The garden at Old Buckhurst was started by its present owners, John and Jane Gladstone, in January 1988 (just after the hurricane).  At that time, there was no garden at all;  just lawns, a mature oak, holly and paving around the house.  We brought car loads of cuttings with us from our previous garden to help get started.

To cut down maintenance each bed is packed with plants, the idea being that when one plant has finished its main display, up pops another to take over.  This seems to keep the weeds down quite well as there is little room for them to get started, except of course in the vegetable garden.  There is virtually no bedding in the garden at all except for a little in the pots.  I like to think of it as a controlled jungle within the confines of a strong structure.

The wind was a very strong factor here which is why the evergreens in the main are planted behind some shelter, otherwise the wind dries the leaves out too much and they fall off and the plant eventually dies.  For this reason I chose multi-stemmed deciduous plants on the outer boundaries as these help to break up the wind.  It has been a challenge to get the balance right between keeping ones privacy, the lovely views and to let in the sun but not the wind!

We have a special Covenant in the Deeds of the house which prevents us growing Pines, Conifer Trees or Yew, so we have had to manage without these, which has been quite a challenge.  Yew is not allowed because we are surrounded by sheep in winter and cows in summer and they could die from eating poisonous parts of the Yew.  We assume conifers are not allowed because they do not look right in the countryside - we are not too sure about pines!

It may be of interest to know that we have been told the house was built between 1475 and 1525, thus making it about 500 years old.  Apparently floors and chimneys were inserted about 100 years after it was built.  Dr. T. Boyle, who has written a book about Markbeech called 'The Unknown Village', thinks that Old Buckhurst is the oldest house in the village having been originally built on the site of a much earlier dwelling/camp.  It is thought that Romans may have camped in the area as oyster shells have been dug up, which apparently was their fast food!

We have researched the property and have come to the conclusion that originally the house was called Low Buckhurst Farm but by the time we bought it, it was known as Buckhurst Farmhouse.  As there are other houses in the village called Buckhurst Farm, Buckhurst Farmhouse, High Buckhurst, Lower Buckhurst and Buckhurst Cottage, at the suggestion of Sevenoaks District Council we decided to call it Old Buckhurst!

Old Buckhurst used to be a farm with 80 acres.  Now the partly walled garden extends to approximately one acre with an additional one acre paddock.  The garden is surrounded by fields with extensive and lovely views to the South Downs.  We are very aware that the garden is surrounded by lovely countryside.  Not wanting to spoil the view for other people, I have tried to plant native plants on the boundaries and to keep the more sophisticated plants and colours well inside the garden.  Hence the Walled Garden with the Silver Weeping Pear (Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula')is kept as a Silver, Pink, Blue and Red area as I do not think Pink blends in very well with the surrounding Countryside, particularly during the early Spring months when early flowering trees can be seen from a great distance.  

When we arrived in 1988 we hardly saw a bird in the garden and our great thrill now is the garden hums with quite a wide variety of birds, presumably because we can now offer them shelter as well as various rose hips and seeds.  We even had a flock of Waxwings eating the Viburnum opulus berries.

Regrettably, because of a few steps from one level to another and narrow paths in places, part of the garden is not suitable for wheelchairs.  

Sorry, only guide dogs in the garden please.

There is plenty of room for a picnic in the paddock, if desired, but please make sure no litter is left behind as plastic bags could choke the cattle and sheep in the surrounding fields.

There is a WC available.

PARKING IN THE PADDOCK IF DRY ENOUGH!