20 Attractions to Explore Near Knole Park

Knole has been the home of the Sackville family since 1603 when the building was substantially changed for Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset. The current house dates back to the mid-15th century, with major additions in the 16th and, particularly, the early 17th centuries. The house apparently ranks in the top five of England's largest houses, under any measure used, occupying a total of four acres.

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, near Sevenoaks, Kent is an i9conic attraction in this area. There are over 12 acres of historic gardens to explore, punctuated with contemporary sculpture, as well as woodland paths, breathtaking views and plenty of benches for quiet moments. Home to the Rogers family since 1840, these family-run gardens offer visitors space to explore, gardens to admire and excuses to celebrate.

Ightham Mote is one of the oldest medieval manor houses to survive in England. The core of the house dates from the 1340s, although a complicated series of alterations and additions were made in the late 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Ightham Mote and its gardens are owned by the National Trust and are open to the public. The house is a Grade I listed building, and parts of it are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Emmetts Garden is an Edwardian estate located at Ide Hill, near Sevenoaks in Kent, UK. It is now owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. The gardens were initially laid out between 1893 and 1895 under the influence of Lubbock's friend William Robinson in the fashionable Edwardian style popularised by Gertrude Jekyll. The shrub garden was added later in 1900-1908.

Haysden Country Park is a six-time winner of the Green Flag Award, offering 64 hectares of beautiful countryside and a relaxing setting for a variety of leisure activities. With two lakes and a stretch of the River Medway running through the park, it is a popular venue for water activities and a great location for a family day out.

A majestic and beautiful house in Kent and is now preserved as a historic property by the National Trust. The house was purchased by Winston Churchill in 1922 and he used it as his main base during the ‘20s and ‘30s for writing, painting, and entertaining. It is the largest collection of Churchill’s paintings and filled with treasures from every aspect of Churchill’s life, the rooms remain much as they were when he lived there, offering a unique opportunity to explore the home of one of Britain

It was a simple fort of earth and timber, thrown up – like hundreds of others – by Norman invaders for self-protection soon after they arrived in 1066. The walls and magnificent gatehouse were added in the 13th century. The defences were badly damaged after the Civil War and it was further demolished in the 1730's although the lower part of the southern walls are still visible along the river. The site was purchased by the local council in 1900, who now use the mansion as offices, and who made t

Lullingstone Country Park is a former deer park of a large estate, it was later sold to become an open-space and woodland park near Eynsford, in Kent, England. It is important for its collection of ancient trees, with over 300 veteran oak, beech, ash, hornbeam and sweet chestnut, some of which are thought to be 800 years old. It is the perfect place to get back to nature. With a café on site that serves delicious homemade food and fresh coffee, a shop, and a play area, there really is something

hiddingstone Castle is an historic house, set in 35 acres of Kentish countryside. It features large lawns for picnics, an intimate rose garden, woodland and a beautiful fishing lake. The house features the amazing collections of the late Denys Eyre Bower, a passionate and gifted collector of art and artefacts, Japanese lacquer and Samurai armour, Ancient Egyptian treasures, Buddhist objects, Stuart paintings and Jacobite manuscripts.

Lullingstone Castle is one of England’s oldest family estates, dating back to the time of Domesday. The World Garden combines plant heritage with cutting-edge horticulture. The design of the World Garden is a (roughly drawn) map of the world consisting of continent-shaped beds. Plant species from around the world are planted in the map according to their country of origin.

Penshurst Place is an authentic stately home with 11 acres of formal gardens and a beautiful historic house. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier, Sir Philip Sidney. The original medieval house is one of the most complete surviving examples of 14th-century domestic architecture in England. Part of the house and its gardens are open for public viewing. Many TV shows and movies have been filmed at Penshurst.

Brands Hatch is a circuit in Kent, southeast of London, near the village of West Kingsdown. Between 1964 and 1986 it hosted the British Grand Prix twelve times, and the European Grand Prix twice more. Since then, the local council allowed housing to be built within 100 meters of the track, and the new residents have imposed restrictions on the track, which will prevent Formula One from returning.

Lullingstone Roman Villa is a villa built during the Roman occupation of Britain, situated in Lullingstone near the village of Eynsford in Kent, south eastern England. The villa is located in the Darent Valley, along with six others, including those at Crofton, Crayford and Dartford. The villa was occupied over various periods within the Romano-British period, but after its destruction, it is only thought to have been reoccupied during the Medieval Times. The occupants were most likely wealthy

Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge. It was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I. The stunning grounds and award-winning gardens, with statues, fountains, chess pieces cut from golden yew, 4000 roses, a Loggia at the Lake and many more wonderful sights, is a delight to walk around in.

Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation was home to one of the UK's largest Bird of Prey Centres, currently, we have a collection of approximately 100 raptors. There are also daily flying demonstrations overlooking the stunning Darent Valley. . Explore the Wildlife Park full of other animals including cheetahs and meerkats. Check out the Asian short-clawed otters and the reptile house. Eat something warm and enjoy the expansive views from the tearooms.

The Hop Farm Family Park is a 400-acre Country Park in Beltring, near East Peckham in Kent, England, is over 450 years old, and has the largest collection of oast houses in the world. The River Medway flows through the park – so you can arrive by canoe if you like, or stick around on site for fishing and kayaking. If you'd rather arrive by more conventional means, there's easy access from the A228 and Paddock Wood train station is a handy five minutes' drive away.

Dunorlan Park was originally a 78-acre landscape garden of a grand mansion built by the Yorkshire-born merchant Henry ReedIt was a special place where everyone can enjoy a richly varied Victorian garden, meadows, and wildlife, as well as the amenities of a modern park. There’s plenty to do besides admire the grounds, however – the park has a putting green, an events field, and a welcoming cafe, and, in the summer, boating takes place on the lake. There are also so many things to see and do here.

Swanley Park is a beautifully undulating 60 acre park located between Swanley and Hextable which provides the biggest green lung of the parish and is one of the most popular and well used parks in the region. The large boating lake that is so well established is man-made, which comes as a surprise to many people who believe it is a natural feature of the park.

High Rocks is a 3.2-hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Tunbridge Wells in East Sussex and Kent. It is a Geological Conservation Review site. The location was formed when a melting ice sheet at the end of the last ice age uncovered hardened silt deposited when the area was part of the Wealden Lake. There are traces of Middle Stone Age and Iron Age residents, including a 1st-century A.D. fort guarding against the Roman invasion.

Take a steam train ride through the beautiful Wealden countryside from Tunbridge Wells to High Rocks, Groombridge and Eridge. The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs from Tunbridge Wells West railway station in Tunbridge Wells to High Rocks, Groombridge.