Top Things to do in East Sussex
What to do and see in East Sussex, England: The Best Gardens
Discover the best top things to do in East Sussex, United Kingdom including Driftwood Garden East Sussex, Cupani Garden, Great Dixter House & Gardens, Pashley Manor Gardens, Merriments, Sheffield Park and Garden, Burton St Leonards, Kipling Gardens, Manor Gardens, St. Ann's Well Gardens and Cafe.
Restaurants in East Sussex
1. Driftwood Garden East Sussex
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 109 reviews
The garden remained closed through 2020 due to Covid19. It is scheduled to reopen on 1st June 2021, see website for full details. 2021 entry £8.50, monies from private visits go to Macmillan Cancer Support, includes personal guided tour by owner. Multi award winning seaside garden open each summer with over 22000 visitors to date & £137,500 raised for charity. Featured BBC Gardeners' World, ITV/BBC national & local news, Sunday Telegraph & many national & local newspapers & magazines. Garden decorations for sale in addition to fabulous home-made tea & cakes served on vintage china in garden overlooking sea. Afternoon teas, light lunches or just coffee and cake available, if booked 24 hours ahead. Prices start at £5.00 for beverage & cake. Monty Don said in his introduction on Gardeners' World, we’ve been across Britain looking at inspiring planting and design and this week are at Driftwood, a small garden by the sea that's full of character.
2. Cupani Garden
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 106 reviews
A delightful tranquil haven at the edge of Seaford. Cupani Garden has won awards for the variety and beauty of the planting. A warm welcome and a peaceful place to wander around the garden and then enjoy a delicious lunch or afternoon tea all home cooked. Extensive Plant, china and Jam sales. Two days in April 2021 and Open on specific dates in June and July and by appointment from May to September. See websites for dates. During May we have extensive plant sales prior to the garden opening in June for garden visits, teas and lunches. Phone ahead to order lunch from the menu displayed on our website. Please note we are primarily open in June and July and some other occasions if you phone ahead. We open for plant sales around Easter BECAUSE OF COVID 19 WE ARE OPEN FOR PLANT SALES BY APPOINTMENT, ONE CUSTOMER AT A TIME (or 2 from same household) phone or email for an appointment
Reviewed By I9718PRbenc
a lovely couple,very knowledgeable with beautiful plants and a stunning garden.Thoroughly worth a visit.
3. Great Dixter House & Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 619 reviews
Reviewed By siobhant673 - East Grinstead, United Kingdom
Lovely afternoon visiting the gardens, stunning plants, great place for ideas and also has a nursery, shop and tea shop with cake and sandwiches and great coffee. Well worth a visit to this little gem ❤️???????????? something for everyone from banana plants and succulents to artichokes and dahlias. Loved it. Allow up-to two hours for your visit. May be difficult for wheelchair users as paths are narrow. Toilet facilities were very good
4. Pashley Manor Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 380 reviews
In late April/early May Pashley Manor’s spectacular Tulip Festival sees this garden, on the border of Sussex and Kent, carpeted with over 35,000 tulips, creating stunning scenes for visitors to enjoy. Tulips are followed by over 100 varieties of roses through June, hundreds of scented lilies, the kitchen garden showcasing an abundance of produce and a blaze of colour provided by hundreds of dazzling dahlias, during the Dahlia Days event in early September. Complemented by a fantastic café with a beautiful terraced seating area, exhibitions of sculpture and art and a lovely gift shop Pashley is a great destination for a day out.
Reviewed By jennycutts1 - Seasalter, United Kingdom
What a stunning place this is. Sculptures and statues, trees, woodland, herbaceous borders, ponds and a lovely terrace overlooking the gardens to enjoy your tea and cake. Plenty of parking and no need to book in advance unlike NT properties.
5. Merriments
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 174 reviews
RHS Partner Garden, Specialist Plant Centre and Retail Shop with a table service licensed Restaurant
Reviewed By laurajg1995 - East Sussex, United Kingdom
Love the new restuarant/cafe! Good choice on the menu and the goats cheese quiece I ate was delicious! Really friendly accomodating staff as well, definetly recommend visiting.
6. Sheffield Park and Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,185 reviews
Sheffield Park and Garden has something for everyone from our magnificent landscape gardens and lakes to the rolling parkland and woodland play trail.
Reviewed By Jacebow - Lincoln, United Kingdom
A really great National Trust gardens ,some trees were stunning with leaves turning red and orange , small coffee shop and well stocked National Trust shop, very close to the Bluebell Railway
7. Burton St Leonards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By maryannmmc - London, United Kingdom
Had enough of the beach, then wander back a block or two into this enchanting garden, beautifully kept, sit in the shade or the sun, meet some nice doggies and their owners, get the flavour of St Leonards which is here all day, every day!!
8. Kipling Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 92 reviews
Reviewed By sara_22_b
We visited this gem of a garden on an incredibly warm spring day to enjoy a picnic lunch, and we couldn’t have chosen a more ideal spot. The garden is named after Rudyard Kipling as he lived in the nearby house, The Elms, that the garden was once part of. The gardens are situated behind the village green in Rottingdean, approximately fifteen minutes drive east of Brighton, and feature a series of flint-walled gardens with ample seating and picnic benches, with a choice of sunshine or shade. On our visit the gardens were displaying an abundance of spring flowers. The parking could be tricky on peak days, although there are vehicles parked all around the garden and green, but the village is served well by buses from Brighton.
9. Manor Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By ElfinMind - Battle, United Kingdom
Immaculately kept gardens in the heart of Bexhill Old Town with lovely walkways, so many flowers and flowering shrubs spanning several seasons, a rose garden, a beautifully tended pond, the ruins of an historical house and tall, tall trees under which to spread a picnic blanket. There's a tiny little outdoor terraced playhouse - yes really! - with its original tiled roof still intact. And an old fashioned sunken well right between the community hall and the old barn (which is now a banqueting hall for hire). There's a gated quiet area called the Prayer Gardens and several dedication plaques in front of memorial plants and on over a dozen benches arranged around the gardens specifically to take in the beautiful views. I love these beautifully manicured, ingeniously designed gardens. I'm sure I must have left out some of it's marvellous sights; there's just so much to see, so much beauty to enjoy. Go buy yourself a cuppa at the tea rooms or the coffee house across the road or bring your flask with you and come and enjoy the tranquility of the Manor Barn's gardens. You. Will. Love it.
10. St. Ann's Well Gardens and Cafe
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 197 reviews
Reviewed By danreedrzr - Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom
St Ann's Well Gardens is a beautiful park to enjoy all year round. One of the loveliest attractions are the Squirrels which can be seen running around looking for their hidden berry & nut treats. Lovely friendly funny little animals. Lovely Cafe with friendly staff also. But the rat infestation is very serious indeed. Rats can be seen ( Within inches sometimes ) of people, small children & pets almost everywhere. This serious health threat needs to be reported by everyone affected by this. Here is the contact email for Brighton & Hove City Council Environmental Health Department: [email protected] Here is the contact email for the Local MP Peter Kyle: [email protected] If everyone sends an email to both addresses provided, the rat infestation will have to be dealt with quickly. Thanks.
