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Wakehurst Place Garden & Millennium Seed Bank 
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Wakehurst Place Garden & Millennium Seed Bank tel: 01444 894066 Area: West Sussex |
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| Visitor Information | www.kew.org -- email: wakehurst {at} kew.org |
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Wakehurst Place Garden & Millennium Seed Bank |
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| Opening Days and Hours | ||||||
All year except Christmas Eve & Christmas Day; 10am - 6pm, Mar - Oct (closes 4.30pm 1st Nov - end Feb) last admission 4pm. Seed Bank and Mansion close 1 hour before Gardens. |
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| Parties
/ Coaches: Yes |
Groups
/ Coaches need Appointment: Yes |
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House
Open for Viewing: Yes |
National
Garden Scheme days: No |
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Best
Times of Year to Visit: Year round seasonal interest |
To
see: |
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| Admission Prices | ||||||
| Adult £10.75; Child Free - under 17 & accompanied by adult. Annual season ticket £22. School groups - see website. Friends of Kew - free |
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| Onsite Facilities | ||||||
| Parking:
Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: Yes |
Shop:
Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes |
Teas:
Yes Light Refreshment: Yes Picnics: Yes |
Dogs
Allowed: No On Lead only: No Special Events: No |
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| Other
Facilities: Guided walks (subject to the availability of a guide) 11.30am & 2.00pm every day. Spring Colour Weekends - 24th April, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 8th May guided walks; 25th April and 9th May minibus tours. Autumn Colour Weekends - dates to be advised |
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| Garden Features | ||||||
| English Heritage Garden Grade: | ||||||
| National Collection: Betulas, Hypericums, Nothofagus, Skimmas. | ||||||
| Description of Garden | Designer:
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| These gardens, have been managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew since 1965 and the collections are in general arranged geographically to create an 80-minute walk through the temperate forests of the world. In addition there are four national collections including Betula, Skimmia, Nothofagus and Hypericum to be seen around the estate. Starting from the house, the visitor first encounters the formal gardens and small lake but then moves on to the Water Gardens, beautifully planted with collections of irises and many other plants, which lead from one to another and thence into the woodland areas. Spectacular in late Spring/early Summer, the vast banks of rhododendrons and azaleas on either side of the wooded valley have to be seen to be believed. Further on is the Loder Valley Nature Reserve, admission is by permit only obtained on the day of visit at the Visitor Centre main entrance.The casual visitor is able to skirt the reserve and see the reed swamp and willows with perhaps a glimpse of a kingfisher or two. Returning past Westwood Lake through Horsebridge Wood, with its acers and liquidambar, superb in Autumn, the visitor passes groves of Douglas Fir and Wellingtonias and comes across some remarkable exposed tree roots cascading over sandrocks. There are extensive lawns, a walled garden and herbaceous borders. A visit will be richly rewarded at any time of the year, even when the Winter Garden is in full colour and othergardens are closed. The Welcome Trust Millennium Building (Millennium Seed Bank), opened in 2000, currently holds the largest and most diverse collection of wild species in the world, including 90% of the UK flora. With focus on the drylands, the target is to collect and conserve 10% of the world's flora, some 24,000 species, by 2010, which is near to completion, as well as the remaining part of the UK seed-bearing flora. The international seed collecting is undertaken by international collaboration. The species targeted include species at risk in the wild, and species of most use to man. By storing at least 10% of the world's flora under optimal conditions, the Millennium Seed Bank and its partner banks will act as a substantial genetic asset for research, which insures humanity against the loss of these species. The future challenge post-2010 will aim to collect a further 15%. |
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| History of Garden | ||||||
| Edward Culpeper rebuilt the house on an old site in 1590. This date is commemorated on the door now at the Chapel entrance to the house and Edward Culpeper's initials can still be seen above the old South Entrance. In 1694, the estate was purchased from the last surviving member of the Culpeper family by Dennis Lydell, Commissioner of the Navy and a friend of Samuel Pepys. Over the next 175 years the house had various owners and tenants, and many changes were made to its architecture. In 1869 Lady Downshire purchased the house and she also carried out extensive alterations. Subsequently, the estate was owned by Thomas Boord M.P. who renovated and restored much of the house. In 1903, Gerald Loder bought Wakehurst Place and began the development of the gardens, introducing many fine trees and shrubs. Sir Henry Price purchased the estate in 1938 and, over the next 25 years, restored the roof and decaying stonework as well as developing the gardens further. On his death in 1963, the estate was bequeathed to the National Trust who leased it to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 1965. The great storm of 1987 tore through the plantations at Wakehurst, uprooting 20,000 trees, this led to a massive replanting programme which has created new vistas. |
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| Nearby West Sussex Hotels, Facilities & Amenities | ||||||
| Hotels
& Accommodation: |
Restaurants: |
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| Inns & Pubs: Black Horse, Nuthurst |
Villages / Towns
/ Sightseeing: |
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  - West Sussex |
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*Information
Updates
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0294_WakehurstPlace.jpg - Wakehurst Place Garden & Millennium Seed Bank (West Sussex)
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