St Leonards Gardens - East Sussex
A 19th Century garden has officially reopened after a £1m revamp. The Grade II listed St Leonards Gardens in St Leonards East Sussex has been opened by garden designer Roddy Llewellyn at a recent ceremony.
As part of the Heritage Lottery funded plan, a mixture of new plants and trees have been introduced to ensure the gardens are colourful all year round.
Several events were planned for the opening day, including a tour of the gardens and children's play activities.
There was also afternoon tea, story telling and riddles, as well as an abridged performance of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.
St Leonards Gardens were designed by the British architect James Burton, and founded in 1828.
They were originally home to several private estates, before Hastings Corporation acquired them and opened them to the public in 1880.
Originally laid out as a private garden for the Burton family, St Leonards Gardens was bought by the town for £9,000 in 1879. The gardens had two ponds and a maze, which proved very popular and gave Maze Hill its name. Gothic-style buildings were built around the wooded valley. The gateway to St Leonards Gardens is an imposing Burton building.
The Council applied for a Heritage Lottery Grant for the restoration of St Leonards and the work was completed recently.
Directions and Opening Times
Warrior Square Station is the nearest railway station. Walk straight up Kings Road, at the junction of Kings Road and London Road bear left into London Road and straight to the sea front. Turn right, walking past Marine Court. Just after the Royal Victoria Hotel, turn right into Gardner Way, and enter the Gardens through the cream archway at South Lodge.
Opening times of the Lodge are:
- Wednesdays: 11.00am - 2.00pm
- Saturdays: 11.00am - 4.00pm
- Sundays: 1.00pm - 3.00pm
Guided walks take place at 2.30pm every Wednesday in July and August starting from the Royal Victoria Hotel on the seafront.
An accessible toilet is available in the South Lodge during opening hours.
Parking is available on the seafront near the Royal Victoria Hotel.
