Borde Hill Garden, West Sussex – Kids Days Out Reviews

Over the summer holidays, we spent a sunny Sunday visiting Borde Hill Garden near Haywards Heath in West Sussex. Borde Hill Garden extends to over 200 acres, with the formal gardens making up 17 acres. The gardens form a series of themed outdoor ‘rooms’, both traditional and modern in design. There are lots of different and interesting areas to explore.

Throughout 2017 the garden is hosting their 18^th annual Sculpture Exhibition, and the gardens are filled with sculptures both big and small. All the pieces are for sale, and the map came with a price list. Surprisingly some of the sculptures weren’t too badly priced! There were some really lovely pieces that were thoughtfully placed to blend in with their surroundings. It was great fun looking for and admiring them.

Over the summer holidays, there are lots of activities for families visiting the gardens. Every day, children can take part in the Alice in Wonderland Garden Trail, which really kept the children interested and involved as we explored the gardens. The trail led us on a route through the gardens, taking us through the story of Alice in Wonderland. There was a series of riddles for the children to answer, and pictures from the story hidden in the trees to spot and count as we went along.

At the end of the trail, there was a marquee set up with some colouring and other activities. There was also a little reading room to one side which was beautifully themed with elements from the story, and we spent quite a while here while here while the children read different versions of the Alice in Wonderland story to themselves. The Alice in Wonderland trail will be running until the 3^rd September 2017.

Every Sunday afternoon in August a different musical act is performing in the gardens, all included in the cost of entrance. We enjoyed a performance from Hannah Summers singing vintage Jazz and Swing while we ate our picnic lunch in gorgeous surroundings. There were also lots of garden games laid out to amuse the children, and they spent ages entertaining themselves while we enjoyed the music.

The playground at Borde Hill Garden

We finished our day in the adventure playground. The highlight for the children was the zip line! There was also lots of exciting play equipment with lovely views out across the countryside. There’s also plenty of parkland to run around in, where you can take a kite or kick a ball around.