20 Attractions to Explore Near National Trust - Sheffield Park and Garden

The Bluebell Railway runs steam-hauled passenger trains across 11 miles from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead, calling at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote. It is the first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service. Having preserved a number of steam locomotives even before steam stopped running on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives, the 2nd largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum.

The Llama Park is set on 33 acres in the heart of the beautiful Ashdown Forest. they have llamas, alpacas, and reindeer with Spanish horses, Shetland ponies, donkeys, sheep, goats and so more. The Park has picnic areas, a great children's playground with a bouncy castle, and lovely walks in a spectacular setting.

The Lavender Line is a heritage railway based at Isfield Station, near Uckfield in East Sussex, England. It runs for a 2 mile round trip through the beautiful Sussex Countryside between the village of Isfield and the Parish of Little Horsted. You can enjoy the sights and sounds of a steam railway whilst travelling through the picturesque Wealden countryside.

Ashdown Forest was originally a deer hunting forest in Norman times, Ashdown Forest is now one of the largest free public access space in the South East. It is a great place for walking and enjoying spectacular views over the Sussex countryside and is known the world over as the 'home' of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Borde Hill is a beautiful Grade II* English Heritage listed garden set within 200 acres of scenic parkland. Renowned as a plantsman’s paradise, the Garden boasts rare shrubs and champion trees, stunning herbaceous borders, a large lily pool and subtropical dells with palms and banana trees. This heritage Garden is renowned for its rare shrubs and champion trees, created from specimens accumulated by the great Victorian plant

Borde Hill is a beautiful Grade II* English Heritage listed garden set within 200 acres of scenic parkland. It is an Ideal place for a great family day out and it offers fine plants with intimate garden 'rooms'. Magical woodland and parkland with superb views across the Sussex Weald. It is home to many rare shrubs: from rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias to roses, as well as numerous trees.

Ardingly Reservoir was set in 120 acres of spectacular landscape near Berwick, in East Sussex, It was filled with water pumped from the River Cuckmere when river flows are high. The water is then stored in the reservoir before being treated and distributed to customers. The Ardingly Activity Centre provides watersports for the public including wind surfing, canoeing, powerboating and dinghy sailing. The reservoir is also used by Ardingly Rowing Club.

Ouse Valley Viaduct offers quite the dramatic view. A structural marvel, the viaduct was originally built in 1838 to carry the London-Brighton line over the River Ouse. It is located to the north of Haywards Heath and to the south of Balcombe. Known for its ornate design, the structure has been described as "probably the most elegant viaduct in Britain.

Explore a beautiful wild botanic garden, home to the Millennium Seed Bank and over 500 acres of the world’s plants in the heart of Sussex. It was a house and botanic gardens in West Sussex, England, owned by the National Trust. Visitors are able to see the gardens, the Mansion, and also visit the seed bank. The garden today covers some 2 km2 and includes walled and water gardens, woodland and wetland conservation areas.

Weir Wood Reservoir in the Ashdown Forest is mostly water, surrounded by strips of open grassland, scrub and woodland. Low lying meadows also form part of the reserve. Access to the north and south of Weir Wood affords great views of this large water expanse, as well as exciting birdwatching opportunities. This is one of the largest bodies of open water in the county and it has rich and diverse communities of breeding, wintering and passage birds.

Poohsticks Bridge in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, was first built in 1907 and provides the setting for the beloved children's novels. The wooden bridge was officially declared closed on Monday after the wooden railing was ripped from the side of the bridge and the uprooted tree was left lying across the river.

An award-winning English vineyard in West Sussex, committed to bringing quality and finesse to every glass. With 67 acres under vine growing the 3 traditional sparkling varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) as well as still varieties such as Bacchus, Regent and Pinot Blanc, the first still wines were released in 2014, with sparkling following soon after.

Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare is a historic animal welfare centre which has been around since the 1930’s. The centre is host to many visitors who come to see the fantastic range of animals which they have helped over the years.

Standen is an Arts and Crafts house located to the south of East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. It features rich William Morris textiles and wallpapers, complemented by contemporary furniture, ceramics and pictures of the time. The National Trust acquired Standen Wood, originally part of the larger estate at the property, in 2001. The wood had been owned and managed as a nature reserve since the 1970s and is a haven for birds.

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft was situated in the Sussex South Downs, the museum focuses on the artists and craftspeople who made Ditchling a creative hub in the 20th century. The site is home to a nationally important collection of artefacts made by the arts and craftsmen who lived in the village, such as typographer and sculptor Eric Gill, designer of the London Underground font Edward Johnston and printer Hilary Pepler.

Ditchling Beacon is a popular road hill climb. It is tackled by many amateurs on the annual London to Brighton bike ride. It averages 9%, but gets up to a maximum of 16%, with quite a few false flats. It consists of a large chalk hill with a particularly steep northern face, covered with open grassland and sheep-grazing areas.

Glyndebourne is an opera house in East Sussex, just one hour from London, which has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival since 1934. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area and is visited by so many tourists.

Lewes Castle is one of the oldest Norman fortresses in England, with incredible panoramic views of Sussex from the top of the keep. Its Museum houses a fine archaeological collection, including delicate prehistoric flints, fine Roman pottery, Saxon weapons, and medieval gold rings. New features include interactive displays, a new medieval gallery, and an audio-visual show.

East Grinstead Museum is located at Cantelupe Road in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. Its notable collections include material relating to the Guinea Pig Club for former plastic surgery patients of the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead during the Second World War, and the associated medical drawings of Mollie Lentaigne. This museum replaced the town's first museum opened in 1926 in the St Swithun's Church tower under the supervision of the reverend Golding Golding-Bird.

This beautiful medieval house is part of the story of King Henry VIII and his divorce settlement with his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Owned and operated as a museum by the Sussex Archaeological Society under the operating name "Sussex Past", it is home to wide-ranging collections of furniture and artefacts of Sussex interest.