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17 Of The Best Places To See Bluebells in Kent

One of my favourite flowers is native bluebells. That means that in late April when bluebell season hits, I can normally be found hunting out the English bluebell. Either at a National Trust property or a Kent wildlife trust nature reserve where you can normally find plenty this time of year. There are some lovely Kent bluebell wood and Kent bluebell walks to explore. Along with some of the more formal gardens of the National Trust properties in Kent. Then I pulled together a list of 18 places in Kent to see bluebells. Bluebells flower between the end of April and late May. If you are aware of any other locations in Kent then please let me know about them in the comments below and I will get them added to this post.

17 Of The Best Places To See Bluebells in Kent

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens

Where – Riverhill, Sevenoaks TN15 0RR
Cost – Adults £12 and children are £7.50 with a family ticket starting at £35.
More Information – This is a lovely location to spot bluebells and enjoy the outdoors. Each year the hold an annual bluebell festival. It opens back up for the season in March and is open Wednesday through to Sunday. You can enjoy all of the bluebells in all their glory by following the special trail. The perfect place for some picture opportunities. There is an annual bluebell-inspired garden room and a cafe onsite to enjoy. As well as some of the other things to experience during your visit. The perfect place to see bluebells in Kent. The walled garden hosts weddings so it is worth checking this in advance on their website. There is a large free car park.
Find out more – For more information visit the Riverhill Himalayan Garden website.

Walmer Castle

Where – Kingsdown Rd, Walmer, Deal CT14 7LJ
Cost – Adult prices start at £12.90 without a donation. Children’s prices start at £7.70. Please note that the castle is currently closed for restoration work in 2024. English Heritage is offering a discount to compensate for this. Make sure you use the correct code at the checkout if ordering your tickets online.
More Information – This is a beautiful English Heritage site that is a very special day out as it is but visiting during the months of April and May will leave you with a vision of blue thanks to the bluebells that cover the areas. A lot of effort has been made to ensure that the gardens are riots of colour in the Springtime. Starting with daffodils and snowdrops. There are eight acres of award-winning gardens, although head to the Paddock area to see the swathes of bluebells in Kent. You can explore the beautiful gardens, the wooded areas as well as the castle itself.
Find out more – Visit the English Heritage website for more details.

Emmetts Garden

Where – Ide Hill, Sevenoaks TN14 6BA
Cost – Adult price £13. Children’s price £6.50 with family tickets from £32.50. Free for National Trust Members.
More Information – A wonderful National Trust location it is no surprise that Emmetts Garden becomes a blanket of blue during the Spring months. This is a woodland area with plenty of opportunities to see the bluebells in all their glory. This is a great place to visit for an afternoon or day out with the family with its wild play area, including a mud kitchen. The gardens are amazing and there is a cafe onsite for you to hydrate or grab a warm drink.
There is also a circular walk that follows a hilly route through the Weald of Kent. It links Emmetts Garden with Chartwell (see below). It also passes through the woodland areas of Toys Hill and Hosey Common, as well as the pretty hamlet of French Street. Ideal for exploring the woodland floor and looking for bluebells and wood anemones.
Find out more – Visit the National Trust website for more details.

Scotney Castle

Where – Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells TN3 8JN
Cost – The adult price is £12, children’s price is £6, families from £30. These prices are for the gardens only, the house is currently closed.
More Information – Another of our favourite National Trust locations and close to several others in Kent is the beautiful Scotney Castle. Aside from the beautiful ruins of the moated castle and Victorian house, you can take some time out to explore Colliers Wood and Broadham Wood which are both perfect areas for a bluebell walk. Since it is a National Trust location you have the usual amenities that you can expect which makes it much easier when visiting with children. This is the perfect place to enjoy a day out with the whole family and four-legged friends. One of the best spots for Kent bluebells.
Find out more – Visit the National Trust website for more details.

Bedgebury National Pinetum

Where – Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst, TN17 2SJ
Cost – There is no cost to enter but you do need to pay for parking which can cost up to £14.50 for a full day during peak times. Some activities such as the Gruffalo Trail also have additional costs.
More Information – With over 12000 trees and shrubs scattered all over the Bedgebury Pinetum, this is one of the best spots to enjoy bluebell woods in Kent. The Visitor Centre features a wonderful café with panoramic views across the Pinetum, a cycle hire shop and bike wash, toilets, showers, and an information centre. There are lots of different trails to enjoy, natural play areas for the kids and if you are feeling brave Go Ape. You can take a picnic, walk the circular woodland walk and be greeted by carpets of bluebells during your visit. It is quiet and picturesque.
Find out more – For more information Forestry England website for more details.

Penshurst Place

Where – Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8DG
Cost – The adult price starts at £14. The children’s ticket is £7.80.
More Information – A lot of work has been ongoing at Penshurst Place, especially on the woodland trail. Where they have been cutting back growth to allow light to the woodland floor to encourage bluebell growth. A 1km loop, walk along the trail and you will discover log pyramids, mushroom carvings, dead-hedging, stumperies and a abundance of wildlife. Stroll the acres of parkland surrounding the estate, and enjoy the children’s playground, before venturing into beautifully designed gardens. There is so much to see and do here that you can easily spend the day with the family exploring the house and gardens.
Find out more – For more information visit Penshurst Place

Hole Park Gardens

Where – Benenden Rd, Rolvenden, Cranbrook TN17 4JA
Cost – Tickets can be brought in advance online, adult tickets cost £11 and the children’s ticket price starts at £2.50. Tickets are more expensive on the day.
More Information – If you are after lots of colour then look no further than Hole Park Gardens. A beautiful magical parkland where you will find lots of bluebells to admire and plenty to see and do. The gardens are not just filled with bluebells but lots of other stunning florals. Magnificent mature magnolia trees will also be flowering throughout the gardens and woodlands.
Find out more – visit Hole Park website to see the bluebell barometer, designed to help guide you with the development of the flowers in the gardens.

Chartwell

Where – Mapleton Road, Westerham TN16 1PS
Cost – The adult price is £20 for the gardens and houses, children cost £10 and a family ticket £50 without gift aid.
More Information – One of my favourite National Trust locations. Chartwell House was the family home and garden of Winston Churchill. With formal gardens and parkland there is also an extensive woodland area. With several different play areas, including a large tree house and woodland walk routes. Here you will be able to see the beautiful seas of bluebells. Enjoy a bite to eat at the delicious Cafe, take the kids to the natural play areas, and soak up the beautiful outdoors. This is a great option to add to the list on your hunt for bluebells in Kent. This is everything you expect from a National Trust attraction and so much more. One of the best places to see bluebells and enjoy a family day out.
For those looking for something more energetic. You can explore Mariners Hill on a circular trail. At the top of Mariners Hill, you can take in the fantastic views over Chartwell and the Weald in Kent and Kent countryside.
Find out more – More information can be found on the National Trust website for more details.

Sissinghurst

Where – Biddenden Road, near Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2AB
Cost – Car parking costs £4 but is free for National Trust members. Entrance tickets are £13 for an adult, £6.50 for a child and a family ticket costs £32.50.
More Information – Sissinghurst Castle Gardens are beauitful. These glorious gardens were designed by Sarah Raven during her time managing them. Althoughif you are looking for bluebells then these are located in the woodland area. With over half of the 150 arces being a carpet of bluebells in early May.
Find out more – Visit the National Trust website.

Eliot Woods

Where – Canterbury, University of Kent.
Cost – No cost.
More Information – Upper Eliot Pond located by the University of Kent has an enchanting display of bluebells from late Spring. While Eliot Wood is not as widely known as some other bluebell woods in Kent, such as Emmetts Garden or Sissinghurst Castle Woodland, it can still offer a delightful experience for those who visit during the peak blooming period. Located close to University Road and the Venue is within a mixed deciduous woodland. A stream runs from Upper Eliot down to Lower Eliot Pond, a small to medium pond that is located to the south of Bluebell Wood next to a footpath that runs down the southern slopes of the campus.
Find out more – on the University of Kent website.

Ashenbank Wood

Where – Halfpence Lane, Gravesend DA12 3BH
Cost – No cost
More Information – Ashenbank Wood is a broadleaved ancient woodland of oak and a site of special scientific interest in the Kent Downs Area of outstanding natural beauty. The perfect setting for a longer stroll where you will get the opportunity to see the beautiful bluebells in the months of April and May. A mix of ancient woodland and wonderful wildlife. There is parking on-site and way-marked trails at this bluebell woods in Kent.
Find out more – For more information including grid references visit the Woodland Trust website.

Trosley Country Park

Where – Waterlow Road, Vigo, Vigo Village, Gravesend DA13 0SG
Cost – The car park is pay and display
More Information – Trosley Country Park is made up of 170 acres of beautiful woodland and chalk grassland. You can enjoy a self-guided trail of the bluebells or take it all in at your own speed and in your own direction. It is one of the best bluebells locations in Kent. Not only that there is lots to see and do while you are there. Including trim trails, play areas, picnic areas and plenty of walking trails. There is also a cafe on-site for
Find out more – For more information see the Kent County Council website.

Ightham Mote

Where – Mote Road, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0NT
Cost – Entrance for the house, estate and gardens costs £16 for adults, £8 for children and a family ticket for £40.
More Information – Close by some of the other National Trust properties mentioned in this post. You can take part in an 8.5 mile circular walk through the surrounding fields to Knole and back again. Ightham Mote is a 546-acre national trust estate, you will find the bluebells in Scathes Wood. There is a lot to see during a walk here, such as many different types of trees, flowers, and animals. It is a National Trust spot so you also have the rest of the estate to explore during your time there, as well as a shop and cafe onsite. The children will enjoy the natural play area.
Find out more – For more information visit the National Trust website.

Hucking Estate

Where – Hollingbourne, Maidstone ME17 1QP
Cost – No cost
More Information – This is a lovely spot to visit when it comes to seeking out bluebells in Kent. Sitting on the North Downs it has earned the acclaim of being in the top five of Woodland Trust bluebell walks. As well as the wild bluebell, the 232-hectare area also offers a variety of other stunning wildflowers, archaeological remains and panoramic views of the weald. Perfect for pictures and a great place to explore. There are lots of woodland trails to follow. There is parking on site as well.
Find out more – For more information visit the Woodland Trust website.

Ranscombe Farm

Where – 7 Ranscombe Farm Cottages, Cuxton, Rochester ME2 1LA
Cost – Entry is free
More Information – Discover a carpet of bluebells on the North Downs with a visit to Ranscombe Farm Reserve and working farm. The nature reserve is a haven for wild plants and stunning flowers. It is an important botanical site being home to one of Britain’s rarest wildflowers. Meadow Clary was first found in the UK at Ranscombe in 1699 and still survives in the same spot. There are quiet walks where you can peacefully enjoy the views of the bluebells and see lots of stunning views. A great place to grab some pictures.
Find out more – More information including maps can be found on the Kent Downs website.

Hamstreet Woods

Where – 3 Bourne Lane, Hamstreet, Ashford TN26 2HH
Cost – Entry is free
More Information – A spring walk in Hamstreet Woods will reveal woodland glades carpeted with bluebells and wood anemones. The nature reserve has been managed using traditional methods such as coppicing to allow the wildlife to flourish. Home to rare moths and butterflies, rare birds such as the nightingale and hawfinch. Along with two protected species, the great crested newt and the dormouse. There are dedicated trails which are suitable for young children at this bluebell woods in Kent.
Find out more – For more information visit the Woodland Trust website.

King’s Wood

Where – White Hill, Challock, Kent, TN25 4AP
Cost – There is free parking at King’s Wood.
More Information – A beautiful 1500-acre woodland which is managed by Forest England. There are many walking trails to explore and it has one of the biggest displays of bluebells in Kent. Follow trails that take you through the woodland and there are normally several sculptures to discover. This bluebell woods in Kent is popular with dog walkers.
Find out more – Visit the Forestry England website for more details.