Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens: Profile
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Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is a West Sussex estate and vineyard near Horsham that boasts "the finest woodland gardens in England," as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant and luxury accommodation.
The 240-acre estate was established by Sir Edmund Loder, the great Victorian plant collector, and now includes a Sussex Wine vineyard, with the first release of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier sparkling wine in 2024.
Following extensive restoration work in 2021, visitors can stay overnight in the luxury vineyard hotel after dining at Restaurant Interlude in Leonardslee House. The Grade II Listed Italianate mansion house features a multi-course tasting menu experience created by Michelin Star chef Jean Delport.
The restaurant hotel has ten charming en-suite bedrooms on the first floor, each individually designed by a top British designer. They lead off from the galleried landing and magnificent hallway, which is bathed in natural light from an original domed atrium.
Set in a steep-sided valley, the gardens offer visitors the spectacle of seven interlaced lakes, woodlands and parkland. There is an acclaimed Pulham rock garden, built in 1890, a deer park and a colony of wallabies wandering the estate.
The estate features outstanding displays of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and bluebells. The collection is exceptional in its diversity and maturity, with several rare ‘champion’ trees that are threatened in their natural habitat.
The gardens offer a protected ecosystem for rare wildlife. This includes Emperor Dragonflies and Damselflies, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak butterflies and migratory and native birds - Kites, Great Tits, Tree Creepers, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers and Nightingales.
Attractions
Visitors can view a magical world in miniature at the Beyond the Doll's House exhibition, which depicts the Edwardian estate and neighbouring villages at 1:12 scale. There is also an exciting new 2,500 sq m play park designed to mix recreational play with the natural attractions of the Grade I Listed woodland gardens.
Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens offers a great family day out and is open all year round, except Christmas Day. There is an extensive programme of entertainment that includes winter garden illuminations, wine and beer festivals, photo and art exhibitions, live music events, cooking and gardening demonstrations, arts and crafts fairs, modelling and toy shows, children’s events and adventure trails.
There is also a range of wellbeing and mindfulness events, including yoga, forest bathing and other health and fitness classes, for great days out in Sussex.
The estate reopened in April 2019, following acquisition and two years of intensive renovation by entrepreneur Penny Streeter OBE to restore the woodland gardens after eight years of closure and neglect under previous ownership. It was the largest UK garden restoration project since Heligan some 30 years before.
https://www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/
Leonardslee Gardens, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham, RH13 6PP
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Editors notes
Michelin Star Restaurant Interlude
“Every dish in each seasonal, multi-course tasting menu is designed around a hunter-gatherer concept of food that’s foraged, cultivated and raised on the estate or close by. It is savoured and enjoyed as an intimate dining experience; a small, exclusive dinner party within the estate’s Italianate mansion house,” says executive chef Jean Delport.
Diners can feast on a seasonal menu that might include: estate rabbit, winter purslane, hogweed cider and charcoal; fallow deer with local braai and sour raspberry; or oyster, foraged greens and juniper.
When guests arrive at Restaurant Interlude in the 1855-built Leonardslee House they are greeted by music from a self-playing piano and drinks from the bar. They are then seated together at around 7pm in the restaurant, enjoying views across acres of gardens in the steep valley below, and east and south across to the South Downs.
Jean has particular experience from South Africa of how to complement innovative tasting menus with fine wines. Guests at Interlude can enjoy a selection of vintages from the owner’s vineyard at Benguela Cove, Hermanus in South Africa.
Vineyard Hotel Accommodation
Grade II Listed Leonardslee House, built in the Italianate style in 1855, features ten charming en-suite bedrooms. They are accessed by the magnificent hallway and galleried landing, which are bathed in natural light from an original domed atrium.
The great Victorian plant collector Sir Edmund Loder purchased the estate in 1889 and planted the extensive gardens and exotic flora that create the estate’s charismatic charm, offering guests a holiday break to remember.
Each bespoke bedroom features the fabric and wallpaper style of a quintessential British interior design house, overseen by the Johnston Parke Interiors studio and architects Gould Baxter. This creates an immersive experience for guests, with classic themes by some of the best-known and loved British designers.
The estate's owner is award-winning entrepreneur Penny Streeter OBE, who has prioritised British-based designers and suppliers, many of whom print their fabrics and wallpapers in the UK, with a strong focus on sustainable and artisanal composition.
The designers have sourced antiques to reduce any environmental impact and commissioned furniture suppliers who make their products in the UK. This includes David Seyfried for upholstery, Hypnos for beds, BTC Original for lighting, as well as Edward Bulmer, and Farrow and Ball for paints.
The rooms in the English country hotel feature superb views over the extensive lawns, down to the 240-acre historic woodlands and across to the South Downs.
“The vineyard hotel extends the range of guests who can visit and now stay overnight, to enjoy the full Leonardslee experience - the beautiful gardens, classic afternoon tea, wine tastings and dinner at Michelin starred Restaurant Interlude. Perhaps too a round of golf at our neighbouring property, Mannings Heath Golf and Wine Estate," Penny Streeter says.
Leonardslee Family Vineyards in numbers
· Acquired 2017
· Total Estate 750 acres
· 38 Acres of vineyard, 73,000 vines
· 2017 First vines planted
· 170 Tonnes of grapes, 2023 harvest
· 100,000 bottles annually produced
· Sparkling wine cultivars 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier
· 2024 First release of wine
Leonardslee offers a range of packages for vineyard tours and accommodation, golf stays, great family days out, eco-tourism and art weekends.
