Kent’s Hole Park announces extended opening

It’s good to hear news of more gardens opening now that restrictions are allowing some of our gardens to re-open after closures due to the pandemic.

Hole Park Gardens in Rolvenden, Kent, after delaying its 2020 opening due to Covid 19, has now been able to extend its current opening days from two days a week to seven. Details can be found on their website www.holepark.com

The extended opening will allow more visitors to enjoy these spectacular award-winning gardens until the end of October, 2020. Visitors to the garden in June can enjoy the stunning herbaceous borders and beautiful roses while the flower meadows are also looking beautiful – there might even be the chance to see the rare Pyramidal Orchid, first discovered in the UK near the sea at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow in 1978.

The gardens have been in the Barham family for five generations and the current owner, Edward Barham, points out that since opening to allow visitors back into the gardens they have welcomed people who have never previously been to Hole Park before: “Unfortunately, we were unable to open in time for our famous Bluebell Festival this year due to the lockdown restrictions and so decided to open the gardens every day to allow more people to enjoy the space and freedom of our gardens and woodlands,” he said.

“We allowed dogs into our gardens last year and as this proved popular, we have continued with this policy with dogs being kept on a short lead.

“As the lockdown measures continue to ease, we hope many more people will enjoy everything we have to offer.  Our Coach House is providing filled rolls and quiche salad as a takeout option plus a range of drinks, cakes and Hole Park’s famous scones,” adds Edward.

The woodland paths will take visitors past the wood carving of a family of three bears, climbing a tree to reach the honey pot, and the renovated ice house.

Hole Park Gardens was the winner of Visit Kent’s Garden of the Year award in 2016 and is set in a 16 acre garden within parkland.There are views across the Kentish Weald and visitors will find a delightful mix of formal design and more naturalised planting giving colour throughout the seasons.

There are wheelchair friendly paths to take visitors around the gardens and no pre-booking is necessary. Hole Park is situated four miles west of Tenterden on the B2096.

Picture credits: All images ©Hole Park Gardens.