accessible gardens in kent

The gardens at Hever were a revelation to me - I had not realised there was such a collection of Roman artefacts or the grand, theatrical arcade overlooking a lake (I recognised it from a fashion advertisement I once saw in a magazine at the hairdresser - with a model in a gorgeous dress blowing in the wind - the dress not the model...).

For me, on a scooter, it was so easy to get round. There was only one hitch - one step without a ramp, but it had a notice on it apologising, and the scooter was lifted up (without me on it) by helpful gentlemen around me. The ramps up to the arcade and down again were exciting - quite steep and I had to 'rev up' and ascend to encouraging calls by other visitors (and an ice cream cone in one hand) and be very careful with the brake on the way down.

I mooched past seemingly endless little gardens with a statue or a pillar and different planting - some rather explosive in colour. I enjoyed circling (twice) a big statue on a plinth in a circular alcove. I loved looking over the lake - there are steps down to the water which I couldn't negotiate as I had forgotten my stick, but I could sit for a while, enjoy the view, and imagine myself in the gorgeous dress...

I poodled through a pergola, past water creeping down stones through ferns, and chatted to several topiary animals.. I had a cup of tea and a cake - it was a lovely day.

I did not try the castle. The website says:
"Castle: The steps into the Inner Courtyard make access into the castle difficult as there are no ramps and unfortunately impossible for electric chairs. The ground floor only is accessible to wheelchairs as there are spiral staircases to other floors."
So you are warned. The gardens though are four-star accessible. I didn't try the toilets, but hopefully they are as accessible and cared-for as the rest of the garden. I'll check next time.

What I have since learnt about Hever is their connection with the Jerusalem Botanic Gardens: see our sister-website for the related article Hever Castle to Jerusalem.