Sheffield Park and Garden is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited here in England.
The place is spectacular and if you have the chance, be sure to visit it.
First of all, to clarify, despite the name, the park is not located in the city of Sheffield, but in East Sussex, near Ashdown Forest (the Winnie the Pooh forest that I have mentioned here).
The park is part of the National Trust, so you can expect a very well maintained, charming and beautiful place, as practically everywhere NT keeps it.
The Gothic mansion, Sheffield Park House, is privately owned, with twelve apartments, so it is not open to the public.
And in addition to the park I took the photos, there are also more than 250 acres, where you can explore trails, climb trees, fly kites and play in the streams.
Four lakes form the heart of the garden, with paths surrounding them, wooded areas around it and the place is appreciated for its collection of exotic trees and shrubs.
Sheffield Park and Garden is famous for its display of spring flowers, but the most anticipated time is autumn. I visited the park last summer and autumn. It is quite distinct experiences.
In summer the park was all green, with many waterlilies in the lakes, rhododendrons and azaleas.
They have the annual Water-lily Festival during June and July, which offers a series of classes, guided tours, etc.
In autumn, the place changes, each tree has a different colour: green, yellow, orange, red… And all these colours are reflected in the lakes, making everything even more dramatic. Anyway, it’s just gorgeous!
I took some pictures for you to see the colour difference between the seasons. I confess that I have more than 500 photos, and I had a hard time choosing for the post because they are all beautiful.
Prices
Adult £15.20; Child £7.50; Family £37.00
And it’s free for National Trust members.
How to get there?
Car
We always like to drive through the countryside of England, mainly through Kent and Sussex, which are closer to London.
The park’s address is Sheffield Park, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3QX.
Parking is free for all visitors.
Train
Sheffield Park (Bluebell Railway) is just 1.6 km (1 mile) from the park; Uckfield 6 miles; Haywards Heath 7 miles.
Or if you want, you can visit in style, taking the Bluebell Railway steam train from East Grinstead, Kingscote or Horsted Keynes.
The train takes you to Sheffield Park station and, on weekends, you can take a bus from the station straight to the park, or walk there.
The steam train ticket costs £20 for adults and £10 for children, however, if you buy online, it costs £17 and £8.50 respectively.
With this ticket, you can use the train all day, stopping at any station.
Or, if you prefer to go or just return, check the prices on the website: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/fares/
Bike
The park is south of National Route 21, from London/East Grinstead and east of National Route 20, which runs from London to Brighton.
Walking
The park is accessible via the Bluebell Railway. A trail is well signposted from the A275 to the garden through the park, which is a 10-15 minute walk.
There is also another path, alongside the public trail of the Ouse Valley Way, which runs along part of the River Ouse, from Nymans Garden to Lewes.
As you can see, the park is impressive, and if it weren’t for the coronavirus, I would have gone this year in the spring, to see the flowers. Maybe next year!
Have a lovely day!
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