Visit the Bluebell Festival at Hole Park in Kent between 9 April and 9 May 2023

Hole Park Gardens in Rolvenden, Kent are one of the best places to see bluebells in Kent.  The gardens are open to the public from the beginning to April until the end of October.

Hole Park’s website has a Bluebell Barometer which operates from the end of March and is perfect for visitors wishing to time their visit for peak bluebells time!

Owner Edward Barham said: “During the bluebell season from mid April to mid May, we are open every day and during this time we welcome many visitors from all over the world who come to experience this true wonder of nature.”

Hole Park is a dog friendly garden and dogs are welcome in the gardens, but owners are asked to keep their pets on a short lead.

Around bluebell time visitors can also admire the impressive standard wisterias, rhododendrons, azaleas and delightful naturalised meadows where you can spot the wild orchids.

A circular walk leads visitors past a pleasing tree sculpture with a family of bears climbing to reach a honey pot before visitors walk through a gate into the woods to admire the spectacular bluebells and drink in the wonderful scent that fills the air.

The path also leads visitors over delightful streams to the renovated solar powered icehouse before winding its way back through the magical silver haze of the wild garlic walk.

Hole Park sits quietly in the Wealden countryside within an extensive 16 acre garden and an additional 10 acres of beautiful woodlands.  The gardens are laid out in a series of rooms divided by immaculately trimmed yew hedges.  Around every corner there are surprises, including sculptures, ponds, attractive water features and a lovely tree swing hanging from a mature oak.

The gardens and tearooms are open daily from 1 April to 7 July before opening on Wednesdays and Thursday until the end of October.  The gardens will also be open on Sundays in October for spectacular autumn colour and the exotic border.  Opening hours are 11am to dusk.

Hole Park is a family-owned estate which has been in the Barham family for the past four generations. Formalised gardens combine with natural woodland. These extensive gardens were developed, laid out and planted by Colonel Barham, the great-grandfather of the present owner, in the years between the two World Wars.

Spring Highlights

Visitors to the gardens in early April will see swathes of crocuses, narcissi and daffodils.  A pretty ‘Camelia Walk’ with shade-loving hellebores takes walkers down a path flanked by flowering cherry trees.  Before the bluebells take centre stage, the meadows and woodland floor are a sea of primroses and dainty blue scillas. Magnificent mature magnolia trees will also be flowering throughout the gardens and woodlands.

In May the gardens are full of tulips, roses and clematis and the vineyard garden has several impressive standard wisterias to admire.  Rhododendrons and azaleas flower throughout the gardens and the delicate wild orchids will start to flower in the meadows alongside the architectural spires and star-shaped flowers of ‘camassia’. The sundial garden provides an interesting view over the Wealden countryside through an oval shaped window in the topiary hedge.

Summer Highlights

Visitors to the gardens in the summer months can see the recently renovated long herbaceous borders.  Half the border has been replanted in the original pink and blue planting scheme first used by the late Christopher Lloyd when he first designed the border at Hole Park.  The remainder of the border was replanted using the original colour scheme of yellow and white.

Late Summer and Autumn Highlights

The late flowering agapanthus ‘Hole Park Blue’ and colourful exotic border with its cannas and dahlias are an impressive sight in late summer before the reds, yellows and golds of autumn appear bringing colour and interest to the gardens in October.  Visitors can enjoy the annual Napoleonic Re-enactment Weekend at the end of September.

One of the Seven Wonders of the Weald; the garden was also crowned Kentish Garden of the Year in 2016 by Visit Kent and Kent Life Magazine.

A circular network of hard paths enables visitors of all ages, including those who require a wheelchair, to enjoy the gardens.  Wheelchairs may be reserved free of charge and there are full disability WC facilities.

Light lunches and delicious homemade cakes are available in the coach house.  Local apple juice, local beer and homemade jam and honey produced on the Hole Park Estate can also be purchased. There is also a small plant stall next to the coach house.

Admission: £11 for adults (or £10 in advance online) and £2.50 for children (5 to 18).  The gardens are open 11am to 6pm on opening days

Adult Season tickets £30 each.

Groups can request a Guided Garden Tour for £3.50pp (£50 minimum fee applies)

Group visits available any time by arrangement.  Please email events@holepark.com

There is a dedicated tearoom for groups, free parking for cars and coaches and conducted tours can also be arranged for groups by prior arrangement.

Hole Park is situated 4 miles west of Tenterden on the B2086 between Rolvenden and Benenden.

For further information about Hole Park can be viewed on www.holepark.com  Group enquiries to events@holepark.com  01580 241 344.

New this year is the option to book tickets in advance, but walk-up tickets will still be available on the day.