26-02-2025
The park with a stunning bluebell walk that's just 45 minutes drive from Beckenham
If you're looking for a day out in nature, this park with plenty of spring flowers is just 45 minutes away by car from Beckenham.
Hole Park Gardens in Rolvenden, Kent is set to open for Spring on April 1, which will be a time when many spring blooms like daffodils, tulips and magnolias are out in full force.
This 16-acre dog-friendly park, which is just a short drive from the historic market town of Tenterden, is a prime place for a walk, with many photo-worthy spots to capture the first signs of spring.
Hole Park Gardens in Rolvenden, Kent is set to open for Spring on April 1. (Image: Alison Miles)
The gardens, offering open parkland with views of the Kent countryside, were originally created by Colonel Arthur Barham following the trauma and losses he experienced during the First World War.
During the spring the gardens are teeming with spring colour, from pink magnolia and tree blossom to brightly coloured tulipson the lawns and woodland areas with azaleas.
One of the key areas to find floral colour is in the Centenary Walled Garden, which was re-designed in 2023 in celebration of 100 years since the gardens first opened to the public.
The Centenary Walled Garden was re-designed in 2023 in celebration of 100 years since the gardens first opened to the public. (Image: Alison Miles)
You can also spot daffodils and crocuses by the Egg Pond, where you can also see topiaries at the yew topiary walk, making it a great place to snap some shots.
Another highly anticipated spring spectacle to see is bluebells, and Hole Park Gardens is home to a stunning bluebell display which attracts thousands of visitors a year, which you can see from mid-April until mid-May, and visitors can find out how the bluebells are doing with a 'bluebell barometer'.
Hole Park Gardens is home to a stunning bluebell display which attracts thousands of visitors a year. (Image: Stuart Kirk)
Hole Park's Head Gardener Quentin Stark explains: "When people see bluebells in full bloom it can be more than tempting to just step into their midst to take that perfect photo.
'But trampling these delicate plants doesn't just spoil the view for others that year; it actually causes long-term and possibly irreparable damage to the bulbs beneath the ground, due to compacting the soil from persistent footsteps."
But aside from bluebells you can also find other late spring flowers like wild primroses and wood anemones.
But aside from bluebells you can also find other late spring flowers like wild primroses and wood anemones. (Image: Alison Miles)
The park will also mark the bluebell season with a 'Bluebells and Bubbles' evening woodland tour, where guests will have a glass of sparkling wine along with canapés and a talk on this iconic flower led by Edward Barham.
The bluebells will then give way for another natural spectacle, where the woodlands will be full of wild garlic.
The bluebells will then give way for another natural spectacle, where the woodlands will be full of wild garlic. (Image: Alison Miles) Over by the house and pergola walk, visitors can also find fragrant purple wisteria, which usually flowers around May.
Alongside the natural spectacles the garden has to offer, visitors can also see the work being done to the gardens, including a new planting scheme around the Italian-style pond and access to the tropical border walk.
After a stroll you can also stop off for a cup of tea at the Coach House Tea Room, open from 11am.
