Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens - Horsham | Gardens

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Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is considered to be 'The Finest Woodland Gardens in England'. First planted in 1801, the Grade I Listed gardens on the 240-acre Estate, featuring outstanding scenery and wildlife throughout the year. The gardens are particularly majestic as they bloom in spring, or take on the colours of autumn.

Where is Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens located?

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is located in the heart of West Sussex, in Lower Beeding, near Horsham. The name Leonardslee derives from the lea or valley of St Leonard's Forest, one of the ancient forests of the High Weald.

What style of garden is Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens?

Leonardslee House & Gardens was built in 1801 with breathtaking views of the English countryside. Leonardslee has seven lakes and a unique combination of woodland forest, rock garden and parkland, with a rare colony of wallabies and a number of deer species that roam free throughout the estate.

What can guests enjoy at Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens?

For an ideal outing, you can also visit the famous Rock Garden, Australia Garden and Doll's House Museum, see the rare colony of wallabies and catch the deer roaming free. Visitors can also explore the newly planted Vineyards and enjoy fantastic wine tasting experiences. And after that appreciate dining in style at Restaurant Interlude or taking high tea in the Grade II Listed Mansion, or appreciate more informal refreshments at other locations on the estate.

Other Information

Home to Restaurant Interlude a Michelin Star restaurant. This is an extraordinary achievement as the restaurant has only been open for a year and Executive Chef Jean Delport is one of the youngest winners of the award, aged 31. To experience Restaurant Interlude for yourself, you can book for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday weekly. Bookings are online at www.restaurant-interlude.co.uk

Top Facilities

Dog/Pet friendly

Parking Available

Disabled Access

Facilities & Information

Summary

Facilities

Food

Restaurant

Extra info

Garden Acreage: 240

Open Times: Open Daily | Peak (1 Apr - 31 Oct) 09:00 - 17:00 | Off Peak (1 Nov - 31 Mar) 09:00 - 16:00 | Closed 25 December

Directions

Get directions

Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham, West Sussex, HorshamRH13 6PP, United Kingdom

By Coach: Number 17 runs between Horsham Railway Station & Brighton and stops outside Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens By Train: Nearest Rail Station is Horsham, with trains from London Victoria and Clapham Junction. By Car: - From the M23/A23: Head South on the M23/A23 and take the exit signposted Handcross, follow the B2110 through Lower Beeding, at the end of the road turn left. The entrance is immediately on your left. - From Horsham: Head South out of Horsham and follow the A281 for approximately 10 minutes, the entrance is on your left. - From Cowfold: Head North on the A281 through Crabtree, the entrance is on your right at the top of the hill.

Reviews

100%

Average Score

5.0

Based on 11 Reviews

Room
5.0

Value
5.0

Service
5.0

Overall
5.0

Love this place .... so tranquil ! We came here for some afternoon R&R, and wandered around the gardens. We had a look at the wallabies, who seemed to be relaxing this time around, so not much action there. We also went down the hill to the lakes and watched some r/c boating. Lovely. Had tea and scones after a walk back up the hill. The scones were excellent and fresh, but didn't hold together and I had to end up eating all the bits with a teaspoon. Perhaps they could be made with a bit more body to them ? Otherwise, a lovely experience. Recom...
Mac R 20/08/2019

Very nice wooded gardens and lakes. Cafe had vegan and gluten free options. The dolls house exhibition was better than I expected as it wasn't classic dolls houses, rather miniature houses set in the Victorian age.
Duncan C 19/08/2019

Great Day Out We spent five lovely hours at these well restored gardens, using the map provided to make sure we didn't miss anything. We had a few refreshment breaks too in the well stocked Clocktower cafe. We would highly recommend a visit here.
Curiosity 2 18/08/2019

Wine and cheese experience and ‘dolls house' miniature estate at Leonardslee Gardens Took my dad and husband to the cheese and wine tasting experience today as a treat. Booked the time slot online the day before. Fantastic experience. They had a wonderful time and were very well looked after. I took my mum for an excellent ad-hock afternoon tea in the courtyard cafe (not the house version of afternoon tea which is fantastic but much more expensive and has to be booked in advance). Then we spent at least an hour inspecting the incredible ‘dol...
Debbie R 15/08/2019

We went for the afternoon tea at the house but the gardens were beautiful. The afternoon tea was delicious and it's nice that you have a choice between menus. The cakes were beautifully made and absolutely amazing. They give you a box with a small slice of cake in once you have finished so if you can't eat any of the cakes then you can just sneak them into the box! You don't have to dress up really nicely as it isn't too fancy. The waiting times are very short and the staff are lovely.
Susie C 14/08/2019

This is a special place, a beautiful walk through spectacular woodlands down to Crystal clear lakes with so many different colours of green trees and brushes. The dolls houses are very interesting. A very good cafe l had the best brie and bacon toasted sandwich ever.
Joyce W 12/08/2019

Enjoyed a lovely day in this beautiful garden which has been lovingly restored. If visiting its worth knowing it is very hilly but the map, although a bit difficult to follow, does give routes that avoid the steepest paths. The garden is dog friendly with waste bins dotted around and water bowls at the main areas. Visitors are encouraged to eat in the cafe, which we did, but were not overly impressed with our lunches especially the sandwiches which were a bit soggy. Cakes were lovely. Service was good and staff were friendly and helpful. Overal...
Janet W 08/08/2019

We had been looking forward to visiting Leonardslee since we saw an advert in a local magazine. We were not disappointed. The welcome was really nice and the staff very helpful. The gift shop was unlike most others - no kitsch or useless stuff that you find in most places, thankfully - and nicely laid out. There were plenty of places to walk and, although it was busy, there was a lot of space where we could be on our own. I am not a fan of the cashless society but found the system worked well at the entrance and in the cafe. The food was very...
Cloud B 26/07/2019

We had looked forward to Leonardslee gardens reopening. We were not disappointed. We had visited many times before it was sold off, and loved it. The current owner and her team have achieved a wonderful restoration. Well worth a visit. We saw the ending of the azaleas and rhododendrons still so pretty. I had forgotten how steep some of the paths were. I am 10 years older!! Now the Gardens can only get better. A wonderful tree collection saved for the nation. And the cafe areas were good and we enjoyed revisiting the dolls house exhibition to...
Jennifer J 19/07/2019

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