Mount Ephraim Gardens is the family home of the Dawes family who have owned the estate since 1695. We have been opening the gardens and Tea Room to the public for over 30 years and we also hold weddings and private events in the house. In 2017 we opened a five ensuite guest rooms in the West Wing of the house above our Tea Room, and our Garden Wing holiday let sleeping 12 people opened in 2019. We also have glamping pods on the edge of the gardens. We aim to provide an excellent service to all visitors and guests and continually strive to improve. 

Please feel free to contact us in advance of your arrival to help you make the most of your visit and read our access statement below.

Pre-Arrival 

  • A website www.mountephraimgardens.co.uk has more information about opening times and our services. 
  • Leaflets providing opening times and further details are also widely available. 
  • We are located in the village of Hernhill about 5 minutes’ drive from the end of the M2 motorway in Kent and are situated about 5 miles from Faversham and 8 miles from Canterbury – both have rail services with good connections to London and parts of Kent. Buses do travel from Faversham to Hernhill and buses from Canterbury stop at the nearby village of Boughton under Blean but services are irregular. 

Arrival & Car Parking Facilities

  • A car park is situated at the top of the gardens with plenty of free car parking spaces in a largely flat grass field. There are disabled parking spaces available near to the Ticket office, but we do not claim to be a fully accessible venue due to the nature of the gardens being built on a large natural slope over 100 years ago. 
  • The route from the car park to the gardens is along a grass and gravel surface with some areas of uneven cobblestones. 
  • There is a drop off and pick up point for disabled people or those with limited mobility available near the Tea Room and also at the house for weddings and private events. 

Wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility

  • Due to the nature of the gardens being on a natural slope, with some very steep areas and some steps in places, we are not fully accessible for wheelchair users or those with restricted mobility.
  • Areas around the main house are more accessible but there are shingle drives and narrow paths in places.
  • There is reduced entrance fee for wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility of £5.
  • There is no wheelchair available for guests or visitors. 

Ticket Office

  • We accept cash or card payments for garden entrance.
  • Maps of the grounds are available free of charge.

The Gardens

  • There are 10 acres of terraced Edwardian gardens to explore. The gardens are based on a large natural slope and some areas of the gardens are not very accessible for wheelchair users or anyone with limited mobility. The house, Tea Room and topiary at the top of the house are largely accessible. 
  • Surfaces are natural and uneven in places, visitors are therefore advised to wear appropriate footwear.
  • There is a suggested route around the gardens that follows the line of the rock gardens down towards the lake on a grass path and back up through the gardens past the grass maze. The rock gardens have many steps which can get very slippery in wet conditions. 
  • We also have an accessible map showing two suggested routes around the gardens with greater accessibility than our standard suggested route which includes steps.
  • The Japanese bridge, lake and water garden are situated at the bottom of the garden in a natural valley. This area can get very boggy in wet conditions. 
  • The arboretum is based up a steep hill on the far side of the lake along a soil track with a hand rail. 
  • The rose terraces are accessible by steps only but can be seen from above from the front lawn.
  • The grass maze is based at the far side of the gardens past the tennis court lawn and is based on a large natural slope.
  • There is a small play area for children based in the grass maze and the equipment is checked regularly. 
  • The Millennium Rose Garden at the top of the garden is accessible via a concrete path with a narrow entrance but largely accessible for wheelchair users.
  • The topiary and herbaceous border are in a grass area and both accessible for wheelchair users via the concrete path into the rose garden or the main cobbled drive that goes right around the house.
  • The front lawn is a largely flat area at the front of the house which is accessible via the gravel drive around the house. At the very front of the house there is loose shingle on the driveway.

Tea Room

  • Entrance to the Tea Room is up some steps at the front, however there is a disabled entrance at the back with a ramp.
  • The Tea Room toilets are accessible. 
  • There is a Tea Room terrace outside which is accessible for wheelchairs via a concrete path but it backs onto a grass area with a small slope which can get slippery in wet conditions. 
  • High chairs for children can be provided.
  • We aim to cater for all dietary requirements but we are happy for you to contact us prior to your visit to ensure we meet your needs on the day.
  • Dogs are welcome on leads in the Tea Room.

The West Wing

  • The bedrooms in the West Wing are all based on the second floor of the house and not accessible for wheelchair users or anyone who will have difficulty going up and down the stairs. There is no lift. 
  • Each room is carpeted and has a double bed. Each room has an ensuite bathroom on the same level as the bedroom and with a tiled floor.
  • A travel cot is available for guests with young children.
  • A separate single bed is available to be set up in 2 of the larger rooms.

The main house

  • The main house is not open to the general public and only available for weddings and private events. 
  • The main entrance to the house is via the formal front steps but there is also disabled access via a ramp at the rear of the house.
  • There is a downstairs toilet with disabled access and two further bathrooms available up the stairs of the main hall. 
  • The ground floor of the house is all on one level. Floor surfaces are a mixture of marble floor tiles, carpets and wooden parquet flooring.

Outdoor wedding ceremonies

  • Our garden ceremonies are conducted on the ceremony lawn adjacent to the tennis court and is on a flat level of grass just above our lake. 
  • Wheelchair users and those with limited mobility are able to be driven down to the ceremony lawn in vehicles.

Toilets

  • There are both male and female toilets in the gardens accessible via a gravel driveway from the car park. 
  • There is one unisex disabled toilet. There is no alarm call system. 

Additional Information 

  • Dogs are welcome on a lead. We provide a water bowl at the ticket box and Tea Room. There are bins provided for dog waste.
  • We operate a no smoking policy inside the house.
  • Visitors are welcome to picnic in the grounds. 

Contact Information 

Postal address: Mount Ephraim Gardens, Hernhill, Faversham, Kent ME13 9TX

Tel: 01227 751496

Email: info@mountephraimgardens.co.uk

Website: www.mountephraimgardens.co.uk

If you have any comments, we welcome your feedback to help us continuously improve.