Riverhill Himalayan Gardens is located in Sevenoaks in Kent. It’s ideal for a day out as the gardens are beautiful and there are lots of lovely spots for a picnic. We visited and wanted to share our experience so that you could come prepared for a lovely day out here too.
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens
Accessibility
We visited with our son who was almost two. It’s quite hilly all the way around Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, including accessing the entrance from the car park, but as long as you’ve got a steady grip on your buggy, you should be fine. There are smoother, less steep paths that are a bit more wheelchair and buggy friendly, but if you really want to explore the park and you’ve got a little one, a baby carrier might be more suitable.
The Gardens
There are over 12 acres of gardens at Riverhill Himalayan Gardens to explore. We found it very well spaced and paced, with lots to see and do at all points during the day. There are several detailed and interesting sculptures around the gardens, which really have you looking twice.
The walled garden is quite spectacular. At the beginning of summer, the borders are bursting with alliums and peonies. If you visit a bit later on in the summer, you’ll be treated to hydrangeas, geraniums and roses. And for those visiting in autumn, you’ll be able to see what Riverhill Himalayan Gardens describe as their unruly crop of squashes and gourds.
We spent a fair amount of time wandering through the Wood Garden as I was quite blown away by the display of Rhododendron and Azaleas that were in full bloom. The bluebells that would have been magnificent just a couple of weeks before, were starting to go over here, but the Rhododendrons were so colourful and magnificent. Apparently, some of the seeds were sent back by plant hunters and took up to 30 years to flower. It was well worth the wait!
The Viewpoint
Lugging a hungry toddler whilst pushing a buggy up the steep-ish climb was no mean feat but the viewpoint didn’t disappoint. Known as the Mini Everest viewpoint, the view from the top is well worth the effort. This is where we stopped for our picnic – hence the previous point about the hungry toddler.
We were quite fortunate to secure one of the picnic benches at the top. I feel they could do with a couple more. But if you came prepared with a picnic blanket, the small number of benches wouldn’t be a problem.
The views stretch right across the Weald of Kent towards Tonbridge, Ashdown Forest and Hadlow. We visited on a beautifully sunny day and it was one of the most enjoyable and scenic picnics we’ve had. After lunch, we literally rolled back down the hill toward the maze. Well, my husband and son did. I ran down with the buggy. All three of us laughing all the way. It’s a great hill for a spot of rolling – as long as you look out for the odd thistle.
The Hedge Maze
This was one of our son’s favourite parts. He really enjoyed running around the little paths which were designed by world-renowned maze expert, Adrian Fisher. Although not local to us, another great hedge maze can be found at Wentworth Garden Centre which is located on the outskirts of Rotherham, so worth investigating if you up that way.
Quite amazingly he led us straight to the centre, where there is a historic cupola from the original Cadbury’s Schweppes bottling plant in Colwall, Malvern.
Getting back out was a little more challenging, but definitely a lot of fun.
The Facilities
There is a café serving hot and cold drinks. You can get hot food from the food truck that is parked up on the lawn. The style of food truck varies from weekend to weekend, so if you have a fussy eater, best check beforehand. There are tables pre-laid out on the lawn, which is ideal. There are toilets on-site for visitors to use.
We also found there was a great adventure play area. Although much of the equipment would be more suitable for bigger children, there were a couple of pieces for younger ones too. Our little boy had a lot of fun climbing up to the slide, time and time again.
Visiting
We had such a lovely day exploring the Riverhill Himalayan Gardens. I would highly recommend this to all groups and ages. There is something for everyone. I would have liked to have spent more time enjoying the gardens. There were a couple of areas we didn’t get to see much of, but really that just gives us an excuse to go back another time.
We had to pre-book our tickets in advance, which was easy enough on the website. Adult tickets were £7 per person and our son, who is under four, went for free. The family pooch can come along too as dogs are allowed anywhere in the gardens, except for the play area, toy shed and Café.
It’s worth checking the website as there are several events during the year, including festivals and theatre performances.
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