Leonardslee has been in the same family for 150 years. They started to develop the Grade 1 listed gardens in a woodland valley between Cowfold and Horsham in 1889, and last year celebrated their centenary of opening to the public. The valley is 220 acres and has seven lakes that were originally hammer ponds that served the local mediaeval iron & charcoal burning industries. The other acres are the 2 main houses, several cottages & outbuildings, the glasshouse, a large rock garden formed in 1900, a deer park and wallaby paddock. The 40 wallabies are kept in the paddock during opening hours, but roam the valley at other times as environmentally friendly lawnmowers! If you have £5 million to spare....Leonardslee has just gone up for sale!
The main house and the magnificent 'Beyond the Dolls House' exhibition (see sub-gallery at end of this gallery) are to be sold separately. It is a wonderful place and I really hope it can all be kept together and remain open to the public. This year nature is somewhat behind here, and the trees and shrubs were barely in bloom when we visited. What blooms there were had been spoilt by the snowfall of a week before, but it was still looking very beautiful.
Page 4 onwards is later visit in mid-June 2010. Unfortunately we missed the best rhododendron blooming weeks again...a little too late this time. Estimate mid to late May would be best....but the estate is now sold and new owners are taking over on 1st July this year and will not be opening to the public. Such a great shame....do hope they still manage to keep the gardens maintained and unchanged. Word is that they are keeping the wallabies, and the Beyond The Dolls House Collection too, so perhaps they will eventually re-open to the public one day.

++++++UPDATE: Happily, it is re-opening to the public sometime in 2018/2019! +++++

**********THE FIRST THUMBNAIL IS A SUB-GALLERY********