Penns in the Rocks
With artistic and literary connections, Dorothy Wellesley created a temple the gardens dedicated to 'The poets who loved Penns'.
Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9PA
Penns in the Rocks is an early 18th-century redbrick house, built for the family of William Penn of Pennsylvania.
The house is set opposite a natural outcrop of monumental sandstone rocks, and in the 20th-century was home to Dorothy Wellesley, the Bloomsbury poet and friend of WB Yeates. She erected the temple which faces the front of the house, and which is dedicated to ‘The poets who loved Penns’. In 1956, after her death, Penns was acquired by the Gibson family, who live there still.
The late Lord Gibson was Chairman of the Arts Council, and of the National Trust. He and Lady Gibson remodelled the interior of the house, and with the help of Lanning Roper adapted the garden from Dorothy Wellesley’s original design.
Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.
The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.
Penns in the Rocks opens for two 2 NGS garden open days.
NGS garden open days: £6.
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