Borde Hill Garden
Borde Hill Garden is a garden located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Haywards Heath, West Sussex in southern England. It is set in over 200 acres (80 ha) of garden, park and woodlands accompanied by spectacular views across the Sussex High Weald.
Borde Hill Garden is planted in distinctive “living garden rooms”, each offering a different character and style. It is home to many fine and rare shrubs: from rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias to roses, as well as numerous trees including one of the best collections of champion trees in a private property in Britain (82 specimens as of 2013).
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Borde Hill House, closeup from rear garden, Mar 2012
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Borde Hill House
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Azaleas in full bloom
History
The first record of the estate dates back to 1534. The Tudor Borde Hill house was originally constructed in 1598 by Stephen Borde. After a variety of ownerships, Borde Hill was acquired by Colonel Robert Stephenson Clarke in 1893, who was the first owner to plant the gardens and woodlands. Numerous extensions were made to the garden and house, however it was not until 1965 that Borde Hill Garden became a registered charity and opened to the public, by Stephenson's son Sir Ralph Clarke.
The garden has won a variety of public awards and distinctions and is listed on the register of parks and gardens as Grade II* importance by English Heritage.
References
Coordinates: 51°01′19″N 0°06′46″W / 51.021985°N 0.1129°W