insideKENT Magazine Issue 85 - April 2019 | Page 46

DAYSOUT
K E N T ’ S GORGEOUS GARDENS
CONT.
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Sevenoaks
www.riverhillgardens.co.uk
John Rogers, who bought Riverhill in 1840, chose it because its sheltered situation offered an ideal lime-free
hillside where he could hope to establish newly introduced trees and shrubs. From his garden notebook, it
can be seen tha t planting started in 1842. Subsequent genera tions continued the planting and no w, this
historic, listed hillside garden is a fun family day out as well as a beautiful spot to enjoy. Today, the gardens
are an intriguing mix of historic and traditional planting, with contemporary and quirky twists, making it a
fascinating must-visit garden for families and garden lovers alike.
RIVERHILL HIMALAYAN GARDENS
GREAT COMP GARDEN
Great Comp Garden, Sevenoaks
www.greatcompgarden.co.uk
Great Comp has a long and v aried history which spans
an incredible 800 years, starting back in the 13th century
when it was known as Camp de Wrotha (Wrotham field).
It was, in fact, the garden that came first; the manor house
itself wasn’t built until 1597. Since then, 19 owners have
enjoyed Great Comp including most notably Mrs Frances
J. Heron Maxwell who lived there for more than 50 years
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at the start of the 20th century. She was a great friend of
the indomitable Vita Sackville-West who lived nearby at
Knole. Yet it was Eric and Joy Cameron, who moved to
Great Comp in 1957, w ho ar e r esponsible f or ho w
wonderful the g ardens ar e toda y. T hey opened their
gardens to the pub lic in 1968, and people ha ve been
visiting in droves ever since.