Spectacular Stanmer!
May 12, 2021
New pathways and trails and a beautifully-restored walled garden are among the attractions at a Sussex countryside estate that has undergone a major restoration.
Construction of the £5.1m restoration of Stanmer Park is now complete, giving a new lease of life to Brighton and Hove’s largest park, nestled among tranquil woodlands and lush green open spaces within the National Park.
Work to restore and protect some of the estate’s most important heritage and listed features, as well as develop new ways to share its rich and fascinating history with a wider audience, has been underway since 2019.
The project was able to go ahead thanks to a £3.8m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund, together with financial and other support from Brighton & Hove City Council and partners Plumpton College and the South Downs National Park Authority.
Opened to the public at the beginning of April, Stanmer’s restored walled garden has the real wow factor. Formerly the kitchen garden for the park’s iconic Stanmer House, and until recently the city council’s Nursery, it is now leased to Plumpton College, which have transformed the area into an exciting new public attraction, One Garden Brighton.
Visitors can wander among themed garden areas designed by landscape architect Dominic Cole, who worked on the Eden Project, and browse in the farm shop and glasshouses. Interpretation boards exploring some of the historic themes that have shaped Stanmer life for more than 5,000 years are being installed, along with wind-up “listening posts” where visitors will be able to listen volunteers recount their park memories.
New pathways and trails, plus an off-road route alongside the central driveway, give visitors a fresh perspective on the park’s sweeping 18th Century designed landscape.
Trevor Beattie, Chief Executive of the Authority, said: “Stanmer Park is a key gateway to the National Park and it’s wonderful to see it lovingly restored. One Garden Brighton is a great new addition to the National Park – an impressive balance of education, commerce and recreation in the restored Georgian walled garden.”
Pictures by Sam Smith and Alex Waterfield