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Riverhill House was built in 1714 on the site of a Tudor farmstead by the Children family who were bankers from Tonbridge. The house later passed in marriage from the Children family to the Woodgates who were considerable landowners in Kent and it was from them that John Rogers purchased the estate in 1840. The house is still owned by the Rogers family today and has been enlarged and improved by subsequent generations up until 1900. Today with only limited outside help and no indoor staff much has had to be compromised, but Riverhill house is still a family home in private ownership.
Riverhill House is surrounded by a beautiful hillside garden established by John Rogers in 1842 who was one of the founder members of the RHS and a patron of the plant collectors of the day, the receipt of seeds and plants from botanical expeditions has continued into this century.
The garden entrance leads onto The Rose Walk which was converted from the original kitchen garden and then on into the three acre Wood Garden. The Wood Garden is at its finest in spring with the multi coloured rhododendrons and azaleas underplanted with spring bulbs providing a vibrant blaze of colour. There are also many examples of fine trees including acers, cedars, limes, oak and redwood. Unfortunately the Great Storm of 1987 proved devastating and three quarters of the fine trees and shrubs were lost, many have since been replanted. There is also an old orchard and lawned areas surround the house.
The Rogers family offer a warm welcome to all visitors and there are light lunches and home made teas served in the old stable, so be sure to arrange a visit to this very pleasant garden on a Sunday between the 1st April and the 18th June.
Riverhill House is close to Knole Park off the A225 in Sevenoakes Kent
| *Link to official site for viewing Visitor Information* | View my short Video on Riverhill Gardens |
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| Riverhill House Gardens spring 2007 Riverhill gardens are maintained on a tight budget and are only open to the public between April and June when the spring colours are at their best. There are rhododendrons and azaleas in a woodland setting and in the spring these shrubs, under-planted with bulbs, are a blaze of colour. For this visit in early April 2007 the garden was not quite at its peak which means everything was still fresh. |
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| Please continue to Riverhill Gardens page 2 (including Video) |