Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst Tunbridge Wells

The Scotney Castle Garden in Kent was originally created in the 1830's by Edward Hussey III who had the imagination to incorporate the ruined medieval castle as the centrepiece of his Picturesque style landscape design.

The original castle or fortified manor house was built by Roger Ashburnham in 1378 apparently in response to the threat of invasion by France. For 350 years Scotney Castle was the home of the Catholic Darell family. In 1778 Edward Hussey bought the castle after family squabbles and lawsuits drained the Darell's resources forcing them to sell. Between 1783 and 1792 Edward Hussey pieced the rest of the old Darrell estate back together.

In 1835 his grandson Edward Hussey III moved back to Scotney and built his new home in the Elizabethan style on a terrace overlooking the old castle which he then incorporated into the landscape with the assistance of William Sawrey Gilpin. Scotney Castle Garden was eventually left to the National Trust by Edwards grandson Christopher on his death in 1970.