Leonardslee Gardens

About Leonardslee Gardens

Leonardslee sits in a deep valley in the High Weald near Horsham. Its seven lakes were dug centuries ago to power the local iron industry, but the garden as it is known today was shaped by Sir Edmund Loder, who acquired the estate in 1889. He began a rhododendron collection in 1901 and went on to raise more than 35 Loderi hybrids, the best known being 'Loderi King George'. His descendants added the Coronation and Camellia Gardens and looked after the estate until 2010.

The estate was sold that year and the gardens closed for nearly a decade, becoming badly overgrown. In 2017 it was bought by Penny Streeter's Benguela Collection, which cleared the valley, repaired the lakes and glasshouses, and reopened the Grade I listed garden in 2019. Work is still continuing, and the site now also includes a hotel, a restaurant and a vineyard.

What to see

• Rhododendrons and azaleas planted along the valley sides, at their peak in spring.
• The lakes, a chain of seven ponds stepping down the valley, with walks around their edges.
• The Rock Garden, built by the Pulham firm from natural stone and their artificial Pulhamite.
• Champion trees and the Maple Walk, for autumn colour.
• Wallabies, descendants of a colony first kept here by the Loders, along with a sculpture park, a doll's house museum and a play park.

Planning your visit

Leonardslee is on Brighton Road at Lower Beeding, south of Horsham. Car parking is charged at £4.80 for garden visitors, with disabled bays near the entrance. The site is card only and outside food and drink are not allowed; the Clocktower Kitchen café opens daily from 9am.

The valley is steep in places, so the gardens advise visitors with limited mobility to avoid the lower areas. A free buggy shuttle, wheelchairs and scooters help with access. There are unfenced ponds, so keep children close. Allow three to four hours, and expect queues for the buggy in May and June.