Our Journey Forward
An ambitious 100-year plan
With ambitious future plans rooted in Borde Hill’s significant botanical heritage, our vision continues a passion for discovery while building a sustainable future for our local community and the next generation.
Past, Present and Future
“As the fifth generation of the Stephenson Clarke Family to take the reigns at Borde Hill, we are continuing a legacy of planting passion across the Estate, preserving our magnificent collection of rare trees and plants from around the world, while addressing pressing priorities such as climate change and biodiversity for the future.
As a family, we have always been committed to creating a space that is reflective of our values – the most important of which is connecting with people and sharing our passion for nature. We are driving an ongoing story of change which seeks to preserve the Estate for generations, celebrating the natural world and sharing a passion for sustainability and the great outdoors.”
Jay Goddard (née Stephenson Clarke) and Harry Stephenson Clarke.
A Bold New Design
We are proud to unveil a complete rebrand and accompanying new website for the 2023 season, which unifies our past and present and sows the seeds for our ambitious plans ahead. The rebrand is rooted in Borde Hill’s significant botanical heritage and reimagined through contemporary design. Through our new website, and physically across the Estate, the rebrand embodies the beauty of nature. We seek to celebrate Borde Hill as a place for everyone, full of life, stories and the ‘world in one Garden.’
Collaborating with illustrators and designers, we explored our extensive archive collection – which has over 75,000 records and is one of the largest to document the expeditions of the Great Plant Hunters’ in the early 1900s – to create our new logo.
After careful consideration, the Emmenopterys henryi, a rare deciduous Chinese tree collected by plant hunter George Forrest, was chosen as inspiration for the logo, as there are only a few of the original specimens in the UK to have flowered. The tree was planted in the Azalea Ring at Borde Hill in 1928 and started flowering for the first time in 2011.
We also worked with award-winning photographer Emli Bendixen who captured stunning new photography portraying the unique atmosphere of Borde Hill, the team who care passionately about the Garden and Grounds, and the plants themselves.
Building a Sustainable Future
We consider the Estate in centuries not decades and recognise our responsibility to enhance and protect Borde Hill for generations to come. We have native and exotic trees which are hundreds of years old, plus the largest collection of privately owned champion trees in the country. Following sustainable practices to preserve these pillars of the landscape, as well as playing our part by helping to tackle and educate about climate change is at the core of our work.
Our Woodland Management team protect and enhance our ancient Woodland across the wider Estate, focusing on native and exotic species to reflect our botanical heritage. We have moved towards renewable energy with a biomass boiler to sustainably heat the Elizabethan Mansion House, which is fed from timber felled from the Estate.
Food provenance is incredibly important to us and we are proud to have transformed Sugworth Farm, home to our ‘Growers Project’ Market Garden, into a biodynamic 40-acre farm which takes a nature-led approach to growing fruit and vegetables. This will provide organic, locally sourced produce for our new restaurant, launching in 2024.
As part of our project ‘Reinventing Borde Hill,’ which is kindly supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we plan to establish a Community Growing Garden. This is to highlight the importance of locally grown produce and good horticultural practice, enabling our local community to connect with the restorative power of nature. To safeguard our nationally important botanical collection, we also plan to establish a Propagation Project, protecting our rare plants and trees for generations to come.
As a Family-run Estate, we work with local Sussex tradesmen and suppliers, supporting the local economy and reducing miles travelled and therefore carbon emissions.
Support Us
As a small, independent Garden Charity, we rely on your kind generosity to help fund our projects and to continue to grow sustainably, protecting our natural heritage for generations to come. ‘Reinventing Borde Hill’ is our most ambitious project to date and your support will help us to achieve exciting plans to benefit our local community.
It would make a huge difference if you would consider supporting us by making a donation – thank you.
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Our Garden & Grounds
Set within 383 acres of heritage listed Parkland, our formal Garden captivates and delights visitors with a series of intimate 'Garden rooms'. Beyond the formal Garden you can explore Woodland walks, the South Park and our lakes with outstanding views across the Sussex High Weald.
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Support Us
As a small, independent Garden Charity, we rely on your kind generosity to help fund our projects and to continue to grow sustainably, protecting our natural heritage for generations to come. 'Reinventing Borde Hill' is our most ambitious project to date and your support will help us to achieve exciting plans to benefit our local community.
It would make a huge difference if you would consider supporting us by making a donation – thank you.
Read more
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