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About Kenfield Hall
Kenfield Hall is a tranquil, organic garden, nestled in the Kent Downs. Dating from 1730, the site is referenced in the Kent Gardens Compendium, vestiges of the original garden remain and can be seen throughout. Beech hedging respects the form of the original walled garden, which now contains a wild flower meadow, and the arboretum features many mature specimen conifers, some of which are 200 years old!
In 1859, the East Kent Natural Society wrote about Kenfield Hall, claiming that ‘the Collection of conifers is one of the most complete in the country, and contains very many choice specimens’, many of these still remain, including established examples of all three redwood species.
Much of the grounds were previously neglected for 90 years, prior to being restored as a private home 20 years ago. Since then, the estate has been replanted extensively with native trees and hedgerows, and a program established to restore the grounds. The garden itself includes pockets of long grass and wild flowers throughout, to act a habitat and food source for pollinating insects.
The owners have restored the 18th century formal sunken garden to the rear of the house, with the central circular pool with its ornamental statue set in a lawn quartered by brick paths, and the whole surrounded by raised mixed herbaceous beds. Adjacent to this is an impressive wooden arched colonnade, leading through to a rose garden surrounded by box hedging which has been organically managed against both box moth caterpillar and box blight.
A more recent addition is the Japanese garden, which incorporates several waterfalls that flow into a natural swimming pool. This pool supports an abundance of life, and in the height of summer dragonflies can be seen darting above the water, a large number of newts can be seen in the shallows, occasionally great diving beetles can also be found in the depths.
Whilst the site includes a diverse variety of different planting styles, careful consideration has been given to the surrounding landscape and views from the house are designed in a way which take the eye through a harmonious creation of paths and gateways into different parts of the garden.
There is also a vegetable garden with cut flowers, glasshouses and a conservatory.
Parts of the garden continue to be restored and developed and this presents a unique opportunity to see how they are put together, the thought processes behind the decisions, through to the landscaping and planting.
