Dunorlan Park - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

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.

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.

One of the impressive English heritage property which makes a fascinating day out on the Kent Sussex border. The impressive ruins, built from golden local sandstone, include much of the 13th to the 15th-century church, the chapter house, and a picturesque 14th-century gatehouse. The ruins were partially modified in the late 18th century, to provide a better landscape feature during landscaping of the new Bayham Abbey mansion park, and were donated to the state in 1961.

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.

The Groombridge Place estate is a truly historic moated castle that stood on the site in the 13th century with the house standing today built-in 1662 as its replacement. As well as the moated manor house, the estate boasts more than 200 acres featuring formal gardens, a canal, vineyard, farmland, and ancient woodland. It has become a tourist attraction, noted for its formal gardens and vineyards. The manor house has an associated Dower House.

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