Scotney Castle

Scotney Castle stands in the valley of the River Bewl in Kent. It is an English country house with formal gardens south-east of Lamberhurst. The National Trust owns the estate. The gardens are a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an example of the picturesque style. A medieval moated manor house, Scotney Old Castle, sits on an island in a small lake. The Old Castle’s ruins date back to the 14th century. Roger Ashburnham built it around 1378–80 as a fortified house. Later owners added Elizabethan and Inigo Jones styles. The Darrell family hid a Jesuit priest here from 1591 to 1598. The Hussey family replaced the old castle with a new house between 1835 and 1843, designed by Anthony Salvin. Visitors walk through sloping wooded gardens filled with rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmia in spring. Summer brings wisteria and roses, while autumn turns the leaves brilliant. The Quarry Garden holds a 100-million-year-old dinosaur footprint. The new house overlooks the gardens, and Shakespeare productions have been staged here. The old ruins and the new castle together create a striking contrast.