penshurst Place into a series of garden rooms, each associated with a season and a colour. The grounds can therefore be explored through a recurring arrangement of space, season and colour. The Italian Garden dates back to a 16th-century project by Sir Henry Sidney. At its centre are an oval lily pond and a classical statue.

The grounds also include a walled garden dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, within a medieval deer park. Other surviving landscape features date from the 18th and 19th centuries. This allows different historical layers to be distinguished within the garden landscape, from individual garden rooms to features added later. For a trip focused on garden design, both formal landscaping and the landscape’s longer development are in view.

Walking, cycling and other activities

The Woodland Trail is a 1 km circular walk featuring wooden pyramids, mushroom carvings, stumperies and a variety of wildlife. Information boards draw attention to the plants and animals in the landscape and to the protection of their habitats. The short circuit thus combines nature watching with the theme of habitat conservation.

For a longer walking route, the 15-mile (24-kilometre) Eden Valley Walk passes Penshurst Place. The estate also has a Parkland Walk. Regional Cycle Route No. 12 runs from Tonbridge to Penshurst Place, mostly off-road, and passes through the estate. These options differ in mode of travel and route type, from the circular walk to the longer walking trail and the cycle route.

Penshurst Place’s Adventure Playground includes a Commando Trail, a wooden climbing structure, a giant slide, swings, a toddler area and a zip line. This adds a dedicated activity focus to the historical and garden themes.

Discover more destinations: Tonbridge, Herne Bay, Lyminge, Coxheath, Headcorn, Newenden, Hunton, Lympne.

For the main travel overview: Kent.