The private gardens surrounding Firle Place cover nearly 300 acres, 190 of which are parkland.
The formal gardens start with the parterre at the front entrance and lead to the the North Borders. These form part of the late 19th century garden, which is planted with mixed borders of shrubs and herbaceous perennials.
The centrepiece of the lawns is a majestic Victorian fountain designed by Austin Sealy in 1872.
The path leads past a giant Holm oak to the Cherry Walk, a hornbeam hedge surrounding an avenue of cherry trees. From here the view looks out to the 1½ acre long pond. Originally this acted as a lake at the bottom of an intricate canal system linking Firle Place to the River Ouse. The canals have long since disappeared but the long pond is still a feature of the garden.
To the south of the house, 20 acres of young woodland and sloping lawn make up 'The Pleasure Grounds'. These are part of Lord Gage’s private garden, and are open to the public twice a year in April and September in aid of charity. ‘Pleasure Ground’ is an 18th century term meaning an ‘area of cultivated lawns and ornamental planting and architecture designed for ‘traversing on foot’‘.
The private walled garden produces fruits and flowers for the house and holds a very interesting specimen; one of the original greengage trees, introduced to the British Isles by the Gage family in 1724.
Special guided tours for pre-booked groups are available on request.
Talks given to garden clubs, and horticultural societies by the head gardener can be also arranged. For more details please contact Philip Fenech on 07970 975995.
The private gardens are open to the public twice a year in Spring and Autumn under the National Gardens Scheme. For more details and dates of opening times please contact Peter or Penny Woolgar on 01273 858 307.
Special guided tours for pre-booked groups are available on request. Talks given by the head gardener to garden clubs and horticultural societies can also be arranged. For more details please contact Philip Fenech on 07970 975995.
