Borde Hill Gardens in Haywards Heath is one of our absolute favourite places to visit as a family. It’s a real hidden gem, not only offering beautiful gardens to explore but also fantastic family trails that our kids love.
We’re not talking just a photocopied piece of a paper with a code to crack. The trails at Borde Hill are a full on activity booklet, with clues to crack as you venture around the grounds, culminating in a final reveal….and a prize! What’s brilliant is that each trail is different, and themed to the time of year – we’ve had a Halloween (prank) murder mystery and missing chicks at Easter. The trails are part of the events calendar every school holiday (including half terms) so there’s plenty of opportunities to take part.
The attention to detail is superb, with clue placards to find as well as extra themed stations in the various outbuildings – like The Coop Scoop Newspaper and Hetty’s Tea Rooms. Everything is beautifully designed and there are loads of puns and jokes to keep everyone amused.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also an adventure playground with plenty of space. Featuring swings, a climbing route and a zip wire, it never feels crowded, plus it’s all enclosed so you don’t need to worry about wanderers!
Borde Hill is suitable for families of all ages, with a recommended age of 3+ for the trails. The gardens are pushchair friendly although there are some steps in places. There’s lots of open space for picnicking as well as picnic benches dotted around. On the Borde Hill site there’s a pop-up van in the car park and Gardener’s Retreat, offering light lunches and hot drinks.
Prices start from £7 for a child to enter the gardens, plus an extra £3 each for the trail. It’s well worth the money, and the prizes at the end are an added bonus! You can book online, choosing an entry time, which is entry to the gardens themselves rather than a timeslot for the trail.