Dunorlan Park, Grade II listed park near Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom.
Dunorlan Park is a Grade II listed park in Tunbridge Wells, featuring a large lake, waterfalls, and tiered gardens on sloping ground. The land moves from formal terraces near the top down to open meadows that look out over the Weald.
In the 1850s, a Yorkshire merchant named Henry Reed hired garden designer Robert Marnock to lay out the grounds around his mansion. The result was a classic Victorian garden composition that shaped the park as it still appears today.
The Victoria Cross Grove is a section of the park where oak trees were planted in honor of ten British soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross. Visitors can walk among these trees today and read about the soldiers they commemorate.
The park has a cafe and a children's play area, and boats can be rented on the lake. Dogs are welcome in designated areas, so it helps to check the signs at the entrance before letting them off the lead.
Several structures in the park, including a Grecian temple and ornamental water features, were built using Pulhamite, an early form of artificial stone developed in the Victorian era. This material was designed to look like natural rock and is now rarely found in such good condition.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
