Belmont House and Gardens
Belmont House and Gardens
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The beautiful Georgian house of Belmont, set in formal gardens and parkland, is a completely unspoilt and distinctive example of the work of architect Samuel Wyatt. The house was bought by General George Harris in 1801 with the prize money from his successful military career in India. Later, in 1815, he was created Lord Harris in recognition of his victory over Tipu Sultan at the battle of Seringapatam. Belmont contains fabulous mementoes of the family's history and travels - paintings, furniture, Indian silverware and one of the finest and most extensive collection of clocks in private hands in the country, assembled by the 5th Lord. The Gardens at Belmont are full of interest throughout every season. The Kitchen Garden has beautiful Victorian Greenhouses, along with figs, hops, soft fruits and traditional apple and pear varieties. The Walled Garden contains a pond and is adjacent to the Pinetum complete with grotto. Open Sat for tours at 2.15Pm and 3.15Pm, Sun & BH Mon for tours at 2.15Pm, 3.00Pm and 3.45Pm, tea room open for home-made cakes and cream teas from 1.Oopm at weekends. Wednesday tours are at 11.00Am and 1.00Pm,tearoom open Wednesday for light lunches.
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- Caroline Haynes2 contributionsDelightful day out!Visited Belmount House after seeing it on BBC Antiques Roadshow. It was delightful very relaxing with beautiful gardens especially the Kitchen garden. The cake is highly recommended it was delicious. We will be revisiting soon highly recommended. ThankyouVisited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten June 1, 2023
- Cudowna8758Maidstone, United Kingdom17 contributionsA little Gem not to be missed.Have lived in Kent for over 40 years and never knew about this little gem. Saw it on the Antiques Road Show. The grounds are wonderful. Lots of places to walk around. Beautiful views of the house and grounds. The shop/cafe has lovely coffee and home made cakes. Unfortunately I think the venue relies heavily on volunteers so the house was not able to be open until after 1pm. Will have to go back for that experience. On a warm day it would be perfect for a picnic and very very good value for money.Visited June 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten June 2, 2023
- JacandhowWatford, United Kingdom2,041 contributionsSham that you can not take photos insideWe were staying in Dover, and noticed that they do guided tours on Sunday mornings, so as we are Historic House members, booked the 11.30 tour, and we are very glad that we did. We started outside, facing the house, and were given lots of facts on when and by whom it was built, we then moved inside, and saw the beautiful rooms, told which Lord Harris did what and when, there were 6 in total. We were even offered little fold up stools to take with us and as we are both elderly, and I am disabled availed ourselves. There is no photography allowed inside, which is a great shame, so we bought the guide book as a memory. Needless to say that it was raining by the time we left, the house so we were unable to visit the gardens, and drove straight back to Dover, about 35 mins away, we did notice that there were plenty of picnic tables near the free car parkVisited July 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten July 31, 2023
- Stu151Wickford, United Kingdom1,607 contributionsExcellent House/GardensInteresting well set out, house, with very friendly, helpful staff/volunteers. Very well looked after gardens. Nice cafe. (Many houses like this give the firm impression they are only open to gain the inheritance tax advantages of a trust and thus the requirement to open to the public to some degree - Belmont House is exactly the opposite - everyone we had contact with "wanted us to be there")Visited August 2023Traveled with friendsWritten August 4, 2023
- Deryck WMargate, United Kingdom558 contributionsStunning Clock CollectionVisited Belmont House a couple of weeks ago - one for the best value for £10 places to visit. Interesting House, housing 240 or so clocks and watches scattered throughout the House. Also worth visiting are the surrounding gardens, where you can also purchase Apples and Plumbs - £1.00 per bag. Will definitely be back. Thoroughly RecommendedVisited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 11, 2023
- J NashLondon, United Kingdom3 contributionsBeautiful house and gardens.Second visit to Belmont, on this occasion was able to combine a tour of the house as well as the gardens. Beautiful estate. Staff were informative and friendly. Tea room very good value for money. Recommend.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 12, 2023
- WantItGoodFerndown, United Kingdom77 contributionsBeautiful, interesting, tranquilWe were lucky that our holiday cottage included free entry to this house and gardens. We visited on a windy day well into September, which meant that the extensive gardens weren't looking their absolute best but were still full of interest and colour. It was very, very quiet when we turned up but this belies the fact that there is a tea room serving nice drinks, snacks and lunches and more importantly some extremely knowledgeable room guides who made the house really interesting. They seemed genuinely interested in the house and its history, so you'd think they were there just for you - that's professional. Do make sure you check opening times to avoid disappointment - we returned a few days later and found that the house itself was closed and the tea room was self-service.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 24, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
175 reviews
Excellent
121
Very good
38
Average
8
Poor
6
Terrible
2
Annabellacottonsocks
Redhill, UK206 contributions
Aug 2021
We did not go into the house ( not sure if it is open to the public at present) but enjoyed wandering around the peaceful grounds. The gardens are interesting and varied,especially if you enjoy gardening. We particularly liked the extensive kitchen garden and Victorian greenhouses and the Walled garden. There's also a Pinetum, an orchard and a woodland walk. It's all surrounded by tranquil countryside.
It was exceptionally quiet when we visited perhaps due to current circumstances and it was also strange that there were no staff around. There is an admission fee of £7 per person (£5 concessions, £2.50 children 12-16 years) which we were trusted to put into a locked letterbox. The tea room was open but is self service and DIY; there's a kettle, tea, coffee,milk and sugar also a small selection of cakes, flapjack etc and packets of crisps. Again there is a price list and you are trusted to pay! Hopefully people don't abuse this. We sat outside enjoying our coffee and flapjack as there are plenty of tables and benches.
It was exceptionally quiet when we visited perhaps due to current circumstances and it was also strange that there were no staff around. There is an admission fee of £7 per person (£5 concessions, £2.50 children 12-16 years) which we were trusted to put into a locked letterbox. The tea room was open but is self service and DIY; there's a kettle, tea, coffee,milk and sugar also a small selection of cakes, flapjack etc and packets of crisps. Again there is a price list and you are trusted to pay! Hopefully people don't abuse this. We sat outside enjoying our coffee and flapjack as there are plenty of tables and benches.
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael P
Peterborough, UK1 contribution
May 2022
A beautiful house in a beautiful setting. We had the benefit of sunshine and few other visitors but what made it for us was the friendliness and enthusiasm of everybody we came into contact with. The room guides were knowledgeable, or would go and find out if they didn't immediately have info to hand. The gardens are just gorgeous (and they sell plants at giveaway prices), very peaceful and tranquil. The tearoom has absolutely scrummy cakes, locally made and reasonably priced. What's more they want to know whether it was as good as they said it was: and it was. If you're interested in buildings this is a good example of Samuel Wyatt's designs (the main staircase is wonderful) and there are so many examples of different building techniques.
Written May 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacandhow
Watford, UK2,041 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We were staying in Dover, and noticed that they do guided tours on Sunday mornings, so as we are Historic House members, booked the 11.30 tour, and we are very glad that we did.
We started outside, facing the house, and were given lots of facts on when and by whom it was built, we then moved inside, and saw the beautiful rooms, told which Lord Harris did what and when, there were 6 in total. We were even offered little fold up stools to take with us and as we are both elderly, and I am disabled availed ourselves.
There is no photography allowed inside, which is a great shame, so we bought the guide book as a memory.
Needless to say that it was raining by the time we left, the house so we were unable to visit the gardens, and drove straight back to Dover, about 35 mins away, we did notice that there were plenty of picnic tables near the free car park
We started outside, facing the house, and were given lots of facts on when and by whom it was built, we then moved inside, and saw the beautiful rooms, told which Lord Harris did what and when, there were 6 in total. We were even offered little fold up stools to take with us and as we are both elderly, and I am disabled availed ourselves.
There is no photography allowed inside, which is a great shame, so we bought the guide book as a memory.
Needless to say that it was raining by the time we left, the house so we were unable to visit the gardens, and drove straight back to Dover, about 35 mins away, we did notice that there were plenty of picnic tables near the free car park
Written August 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David M
Eastbourne, UK760 contributions
Oct 2020
My wife and I drove to this attraction and were the only people visiting on a windy and damp Saturday 3rd October. I nearly got stuck in the 1st car park which was very muddy! We walked around grounds and gardens for just over an hour. We were hoping the tea room might open but at 12.00 there was no sign of life. I like some of the produce on display in the large greenhouse and we purchased a plant for £4, cucumber, onion and some great cox' apples (6 for a pound). There is a honesty box to put your money in. A great place for a family to visit.
Written October 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terry L
Ashford, UK110 contributions
Sep 2020 • Friends
We had a super time exploring the gardens. Very relaxing and with abundant photo-opportunities. The clever display of willow sculptures enhances the gardens and is jolly good fun. The garden staff were friendly, welcoming and informative. Well done Belmont
Written September 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim B
Kent, UK245 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
We had been meaning to visit for a while but wanted to wait until the house had reopened. It was an incredibly peaceful experience with only a handful of people visiting at the same time as us. The gardens are absolutely immaculate not to mention extensive. The house didn't disappoint either even though we had to complete a self guided tour. Having said that, there were several staff members dotted around the house who were able to give us comprehensive information about the house and contents. We highly recommend Belmont and will definitely be returning!
Written July 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris T
5 contributions
Sep 2021
As a kid i grew up a few miles from Belmont but never actually got to visit it, but now I finally did and well worth it. There are some lovely grounds, magnificent trees and the Victorian greenhouse and kitchen garden is well worth a look - I've never seen such huge onions! I particularly liked the Komodo Dragon , double life size, carved out of a fallen cedar bough. The tea room is totally self service, ie a kettle, cups and teabags with an honesty box - there are cakes [coffee and walnut, carrot, Victoria sponge etc] very nice but nothing substantial for a proper lunch so take your own - plenty of picnic tables and benches dotted around.
Written September 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HMN19
London, UK183 contributions
Aug 2021
A very enjoyable visit to a smaller historic house and gardens and ideal for a quiet stroll when the more famous commercialised places are so busy. The house itself was not open (it is not large and is a family home) when we went but we could wander around outside to appreciate the buildings and there was a display to explain its history. The gardens are varied and when we went the woodland walk with hydrangeas in full bloom in the dappled sunlight below the trees was especially lovely. The vegetable garden is still in use and we were able to buy produce at very reasonable prices. Like everything there, this was done with an honesty box which suited the gentle atmosphere; how wonderful to find this is still possible.
Written October 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam G
3 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
We came here on a cycle tour just for coffee and cake. Both exceeded our expectations in a STUNNING setting. Amazing freshly bake fruit tarts and Victoria sponge accompanied tasty cafetière coffee. Absolutely dreamy. I think they only just started this service in April this year, long may it continue.
My friend travelling with us is a professional Kitchen Gardener and commented how beautiful the gardens are too.
Only note is that they should add “tea room” to the sign by the entrance as we couldn’t find out for sure it existed until we cycled down the drive!
My friend travelling with us is a professional Kitchen Gardener and commented how beautiful the gardens are too.
Only note is that they should add “tea room” to the sign by the entrance as we couldn’t find out for sure it existed until we cycled down the drive!
Written April 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cudowna8758
Maidstone, UK17 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Have lived in Kent for over 40 years and never knew about this little gem. Saw it on the Antiques Road Show. The grounds are wonderful. Lots of places to walk around. Beautiful views of the house and grounds. The shop/cafe has lovely coffee and home made cakes. Unfortunately I think the venue relies heavily on volunteers so the house was not able to be open until after 1pm. Will have to go back for that experience. On a warm day it would be perfect for a picnic and very very good value for money.
Written June 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What are open times today please.
What is the entrance fee to go in the house and is there just self service cafe or cafe in the house as well.
sabatinitennis
Ashford, UK3,693 contributions
Opens 10am daily. There is a self service cafe in the stable block..nothing in the house
Abi S
1 contribution
How much is the entry fee?
BelmontHseKent
Canterbury, UK9 contributions
The house is available to view by guided tour only and this costs £10.00pp or £8.00pp as a concession, including entry to the gardens.The Gardens only admission price is £5.00pp,
Admission prices and opening times are all available to view on our website
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Claim your listingBelmont House and Gardens - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Belmont House and Gardens
- Belmont House and Gardens is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Hotels near Belmont House and Gardens:
- (0.30 mi) Walnut Tree Cottage - romantic cottage in beautiful countryside
- (2.81 mi) Judds Folly Hotel, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western
- (3.52 mi) The Sun Inn
- (9.58 mi) Yorke Lodge Bed and Breakfast
- (5.18 mi) Hempstead House Hotel and Spa
- Restaurants near Belmont House and Gardens:
- (1.37 mi) The Carpenters Arms
- (2.14 mi) The Red Lion at Badlesmere
- (0.51 mi) Faversham Golf Club Restaurant
- (2.96 mi) The Plough Inn
- (3.40 mi) Faversham Kebab House Restaurant