Englefield House

There is an inscription on a stone staircase in Englefield Gardens which reads, “If you help towards Englefield Garden either in flowers or invention you shall be welcome thither”.

This inscription was taken from a letter written in 1601 by Sir Edward Norris, the then occupier of Englefield House, and shows that a garden was managed and cared for on the Estate over 400 years ago.

However, the origins of the gardens as they appear today were created in the late 1860’s with the building of the stone balustrades and staircases by Italian craftsmen.

In 1936 the woodland garden on the hill above the house was created by thinning the forest. At the same time the stream was constructed and the area planted by Wallace & Barr of Tunbridge Wells. Much of the original planting is still in place and this includes varieties of rhododendron, azalea, camellia, magnolia, hamamelis, parrotia, cornus, davidia and acer. The lower terrace was redesigned in 1974 by the redoubtable landscape architect Lanning Roper.

The grotto at the top of the stream is a more recent addition to the gardens and is lined with a mosaic of pine cones. Near the entrance gates is a children’s garden with water jets hidden in four small statues as well as slides and swings – great fun for younger visitors.

A walled kitchen garden has recently been restored to produce many varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers (access to the walled kitchen garden is only for groups that book in advance). The gardens themselves are enclosed by our magnificent deer park and provide stunning views over our lake and surrounding countryside beyond.