Penshurst Place

Set in the beautiful Weald of Kent, Penshurst Place and Gardens has stood on the banks of the river Medway since the 1341. It is surrounded by 11 acres of beautiful formal gardens. Visitors to Penshurst Place enjoy nearly seven centuries of history, heritage and horticulture. There is also bundles of fun to be had with the Adventure Playground, Woodland Trail and Toy Museum. 

We are no longer renting bikes

Thanks so much to everyone for all your support over the last 6 years.  It has been a real pleasure with so many great moments along the way. Please keep an eye on our website and social pages as we evolve our offering as a business.

Once used as a hunting lodge by Henry VIII, Penshurst Place has long been famed for its Grade 1 listed parkland and beautiful historic gardens. The Estate covers over 2600 acres of farmland, woodland and parkland in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The House and Estate have been part of the landscape of Penshurst for over 650 years. Bronze Age man occupied the high ground in the park 2500 years ago. Romans worked iron ore and cut wood at Cinderhill. Settlements around Penshurst village date back to before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The field and farmland were created from large areas of woodland once used as ‘denns’. When settlements became larger and permanent, a diverse landscape emerged of small fields amongst woods, hedges and rivers. The need for a large open area for hunting created the medieval deer park. This is today’s parkland, with its trees and avenues. 

Today Penshurst Place Estate is a truly memorable day out and is also situated at the start of Sustrans route no.12, a mainly off road cycle route all the way to Tonbridge via Haysden Country park and reservoir. Perfect!

Specifics for this location

Cycling level

Type of cycle routes: We recommend the Tudor Trail which is predominantly off road apart from a short stretch on a quiet lane near Haysden Country park

Suitability:  The Tudor Trail is suitable for a wide range of ages and ability

Difficulty: The Tudor Trail is an easy off road route with some hills

Sustran cycle route 12 is mainly off-road (The Tudor Trail). The route runs from the carpark of Penshurst Place through to Tonbridge Castle. Enjoy the stunning views atop the short hill at the start, it is then flat all the way. The beautiful Haysden Country Park and reservoir is ideal for stopping off and having a drink or a bite to eat. This is a truly picturesque cycle ride and very family friendly too.  To read about a cycle ride we did in May along the ‘Tudor Trail’ that is featured on the ExploreKent website – click here.

Tudor Trail route – please download our handy guide that you can also reference whilst out and about – Tudor Trail Map

For the more confident cyclists, in the other direction lies Chiddingstone National Trust village about 4.5 miles away and Hever Castle about 5 miles away. There are some glorious pubs such as the Henry V111, Spotted dog & The Bottlehouse that can be found nearby too.