- £20 adult · £10 child
- Dogs in the grounds
- Parking on site, free for members
- National Trust
Quick answer
Scotney Old Castle is a castle near Lamberhurst, Kent, managed by National Trust. Adult tickets cost £20, and National Trust members go free. There is no public access inside, but it can be seen from outside. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the grounds but not inside. There is a members' car park on site.
Getting to Scotney Old Castle and parking
Plan your route
These open in your own maps app. Nothing is sent from this page until you choose one.
- Parking
- Car park on site, free for members. £4.50 for non-members; must be pre-booked by 09:00 on the day during car park works.
- By train
- Wadhurst is 4.4 miles away.
- Public transport
- The 256 Tunbridge Wells-Wadhurst service runs via Lamberhurst, Monday to Friday.
Dogs, accessibility and facilities
Dogs
Partly- Welcome: in the grounds.
- Not allowed: inside the buildings.
- Leads: dogs must be kept on a lead.
- Short leads; garden, shops, tea-room and estate; assistance dogs only in house and walled garden.
Accessibility
Partly step-free- Step-free: in parts of the site.
- Paths and surfaces: Steep garden with many accessible paths; level access car park to shop, tea-room and house; external lift to house ground floor; steps in quarry garden.
- Accessible toilet: yes.
- Mobility scooter hire: yes.
Food and facilities
- Toilets Yes
- Café Yes
- Shop Yes
- Baby changing Yes
- Guided tours Yes
- Picnic area Yes
- Play area Yes
What to see at Scotney Old Castle
- 01
Moat
A ditch, wet or dry, around the walls.
- 02
Gardens
Gardens you can walk around.
- 03
Views
Notable views from the site.
History of Scotney Old Castle
- 1086 The estate, then called Courthope, was recorded as belonging to Bishop Odo of Bayeux.
- c.1378 Roger Ashburnham built a castle with crenellated towers and a moat, more for show than for defence.
- 1418 The Ashburnhams sold Scotney to Robert Chichele, and it later passed to the Darrell family.
- 1591 The Jesuit priest Richard Blount began hiding in the castle wall, where he stayed until 1598.
- c.1630 The east range was rebuilt in a fashionable Italianate style.
- 1778 Edward Hussey I bought the Scotney estate.
- 1837 Edward Hussey III began reshaping the site in the Picturesque style and left the Old Castle as a partial ruin.
- 1971 The Picturesque Garden opened to the public under the National Trust.
Photos
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Brian Toward from London, United Kingdom · CC0 · Source -
DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Castles near Scotney Old Castle
All 6 castles in KentSources
- Page on nationaltrust.org.uk
- Wikidata
- Page on nationaltrust.org.uk
- Page on nationaltrust.org.uk
- Page on nationaltrust.org.uk
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