Gardens spring into bloom near Ockenden Manor

Sussex is perhaps the leading English county for public gardens now bursting into spring colour. Visitors are spoilt for choice and one of the best hotels to use as a base for garden tours is Ockenden Manor in the pretty village of Cuckfield, 20 minutes north of Brighton.

Ockenden, a historic country house hotel full of charm and quiet luxury, is within easy reach of four gardens of international acclaim and the hotel has launched a special promotion for garden lovers. In May a two night stay in superior accommodation, with entrance to two gardens from a choice of Wakehurst Place, Leonardslee, Borde Hill or Nyman Gardens, dinner , breakfast and a picnic luncheon hamper with wine the following day, costs from £268 per person based on double/twin occupancy.

Just ten minutes away from the hotel is Borde Hill, voted garden of the year in 2005 by the Historic Houses Association. Borde Hill’s 200 acres of grade II listed woodland, parkland and lakes, set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, is home to 75 champion trees that are the tallest or have the largest girth of their kind. Nine of these are over 100 years old. The woodland walks are particularly striking at the end of April when carpets of bluebells cover the forest floor.

Another favourite for Ockenden’s guests is Leonardslee Gardens, commonly accepted as one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, especially during May when the azaleas are in bloom. Set amongst seven lakes, the gardens offer a mixture of tranquillity and surprises, particularly when visitors are confronted by one of the numerous wallabies that gently trim the grass!

Fifteen minutes from Ockenden, Wakehurst Place is the country home of the Royal Botanic Society. It also houses the Millennium Seed Bank at which visitors can use the interactive displays to discover how the RBS is helping to safeguard the world’s most endangered plants. Alternatively, the non-technically minded can enjoy wandering amongst the 180 acres of country estate which has a huge variety of plants that offer year-round interest.

Not much further away is the Nyman estate. Nyman has a wonderful family feel that has been created by three generations of the Messel family and their gothic mansion provides the perfect backdrop to this striking garden. It is divided into a selection of small niche-gardens of which the Wild Garden is especially impressive, with its historic collection of exotic and unusual plants from around the world.

At the end of your day Ockenden Manor (a member of the Historic Sussex Hotels Group), set in nine acres of beautiful grounds and gardens of its own, is the perfect place to unwind. Originally an Elizabethan manor house, the hotel, offering lovely views over the South Downs, has a warm and relaxed atmosphere. The 22 suites are all individually decorated and very comfortably furnished and equipped while the restaurant, one of only two in Sussex with a Michelin star, has a strong emphasis on locally produced organic cuisine.

For further information visit Hshotels.co.uk.