Become a member!

  • Help preserve Kent's garden heritage!
  • Be actively involved in conservation and research projects!
  • Receive regular newsletters!
  • Come along to informative and entertaining events

Go to the membership page to read more and to join the Trust online!.

Scotney Castle

Why not volunteer?

We need volunteers who are interested in gardens, horticulture, social and cultural history, local history or archaeology to get involved and help support our work. See more here .

The Trust would like to enrol more volunteers who are interested in researching gardens and if you would like to join our enthusiastic team helping to understand more about our garden heritage, please contact us .

Go to the Research page for more details.

Volunteers at Marle Place

About Us

Emmetts

Kent's rich garden heritage reflects many different styles over a period of almost one thousand years. Historic gardens look so different today because styles change. A garden that delights us now was made from a different viewpoint to ours, but the universal language of gardens still speaks to us.

Make a garden, look after a garden, visit them or look into their history - gardens give endless pleasure as they always have.

Gardens are an important part of our national story and for us, our Kent story.

Kent Gardens Trust is the charity that protects Kent's garden heritage by inviting people to explore the wonder of Kent's gardens and promoting, recording and understanding everything that makes them fascinating for us. Join us and find out more about what gardens can mean for you.

We run events throughout the year which are designed to be both enjoyable and educational. We run events throughout the year which are designed to be both enjoyable and educational. Recent events have included a full study day at Chilham Castle devoted to Capability Brown; visits to several notable gardens in Kent including Restoration House in Rochester, Goodnestone, and Canterbury Cathedral Gardens; and visits to other gardens and parks in London and neighbouring counties, including Gravetye Manor and the Olympic Park. See here for this year's diary of events.

About The Trust

Kent Gardens Trust was established in 1988 and is affiliated to the The Gardens Trust. It is a registered charity administered by trustees drawn from a wide spectrum of experience but all having a love of and an interest in gardens and gardening.

Here is a list of the officers and trustees:

Honorary President: Lady Kingsdown
Trustees:
Rosemary Dymond Francois Gordon
Sarah Morgan Michael O'Brien
Richard Stileman Teresa Zbyszewska
Secretary: Pamela Hipkins
Treasurer: Evie Burton

Our Aims

Our formal objectives as submitted to the Charity Commission are:

  • To further the education of the public by promoting the study of the gardens, parks and designed landscapes of Kent which are of historic, horticultural or amenity value
  • To promote research into the history of the gardens, parks and designed landscapes in Kent and to publish the results of such research
  • To promote the preservation, conservation and good management of gardens, parks and designed landscapes in Kent of historic, horticultural or amenity interest

Achieving Our Aims

We work to protect the gardens of Kent by spreading the story of Kent's gardens, because the more we know about them the more we value them.

Our website is the first port of call for most people and here you will find:

  • How you can get involved - see here
  • A short account of some of the best examples of Kent's historic gardens
  • A link to reports of our research throughout Kent, recording the history and significance of many important gardens. Find the link to the reports on our Research Reports page
  • Our developing work in conserving and looking after gardens
  • Garden visits and talks on gardens and their history - see here