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Groombridge Place, which has been voted one of Britain's best garden attractions, is an intriguing mix of formal gardens and the mystical Enchanted Forest. The sheltered formal gardens were designed in the 17th century by John Evelyn as a series of 'rooms' and are still laid out in the same style today. Each garden has its own style and colour scheme, ranging from the vibrant hot colours of the Oriental Garden to the cool whites of the White Rose Garden and the multi-coloured majesty of the spectacular herbaceous borders. The Enchanted Forest, which can be reached by canal boat ride or a leisurely stroll, is in complete contrast with its challenging aerial walkway and obstacle course; Romany Camp; hilltop fort; giant swings; adventure play areas; 'rain forest' gorge with tree ferns, palms and banana plants and quirky woodland gardens. During the school holidays the forest comes alive with activities for all the family, including face painting and dream catcher workshops in the gypsy caravan, drumming workshops in the tepee, a wandering musician playing the harp or guitar and storytelling. Birds of prey flying displays take place each day except Mondays (excluding bank holidays Mondays), when there will be a static display of the birds. There is also a well stocked gift shop selling a wide range of gifts to suit all pockets, and freshly prepared meals and snacks are available in the restaurant throughout the day. The gardens have inspired numerous artists, writers and film makers. The Drunken Garden, with its crazy topiary, was a favourite with Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle who used it as the setting for his Sherlock Holmes mystery 'The Valley of Fear'; the house and garden was the setting for Peter Greenaway's cult film 'The Draughtsman's Contract' and it featured as Longbourn, the Bennet's house in the recent 'Pride and Prejudice' film with Keira Knightley. |
