A perfect winter's day out - we wandered the gardens before having a delicious afternoon tea at Leonardslee House and then walked the beautiful illuminated trail (with interesting installations as well as live performers - so an extra bonus especially for those with young children). These gardens will definitely have different looks for each season, so we've mentally noted the need to return (and we may not be able to resist having tea here again!😁).

We had a wonderful afternoon at Leonardslee starting with a delicious afternoon tea served by the delightful Louis followed by a walk around the stunning gardens & incredible sculptures. The lovely Graham came to our rescue with his buggy when we struggled with the wheelchair, we had a great chat with him. Also Dora in the shop and Liz at reception were also super kind and friendly. All these people made our day an extra special & memorable one. Thank you we will be back!

Spent a wonderfully restful afternoon wandering around these extensive gardens on a hot afternoon, fortunately there was plenty of shade. The gardens are lovely, though probably at their best earlier in the summer when the rhododendrons are in flower. The sculptures were very good and fitted beautifully into the landscape. Excellent lunch at the cafe, love the idea of being able to pack your own picnic up to eat in the grounds. The wallabies are very sweet but sadly the deer proved elusive, probably hiding from the hot sun! One of the lakes even had a exhibition of model boats courtesy of the local model club which were very relaxing to watch gently gliding across the sunlit water. All in all a very restorative and relaxing afternoon in glorious countryside, well worth a visit if you're in the area.

We heard about this place from a family membe who lives in West Sussex. We had a free day during our trip so bought the tickets online a couple of days before. We didn't have to wait. in any queue to enter. The gardens were magnificent, every which way you turned there were flowers of many colours. We were very fortunate that we were there on the hottest day of the year so far. We spent five hours there, bought a bite to eat in the shop which was a bit overpriced but what you would expect in a place like this. They don't allow you to bring your own food and drink, but on such a hot day it would be beneficial to allow plastic bottled water. It was a fabulous day out. One word of warning WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!

These are our favourite Spring Gardens and are probably the finest collection of azalea and rhododendron in Europe. There's always some specimens out in march and early April but there's a couple of weeks when the garden is at its finest. Looking at it today the rock garden will peak around 5th to 15th May and the dell and main gardens around 8th to 22nd May.

Wow, what a lovely garden. I haven't been here in years, so I'm really glad to be back. Their grounds and gardens are huge with so much to see! You get a different map depending on which season you go, which have different routes on. Most of the garden is in a valley so there is a it of walking. If you visit the top garden, be aware that it is more rough terrain, so it's not easy walking. Has a large free carpark and lovely cafe and Doll's house. Your ticket, I think, is valid for 30 days from the date of purchase. Please check before trying.

Brilliant walk day time, peaceful, calm and beautiful. Staff friendly and helpful. Great place to clear a mind. Nature, art and installations healing a soul. I was lucky to seeLeonardslee illuminated as well. Magnificent.

Lovely time here, happened to be a beautiful hot day but not many visitors at all thankfully so mostly felt like we had the place to ourselves. Loads to see, well maintained, good amount choices of food and drink available from the cafes and food/drink trucks on site plus a Michelin starred restaurant! A bit on the pricey side for everything overall £15 entry seems abit high in my opinion and cafe foods also a little more than expected... But I still really enjoyed it and it has more than the typical park or gardens around here so overall a fun day out. Highly recommend.

Really enjoyed our day out here, it happened to be a day when there was also a sculpture exhibition so even more to see. Beautiful lakes and areas to explore between, Rock Gardens, wallabies and vineyard. There are also deer but we didn't see them, there is a big push on rhododendron and azaleas but it was the wrong time of year for us to see them in bloom. Lovely cafe with lots of outdoor seating, wine bar and ice cream! Garden Centre plants and gift shop Ltd the end.

Really enjoyed the time spent here with my other half. Beautiful gorgeous view all around the garden and the lake. Spring display one of the best show topper. Walk around the lake is one of the best experiences we both had alongwith the view of the sculptures. Worth visiting the garden with family and kids !!

The place was beautiful. The gardens were lovely and very peaceful. Saw white wallabies and deer. The walks take you all around the gardens. The miniature dolls' house was exquisite and breathtaking. The handiwork of all the dioramas was incredibly lifelike. Had cream teas in the courtyard cafe, very reasonably priced and was very tasty. Will be returning when the warmer weather is upon us.

Beautiful gardens, roughly 4 hours to get around all of the grounds. Huge car park and very good facilities, no outside food so picnics not allowed. Took our own drinks but restaurant and cafe are on site. Some parts are hilly so look out for gentler paths. Very enjoyable and peaceful, fair pricing especially for family ticket. Would highly recommend

We had a wonderful day at Leonardslee lakes and gardens - we brought our dog with us on a short lead, he had a great time sniffing everything. The gardens are gorgeous with lots of mature trees including giant redwoods. The wallabies are really cute! Definitely recommend visiting!

Beautiful, varied and interesting gardens. Easy walking terrain. Bountiful wildlife. Nice cafe and lunch options. Didn't disappoint and a must visit for anyone who loves gardens like these. Can't wait to come back in the spring to see the plants in full bloom.

Came here over a decade ago prior to its sale and I presumed disappearance from the public. It's a valley with a series of ponds and a riot of coloured vegetation - exquisite and the multiple trails around them are well laid out. Having giant redwoods never hurts either. Took us around 2.5 hours with the doll's house exhibit really surprisingly enjoyable at the end against all my expectations. Deer park appears not to be there and the wallabies looked a little forlorn. Highly recommended. The resulting pictures started with a 'wow, look at this'. About 13.00 per adult June 2021. Facilities multiple and good.

Leonardslee is just beautiful. Lakes, masses of magnolia and rhododendron, wallabies, deer park - fantastic. We keep discovering paths we haven't been down even after several visits. There are three regular places for refreshments, a garlic wood food store, and a top class Restaurant Interlude.

Amazing light show and entertainment but atrocious covid enforcement. The bare minimum effort being put in for putting up flags and direction signs and then 0 enforcement. Was rubbing shoulders and having people breathing down my neck even when staff were next to me.

Beautiful gardens, stunning views and intriguing art installations. Enchanted garden exhibition also great for children and families. Great to see an area conserving wildlife and caring for the environment. 🐝 Station Cafe and Garden Cafe both accommodating for dairy free diets, Restaurant Interlude less so! Still, it would be unfair to penalise the gardens in this review, as they were wonderful. Thank you for our visit!

This is an awesome garden and lakes. It is massive so give your visit plenty of time

Nice walk in the restored garden, beside the lakes. Sadly, not much flowers to see in the autumn, but the beautifully colourful trees were a good consolation prize. I loved the sculptures, they were definitely giving good for thoughts! The deers must have had an off day, as they were nowhere to be seen, but the wallabies and and peacocks were lovely. Tasty treats in the cafe. Overall good, will be coming back in the spring and summer next year.

Spent the whole day here beautiful walks. The lakes are beautiful. Some lovely sculptures along the way.

A beautiful and peaceful afternoon walk around lakes and parkland. Lots of different parhs to explore and some stunning statues to admire. Some steep and uneven paths so some planning required if you are taking buggies and/ or a wheelchair. The dolls house exhibition really under sells itself, it's an amazing display of models of life in time gone by, suitable for all ages. Some nice places to eat too.

Lovely place to visit any time of the year. I went on a winters day there were still some flowers and plenty of colour and interest. I followed the Sculpture trail which were interesting and some strange. The Sculptures were by Anton Smit. The trees were magnificent and the lakes and reflections beautiful. You can spend hours there so the café is very welcome and quite good. There is also a posh restaurant and even places to stay.

A beautiful location with amazing views and fantastic staff. For a special family birthday we chose a tutored wine tasting experience followed by afternoon tea. Our sommelier was the wonderful Emma who not only made us feel welcome, but who's enthusiasm and knowledge really made the experience special. The variety and quality of the wine is excellent - my favourite is easily the Benguela Cove Chardonnay (thank you Emma!) Afternoon tea was delicious and served in the most elegant surroundings, overlooking the grounds. To finish off a delightful afternoon we took walk through the woodlands and around the lakes - the new sculpture exhibition is really worth a look. Would thoroughly recommend Leonardslee for a visit - superb food and wine in a magnificent setting!

Very good gardens with plenty to see including an extensive and interesting sculpture trail. Also very dog friendly. Food also available and there is the dolls house exhibition which is better than it may sound. Definitely going back.

This was our first visit to Leonardslee and we were blown away by how lovely the gardens were, stunning views throughout the trail we walked. There are statues and pieces of art every so often along the trail which added more interest. We had coffee and cake before the walk which was nice. The the highlight of the day was to have afternoon tea in the main house, OMG wowsers. If you can afford it you should definitely give it a try. It is very posh, after tea (food) is amazing, would 100% recommend, push the boat out and make a very memorable experience

Nice garden with various types of flowers, similar to nyman. I felt it’s much larger by comparison, mostly because the forest for deers I guess. Each areas are in different height, so besides garden, it’s almost like waking in mountains. I didn’t spend much time on kangaroo and chicken but I’m sure anyone with children’s going to love it.

Loved the place, so quiet and peaceful! It takes the whole day to see everything there. It is great for everyone. Families with kids, elderly people, anyone who want to escape from the busy life of the city's and have a moment with the nature.

We visited Leonardslee for the first time in many years. After a period of closure it was opened under new management last year and the whole impression is of a very professionally run establishment. Although it was a winter visit, the gardens are definitely worth a visit. Take some walking boots or Wellington boots if you intend exploring some of the forrest tracks. We could not find the deer, but did see the wallabies. The cafe was offering a take away service due to the Tier 4 restrictions. Don't miss the rock garden, if you go, as it is really interesting.

Wow! It's a long time since I have been here and not been in the Spring. It is such a lovely place and you really need more than one day to look round. It was certainly worth the 3 hour drive it took me. I was telling some people at the campsite I was staying at and they went on the Sunday. The dolls house museum was incredible too.

Great gardens and loads of mainly figurative sculpture dotted about. Extensive grounds.. you can stick to the lakeside paths or go a bit wild in the deerpark, where its easy to get lost and where paths peter out. Best not to sit and picnic near the water as the ducks come and find you, begging for food. Plenty of benches to sit. Takes more than one visit to see all the grounds.

What a beautiful place to visit! Beautiful lakes with breathtaking views. Also interesting sculptures along the way. Dog friendly. Would thoroughly recommend going. Great food in cafe (especially the cakes!) with exception of £8 nachos which was definitely not value for money nor well presented (tortillas with melted cheese - sour cream, salsa & guacamole came in separate plastic tubs), especially when compared to baked potato, salad & cheese which came in £4.50

We went for an afternoon tea on a whim after looking up local gardens near us. The garden entry was included in the price of the afternoon yea. We were so enchanted by the whole trip which was not dampened by the rain. The colour changing of the leaves is beautiful and made me feel like I was back on holiday in Japan during autmun time. We were lucky and even saw the deer in their deer park. I wished we had another two hours free to try all the different paths and look at the different type of trees. The tea was delicious and I felt the portions were good too. We didn't have room for the final petit fours so we got given a box to take home plus a slice of cake. The scones were some of the best I've had and the lemon curd was a nice touch I haven't had before. The staff were welcoming and precautions were good too. I especially liked the self playing piano. There are also baby changing rooms if you require. After reading the history of the place, I am so glad it had been restored and reopened to the public. We will definitely be returning, I wish to see the gardens illuminated in December.

Beautiful and immaculately kept gardens and grounds. I went with my children (ages 3 & 5) during the summer and there was plenty for them to do. They enjoyed seeing the sculptures hidden around the gardens, the lovely wallabies chilling out in the sun and the incredible dolls house exhibition. They even have a vineyard there - bonus! I'm looking forward to returning during autumn to see the changing colours throughout the gardens and hopefully sample a bottle of their wine which is sold in the shop. They don't allow picnics but food and drinks can be bought from the cafes in the grounds.

Beautiful. Shame there is only one place at the entrance where you can buy a drink. So if you plan to walk around everywhere, make sure you have water with you. Otherwise it is a lovely relaxing place where you can explore and be amazed by views, statues and nature.

Such a beautiful, tranquil place. You can walk for miles if that's what you enjoy, or just poddle about and see the wallabies and the lakes. There's a shuttle buggy that takes less mobile people down the steepish hill to the lakes, then you can walk beside the lakes on flat, even ground. There's a little coffee stop between the lakes and a nice cafe (very reasonable prices) on the upper level near the house and gardens. It's just a lovely setting with beautiful trees, rhododendrons and camelias, border plants and sculptures. With a small shop and nursery, miles of parking, including lots of blue badge spaces, really well worth a visit.

Lovely gardens with lots of stunning autumn colour set in a beautiful landscape. Perfect for a walk on a sunny autumn day after all the storms we've had. Will definitely be back in the spring to see the rhododendrons and azaleas.

Just one of the most stunningly beautiful and tranquil places in Sussex. The sort of place you want to visit repeatedly in different seasons. Staff are really friendly. Nice little cafe with food and drink that is fairly reasonably priced.

Wonderful place to walk and enjoy the sounds of nature. Man types of walk on offer depending on your energy on the day. The wallabies are always cute! Cafe good but expensive and also has very limited menu if you have dietary requirements.

Beautiful gardens. We came here for the Light Trail and were very impressed with the size of the gardens and the beautiful sculpture and light arrangements. Will definitely come back to further explore another day.

Beautiful peaceful gardens and lakes with sculptures in Sussex. A bit hilly/steep in places but well worth a visit. Café. Little shuttle car available to bottom of lake and back. The cream tea at the House is recommended for special occasions though pricey!

‘Illuminated’ was excellent - far superior to ‘Glow Wild’ at Wakehurst in my opinion. Not sure if it was quiet because we visited on a rainy Sunday evening but there was time to stop and admire the installations rather than being swept along in a tide of people which has been my experience at Wakehurst. We enjoyed a delicious Baileys hot chocolate halfway round and our dog was most welcome.

We found Leonardslee this year and love it during the day. The icing on the cake was visiting their illuminations this evening. A wonderful time had by all.

Really enjoyed our second visit to Leonardslee Illuminated. It wasn't, unfortunately, different enough from the previous year so we'll be giving it a break next year. That's not to say it wasn't a magical experience for the children, but some more variation would breathe some fresh air into the event. The route was well signposted and there were plenty of attractions to keep you busy before and after the trail.

Beautiful gardens with lovely different paths to follow. There's a great variety of trees and plants with plenty of wild life about too. Our walk took place in autumn hence the wonderful colours seen in my photos.

We went for Leonardslee Illumination, which was a great experience! It's worth visiting. I felt like in a fairytale. My 5-year-old liked it too. There was also little Winter Wonderland, with muled vine, hotdogs, etc.

Beautiful place, very peaceful spots and lots of places for the kids to run. Great for photographers or even novices like me. Reasonably priced. I would go back. And we liked the dolls House exhibit too

We attended the 2021 illuminate event this December which was excellent. The light displays were magical and we thoroughly enjoyed the hour or so it took us to meander through the woodland gardens and past the lakes. Very well organised and a fantastic evening well spent. We can only go to dog friendly events (Lennie our lurcher comes everywhere with us) and this was very dog friendly. We will be visiting the gardens again in the daylight to further appreciate how beautiful they are.

Definitely have to visit again in the spring. Lovely gardens with sculptures throughout the grounds, great staff and volunteers, nice little cafe which does a good sausage roll and a pretty decent cappuccino too. Dog friendly with well maintained paths. We ended up walking at least four miles. Highly recommend.

Awash with spring colour. A very special place, well worth a visit. Equals and surpasses some of the other well known National Trust and English Heritage properties in the South East of England.

Lenordslee really is something else. I’ve taken family who were visiting the area & someone who hadn’t been in time that it had been back open. Utterly beautiful, on a nice day you feel like you are in another country and even in grey days it’s so stunning you forget where you are. Beautiful gardens, amazing cafe with incredible pizza & amazing day outs you can gift to someone - like the wine tasting! So stunning.

The staff in the shop/garden centre area seemed slightly turse but the café staff and volunteers were all lovely. Initially just stopped by to visit the café but it's inside the gardens. Decided to go in and have a wander, the shuttle to the lake was a nice touch as it's a very steep hill and many steps down. Beautiful old trees and well sign posted with interesting information around the lakes. Always fun to see wallabies and there was even a peacock 🦚 posing at the café on return. The price is quite high but overall probably worth it if you have time to properly look around, definitely more of a day out, rather than just out for lunch :)

Had a great evening

Great experience

Beautiful place to spend time with family and dear ones especially during the holiday season.

** WARNING!! DON’T BOOK ONLINE!** SCAM ALERT!! I was scammed when booking online. Dealing with Leonardslee was awful and they didn’t help, even though it was on their website!

Absolutely magical experience. Maybe it’s the times and I’m starved of stimulation but I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything like that.

Visited for the illuminations. Great evening

Leonardslee illuminated, wow, absolutely phenomenal ❤️

This was during Leonardslee Illuminated on 20th December 2020. A word of advice for those less able bodied: it's hilly! I only have osteoarthritis and I found it really tough in places. We'd visited Wakehurst the year before, which is pretty flat, especially in comparison. However, a lovely night was had, and the traditional fun fair and Christmas market were fabulous.

Visited today, on the last day of the illuminations. Cold and wet but still beautiful. We loved the moon. Shame we couldn't look around the festive booths and enjoy the fun fair due to COVID restrictions.

Lovely lakes and trees it's fairly hilly so good walking shoes a must also hard going with buggies

Nice walk around the gardens very open and great views

The light show was excellent

Great environment. Awesome farm shop

Always lovely, never too busy

Beautifully laid out, but few flowers in bloom. The Wallabies were a treat. This is not a cheap day out for the family as you can't take your own food and drink in. It lost a star for that. Ample parking. It was our 2nd visit this year.

Leonardslee is a beautiful place with many different routes to walk. We went just as autumn was beginning and the reds and browns were fabulous. I can only imagine how amazing it must look during full-blown autumn. There are lots of ponds to take a wander round. There are supposed to be free-roaming deer (we didn’t see any) and wallabies (we also didn’t see any). Thoroughly recommended for a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll. Plenty of parking. Limited food availability. Dolls house museum is an interesting diversion.

Fantastic illuminated event with lights, fire and live singing

Fantastic time, amazing light trail and entertainment after. Really good value for money. People please go if you can, well done Leonardslee!

A few hours wandering our 'peaceful place' today. I recommend you visit if/when you need some mind peace....which, let's face it, we all need at this mad time....

Excellent time had by our family. Difficult to maintain social distancing as visitors didn't abide by the rules and use common sense. The light installations were beautiful, very grateful for this opportunity to enjoy a little outing!

Haven't been here for years. My daughter treated me to a trip to see the illuminations before Christmas. Lots of food stalls serving freshly cooked locally produced food as well as drink stalls offering local wines and hot chocolate. The lights were lovely and imaginative, a bit muddy underfoot as it had been raining for most of the day and the paths were a bit flooded in places. Able to see some of the beautiful trees and shrubs. Can be a bit hilly.

Brilliant light show and well arranged and covid secure. Absolutely amazing cannot wait to go back

The new sculpture exhibition is fantastic, didn't get too see all the artwork, think you will need a couple of trips to see them all. No matter what time of year you visit there is always something beautiful to see.

Excellent

Well organised illumination evening with social distancing enforced for public safety.

Great light show

A beautiful place - lakes and wallabies, what's not to like?

The gardens are amazing!

Went to the Christmas Light Show. Absolutely a waste of money. Very cheap and nasty

Stunning light show

Very pretty light show, but the market could be bigger

I haven't been here since the mid 1970s. We had a fantastic day out. The gardens are beautiful and the lakes amazing. We really enjoyed the sculpture trail as well. We joined up as members, we enjoyed it so much, so are looking forward to seeing it through the seasons.

Had a great evening. Lovely walk through the grounds with excellent lights and sound effects. Helpful staff and good selection of food and drink.

Illuminations are fantastic.

Brilliant display

Loved the illuminations , fantastic evening out ..

We had a lovely evening at the light show, very well managed and safe.

Loved the Illuminations tonight. Well worth a visit.

Lights were good, well organised... I thought it was going to be Christmassy and it isn't which is a real shame as would have been awesome with Christmas theme. Came away a bit disappointed which is pity because display in itself was good, just not what I'd expected at this time of year.

Magical light show walk, Would definitely recommend for all ages

The illuminations were fabulously done. I would love to return and see the gardens in the daytime.