Royal Oak is raising money to help the National Trust revitalize and reimagine this spectacular woodland garden

Located in East Sussex and one of the most visited properties in the National Trust, Sheffield Park and Garden is a designed landscape, created over centuries by a series of owners for pleasure and play. Leading landscape and garden designers have lent their artistic vision to the property including Capability Brown and Humphry Repton.

The garden visitors see today is very much the vision of Arthur Gilstrap Soames, who lived there in the early 20th century. Soames was keen to make his impact on the garden as soon as he arrived and drew upon the knowledge he had gained from traveling around the world for inspiration. He corresponded with the famous horticulturalist and writer E.A. Bowles, as well as other leading horticulturalists of the day including W.J. Bean, curator of Kew Gardens 1922-1929, Sir George Holford, owner of Westonbirt Arboretum and Professor Sargent, American botanist, and director of Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum from 1872 to 1927.

Today, the landscape remains renowned for its spectacular autumnal color display, as well as the rare plant collections and species. The Trust is undertaking a large-scale conservation of the gardens led by Joe Perkins, garden designer and Chelsea Gold medal-winer. Their plan is to continue the legacy established by Soames and bring the Park to a new generation of garden enthusiasts and visitors alike.

This special evening will include an historical overview the with National Trust’s Cultural Heritage Curator, Dr. Jerzy J. Kierkuc-Bielinski; a virtual tour of this spectacular woodland landscape with staff and volunteers; special guest appearance by renowned British garden designer and RHS Chelsea Gold Medal winner, Joe Perkins; and engaging panel discussions of the history, the challenges facing the property, and the upcoming redesign project.