West Dean Gardens

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During Mental Health Awareness week, these gardens open free of charge so we took advantage of that yesterday.

The sun was shining brightly, a 40 minute drive was lovely when we were heading North of Chichester as the country road goes past Goodwood Motor Circuit, The Weald and Downland Living Museum (now known to a lot of people from The Repair Shop TV programme), Goodwood Horse Racing too.

I took many photos so please enjoy them, with a little text for information here and there.

Inside this building there were many garden books and publications.

The Sunken Garden reopened in Spring 2014 after a 6 year period of restoration and in July 2014 was awarded a Sussex Heritage Trust Award in the Landscape and Gardens category.

Leaving here we then took the steps up to the 100 metres long pergola. This needed extensive restoration following the 1987 storm.
Running East-West, the gazebo at the West end features a mosaic floor.

The Wisteria at the West end is shorter and seemed to have a stronger scent.

The mosaic floor comprises knapped flints interspersed with horses molars.

Time for a rest on a bench where the Gingko tree provided some shade.

A young Gingko tree was wrapped at the base, possibly to prevent Rabbit damage?

Off walking again…

Gardeners at work.

I wasn’t tempted to book a course, but the leaflets were interesting some folk.

If anyone is still reading this, we are heading round to the Walled Garden and the glasshouses now!

The Walled Garden has had over 100 varieties of Apple and 45 of Pear. There are 13 working Victorian glasshouses, but I was flagging in the heat so they’re to visit another time! Thank goodness, I hear you cry!

Almost finished, just need to visit the plant sale area and take a photo of these cuties.

I bought a Knautia macedonica or £6.

Thanks for looking in, I hope you enjoyed West Dean Gardens, even though we only walked around about two-thirds, ran out of energy!

• 15 May, 2025
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