The grounds of Ashburnham Place, in the East Sussex countryside near Hastings extend to over 220 acres and provide a setting of great natural beauty at all times of the year. The area is rich in wildlife, and part of it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of valuable flora and fauna.
The grounds in their present form were designed and constructed in the mid-eighteenth century by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. He laid out the three large lakes which encircle the house, and built the Orangery, which is home to a number of interesting and unusual plants, as well as the oldest camellias in the country.The beautiful iron gates and railings which encircle the gardens around the house are a reminder that it was at Ashburnham that the Sussex iron industry finally died out in 1825.A walk through the grounds will take you past the Temple - a small ornamental building, the Ladyspring grotto - a classical 'ruin' built around a freshwater spring, and the Winter Garden, which is being restored to provide walks and areas of planting for enjoying during the winter months. The walled kitchen garden is still used to provide flowers and some fresh vegetables for the main house.
