The National Garden Scheme: Garden Open Days: St Mary's House Gardens Bramber

5 acres including formal topiary, large prehistoric Ginkgo biloba and magnificent Magnolia grandiflora around enchanting timber-framed medieval house (not open for NGS). Victorian Secret Gardens inc splendid 140ft fruit wall with pineapple pits, Rural Museum, Terracotta Garden, Jubilee Rose Garden, King's Garden and circular Poetry Garden. Woodland walk and Landscape Water Garden.
In the heart of the South Downs National Park. WC facilities.
Wheelchair access with level paths throughout.

A short lime avenue leads to the clipped box and yew. Beyond the stone balustraded bridge a riot of hollyhocks can be seen in high summer in front of the C15 timber-framed house. Here visitors can still see the fine panelled interiors of a much-loved home. Through the stone arch is the upper lawn, enclosed by herbaceous borders, while the lower lawn has clipped yew hedges and roses, with an exceptional example of the ‘Living Fossil’ tree, the prehistoric Ginkgo Biloba. The five acres of gardens include the Victorian ‘Secret’ Garden, with its 40-metre fruit wall, heated pineapple pits and stove house. The Victorian potting shed now houses a Rural Museum of horticultural implements from the family farms. The Rose Garden commemorates the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The Terracotta Garden has a central fountain, complemented by colourful herbaceous borders. The unusual English Poetry Garden, in its semi-woodland setting, has a bust of Lord Byron as its centrepiece, a long curved pergola, and poems displayed around the circular broadwalk for the pleasure of visitors. The King's Garden celebrates the escape of Charles II to France. There is also a woodland walk and Landscape Water Garden with island and waterfall.

St Mary's House Gardens Bramber BN44 3WE Is open for the National Garden Scheme: Fri 28, Sat 29 June (2pm-5.30pm). Admission £8.50, children £5. Book online https://ngs.org.uk or pay on the day. Home- made teas. Direct link -https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/11007/st-marys-house-gardens

Why support the National Garden Scheme
The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises impressive amounts of money for some of the UK's best-loved nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors we have donated more than £70 million to our beneficiary charities, and in 2023 made donations of over £3.4 million. Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, we are now the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK and our beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – we are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. We fund projects which promote gardens and gardening as therapy, and in 2017, we launched our annual Gardens and Health Week to raise awareness of the topic. Our funding also supports the training of gardeners and offers respite to horticultural workers who have fallen on difficult times.

To learn more about the National Garden Scheme, discover your perfect garden or find out how to open your own garden, visit ngs.org.uk, download the National Garden Scheme app or purchase the National Garden Scheme’s Garden Visitor’s Handbook, which is published annually and available via ngs.org.uk/shop and at all good book retailers.

Direct links to West Sussex NGS gardens

https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-june-gardens/
https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-july-gardens/
https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-august-gardens/
https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-by-arrangement-gardens/