A heritage garden that’s ever changing.
OPENING TIMES
Saturday 14 February until Friday 30 October 2026
| Mon | 11am – 4pm (Bank Hols only) |
|---|---|
| Tue | closed |
| Weds | 11am – 4pm* |
| Thurs | 11am – 4pm* |
| Fri | 11am – 4pm |
| Sat | 11am – 4pm |
| Sun | 11am – 4pm |
*Open during school holidays only.
Opening times may vary on event days.
There are many ways to get involved and enjoy our gardens
Wellbeing in Quex Gardens
The Garden offers a welcoming space where nature, creativity and community come together to make gardening accessible to all. See more hereHistory of Quex Gardens
First laid out in the fifteenth century and remodelled in the nineteenth, the gardens at Quex offer a peaceful glimpse into local history. See more hereVolunteer in our gardens
We are currently open to applications from people interested in garden volunteering. If you have skills such as gardening, glazing, or basic maintenance, we'd love to hear from you. See more hereThings you might see at Quex Gardens
From wide lawns, a woodland path and old walled kitchen garden, there’s so much to see
Glasshouses
The glasshouses in our walled garden had a complete upgrade from the late 1890s, and kitchen garden production was moved to a new and much larger two-acre walled garden on the estate.
The glasshouses you see today were made by notable manufacturers, Weeks of Chelsea and Mackenzie & Moncur.
GARDEN
Free Garden Games
The sweeping lawns with parkland specimen trees provided the family with a pleasant area for games and recreation on the Pleasure Lawns.
Our garden games Jenga, boules or croquet are free to hire as part of our general admission on open days. Why not bring a picnic too and enjoy our beautiful gardens.
GARDEN
The Fountain
This central feature of the Garden started as an ornate sunken Italianate Garden. In 1913, an enormous pond was dug to create a water reservoir for a new firefighting system installed in Quex House. At its full height it contains 77,000 gallons of water, and there is still a massive pump in the adjacent pump house.
To make it an ornamental feature, the statues of Hippomenes and Atalanta were installed and are listed as historic features.
It has a large number of ornamental fish, including Koi carp.
GARDEN
The Well
The well reaches 26 metres into the chalk and, although very old, does not feature on any historic maps; others around the estate are clearly shown, even on recent ordinance survey maps.
It was covered over for many decades and was only discovered by accident in 2013. We believe it dates back to Old Quex House, when wells were essential for clean drinking water.
GARDEN
Home Education Day: Paper Worlds
Create amazing tunnel books and experiment with reverse perspective at our first Home Education day of the season
Queer Nature Guided Tours
Join us for a fascinating guided tour celebrating the diversity of the natural world.
Mother’s Day Paint & Sip
Join us for a creative and sociable afternoon of Paint & Sip in the beautiful surroundings of Quex Gardens.Did you know?…
Your full day tickets includes entrance to our Museum, House and Gardens?
Powell-Cotton Museum
Explore one of the Kent’s most distinctive museums. Be awestruck by our natural history dioramas and cultural objects originating from the African and Asian continents.
Quex House
Walk through a manor home shaped by the Powell-Cotton family over generations, with expert guided tours that reveal the lives, travels and ideas behind every room.
Create the
perfect day out
Whether you want to join a guided tour, explore the museum at your own pace, or just wander and see what you find, you can plan your day your way. Discover something new with each visit.
Create your perfect day out
Answer a few simple questions to plan your day out and get recommendations of things to see!
