hall place and gardens

splumpf

To start with it's not clear where the actual house entrance is as the signage isn't very clear. The staff at the ticket desk were grumpy with us, the other staff in the house were following us around a bit, I felt like I was being watched. Not that there was any chance that I would touch or damage anything as there's barely anything to see in most of the rooms, lots of other rooms are locked off as 'private' and the only bit which was interesting was the Sante Fe WWII exhibition. I wouldn't have bothered paying £8 to get in if I knew what I was going to get for that. The Owls on display were very good though - the handlers were very knowledgeable, and everyone gets to hold an owl of their choice.The Butterflies room was a bit of a disappointment - £4 entry into what is basically a small greenhouse, but the butterflies in there were beautiful and the info interesting, just a shame it wasn't as big as I was expecting.

552coling

There is a lot of parking space, and the Café is great value and right next to the river.Good access for wheelchairs and a visit to the Owls is a must for all the family.

KevinCope

I visited Hall Place after a considerable absence last weekend, and found a number of changes, all for the better. Although I was attracted by the monthly Sunday market and the Bexley Archives exhibition, I was pleasantly surprised by the new visitors centre and additions to the gardens. In addition to the beautifully kept grounds, abundance of water fowl, we found a rejuvenated Experience & Plant Centre, with a butterfly jungle and a great Owl area. How things have changed, I will definitely be going back.

jackh285

My wife and I have just returned from a visit to Hall Place and although we have visited the superbly kept gardens many times, we have never visited the house. It was especially interesting as there was an exhibition of the 'Santa Fe' project, where American GI's were stationed during the second World War at Hall Place, monitoring German 'Enigma' coded radio messages and forwarding these messages to Bletchley for analysis and decoding. Unfortunately this particular Exhibition closes on 15 March 2015. The architecture and interiors of the house were built and extended over a number of generations but are still in superb condition, although part of the house is undergoing some renovation due to its age. The whole experience is well worth a visit.

jackhollands20

The house is worth a visit as they often have exhibitions there. The gardens are interesting and the green house with tropical plants is a must. Refreshments are available and on a nice day a stroll by the river is relaxing, lots of Geese and Ducks for Children to feed.

G1nger1960

This place is a real gem of beauty, a lovely walk no matter what the weather. The kids absolutely love the carved animals and identifying the different species and it is a place that we will go to on a regular basis.

SteveC2

The gardens are still free, but you now have to pay to enter the house. The gardens are lovely, whatever time of year you visit, with some of the best topiary examples I've seen. The Elizabethan house is beautiful from the outside and also has some lovely woodwork inside. All are well worth a visit.

pbholmes

It is definitely worth a visit here on an a nice sunny morning. The café is very nice, though only had tea and cakes. The grounds are well kept and its lovely to see the geese and ducks on the river. Its just a lovely place to have on your door step.

angelag983

We got married here 6 years ago . It's a stunning place and has lovely gardens . The staff are very friendly. Xxx

hedgecrone

We visited late last year (2014) to see a textile exhibition and ended up paying to join for a year. So pleased we did. We visited again last week and had a lovely walk in the gardens. Totally agree with the previous reviewer - there's so much to see. The river has plenty of geese - Canada and greylags - and ducks. There's a heather bed, shrubs, formal gardens, a newly opened owl house and butterfly house, a hot house and small garden centre/nursery. The house itself, though unfurnished, has a very interesting history and displays of artefacts and some beautiful panelling and half-timbering. There's a good cafe and an exhibition room which frequently has free art or textile exhibitions. We will be visiting again soon, by ourselves or with our little granddaughter. Excellently run and a real gem!

P574NYjohnk

Although living locally this was our first visit together with friends. The weather was dry but very cold but this did not put us off walking around some of the wonderful grounds. Snowdrops were in flower, as were many Camellias. Numerous ducks and geese frequented the river and if it hadn't been for the A2 nearby we could have been out in the countryside. We visited the tropical greenhouse which was very interesting and the bird hide before heading for the House. All of this totally free until reaching the House. On route there is a lovely café and exhibition hall. Although having an entrance fee, the House was very interesting with exhibitions on the history of the Hall as well as its utilisation during the 2nd World War. The guides were very helpful and had extensive knowledge of the Hall's history. An area set aside for children to gain a hands on knowledge of the life at that time also provides useful information for adults and should not be dismissed lightly. Well worth a visit and we shall definitely be returning to lovely location.

28erikp

I went there with my GF and we've enjoyed it, nice Botanic garden nice area, Good coffee shop, lovely staff

868paul

One of the only places in the area were dogs are not allowedGreat to take your kids were they are safe from idiot dog owners

hopey09

I love this place but decided to take our 2 year old to the butterfly jungle. It was £19, the room was about the size of our bathroom. Absolute rip off, it brings the beautiful house and gardens dow .

668lucyw

I went to a wedding here and was a great day with fantastic food, the venue is really pretty with indoor and outdoor space.