The Grounds
The hotel nestles on a secluded warm level
terrace on a gentle south slope with fine views to the south and
south-west across the Weald. The 93 acres of woodland, formal
lawns, ponds and gardens are particularly impressive and effective
in spring and autumn.
Planted mainly with trees and shrubs, over 200 varieties of
Rhododendron, azalea and camellia and a collection of native trees,
mainly beech and oak, the upkeep of these extensive grounds is a
full time job for our team of gardeners and grounds staff.
A word or two from Head Gardener, Kevin Hodder
The garden at South Lodge Hotel is slowly
starting to come back to life after its long winters rest. Spring
officially arrives in March so although the pace of the garden
coming into bloom is quite slow it is one of the busiest months for
the Hotel’s gardens team. To keep one step ahead of the garden we
are clipping back overgrown climbers, applying mulches to our beds,
planting summer flowering bulbs and we will be giving our lawns
their first cut in the next few days. Although the weather is still
quite cold the reward of seeing hoards of golden daffodils, early
blooms on some of our Rhododendrons, Magnolias and Camellias and
with new shoots and buds showing up all over the garden it is a
particularly pleasant time to be out working
Record breaking!
On the front lawn, you will find a
Rhododendron Arboreum. This is the largest single Rhododendron
in England, is over 150 years old and standing at 25 feet tall, it
produces a mass of cerise flowers in late April and early May,
which is truly a sight to behold.
Ancient roots
The Camellia Restaurant (3 AA Rosettes) is
named after the Camellia ‘Donckelarii’ that grows on the south
terrace. This Camellia was in existence when Frederick Du Cane
Godman built South Lodge in 1883; the story goes that the Camellia
was growing against the south wall of the previous Tudor building
and when this was demolished to make way for South Lodge, a small
section of the wall immediately behind the Camellia was left intact
to preserve its roots, which makes the Camellia well over 250 years
old.
Take me to the Camellia
Restaurant
Hidden treasures
A short stroll across the beautifully
manicured, tiered lawns brings you to a beautiful lake with a
pretty babbling brook running into the lake and winding pathways.
And lastly, tucked away behind the impressive Rhododendron on the
front lawn, is a Victorian rockery.
Tell me more about dining
al fresco on the terrace
There’s so much to see and explore, pick up a map of the grounds
from reception once you've arrived.