National Trust - Standen House and Garden - East Grinstead

Miss B. P. B.

Nestled in the rolling hills of West Sussex, Standen House and Garden is a celebration of the Arts and Crafts movement. Designed by architect Philip Webb between 1892 and 1894 for the Beale family, this Grade I listed home is a living showcase of William Morris’s nature-inspired designs. Every room is adorned with his wallpapers, textiles, and furnishings, immersing visitors in the rich aesthetic of the era. There are also rabbit toys hidden throughout the house to keep the younger visitors interested in trying to find them all.

The surrounding 12-acre garden, lovingly restored to Margaret Beale’s original vision, offers a tapestry of seasonal delights. In spring, highlights include the vibrant rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas. The gardens are beautifully maintained.

Beyond the formal gardens, there are over 100 acres of estate to be explored including ancient bluebell woods and meadows, Standen offers a harmonious blend of art, nature, and history, providing an enriching experience for all who visit and I will definitely be returning again and again.

Katrina

What a beautiful spot! Whilst the house is lovely, and the William Morris design great to see, the focus here really is the gardens and surrounding land. So calm and peaceful, the perfect spot to be on a sunny day. The staff were so friendly too! Even finding a treat and offering water to our dog - dogs are allowed in the gardens, except for the kitchen one, and a separate indoor area to the main cafe - which offered great food at relatively reasonable prices too.

Rebecca B.

Visited the garden with my dog. Really friendly staff and lovely grounds. It's also great, if you're on your own like me, to be able to take your dog in the cafe and shop to buy things as some sites do not allow this. Only thing I would say is it would be nice to see more NT sites bringing back garden only admittance charges. £18 for the house and garden is good value but with parking not included it's allot if you are only visiting the garden for an hour.

Edwin L.

Decent sized house and grounds to walk around. Weren’t many rooms open due to lack of volunteers but learnt lots about the house nonetheless. The grounds was big enough for all ages, and required moderate fitness for steps and rough terrain in some parts of the ground. Overall family friendly. cafe was very average. The stew was small in portion and tasted below average.

Debbie M.

We visited at the weekend. The Arts and Crafts House, with it's exterior designed by Philip Webb and it's interior heavily influenced by William Morris, was a joy to visit. Although quite large and imposing, it had more of a home feel, and I could imagine it as a relaxed weekend retreat. I loved the overgrown plants in the Sun Room. The guides were informative, helpful and pleasant.
The Gardens are well laid out, with woodland walks and rural views.
There is a cafe with a good selection and a gift and plant shop, with perennials as seen in the gardens.
We combined our visit with a visit to nearby East Grinstead.

Justyna T.

A fantastic place to explore with a National Trust membership! Standen is full of charm, with beautiful Arts and Crafts interiors and stunning gardens. The house is so well preserved, and the staff were welcoming and knowledgeable. A peaceful, inspiring day out — highly recommend!

Charlotte K.

One of the best NTs in Sussex. Lovely to visit in spring or summer when everything is in bloom but also good for colder days since the house is substantial with lots to see, as well as obviously being very beautiful!
We bring both our dog and our young children here.
One thing I really like about standen compared to other local NT sites is the cafe. It’s large and cosy, doesn’t feel like a canteen (which some of the others do) the food is also better than what you’ll find at places like Wakehurst and Sheffield Park.

Darryl P.

Decided to visit on a very warm Sunday Morning, arrived at 10am and already plenty of people arriving, Decided to just look around the gardens and ground as weather so good.

Walk through the woods seeing the bluebells, then walk around around the gardens, views were amazing, The cafe was lovely with outside tables, gets busy especially around lunch time. Book shop was good and found a few books to buy. definitely a great place to visit especially if weather great.