A garden for all seasonsNurtured for nearly 130 years, the extensive, yet intimate garden stuns throughout the seasons. It features an internationally important plant collection containing species from around the world. Discover more by joining a guided walk – ask at visitor reception for times. Here are just a few of the garden highlights:

Autumn

Colour in the garden lasts well into autumn including the salvia collection (nearly 50 varieties) and the multi-coloured South African bed. Pathways around the garden offer glorious views of the trees changing colour in the arboretum and beyond.

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Winter

Enjoy far-reaching views as you take in the heady scents of witch hazel and daphne. There are displays of heather all winter long, with snowdrops and snowflakes carpeting the ground in Jan/Feb. Early rhododendrons herald the arrival of spring.

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Inside the House you will see small, intimate rooms furnished with tapestries, antique furniture, works of art and other treasures collected by Leonard and Maud Messel. Paintings by their younger son, the renowned theatre designer Oliver Messel, are also on show. His sister Anne spent her last years here and was keen to preserve the unique feel of her parents’ home.

Some of the rooms are dark, which helps us care for the original textiles and paintings. On the first floor, the gallery shows changing exhibitions throughout the year.*

The House opens at 11am and closes at 4pm, with last entry at 3.30pm.

*The gallery is closed between exhibitions. See website for more details.

Spring

Colourful displays of spring bulbs including crocus, daffodils, fritillaries & bluebells. Rhododendrons and camellias are at their glorious best. Extensive collection of spectacular magnolias, some named after the Messel family.

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Summer

Herbaceous plants take centre stage in June, before the summer borders dazzle with colour from perennials and over 5,000 annuals. You’ll find fragrant roses and glorious hydrangeas whilst the dramatic house terrace features hardy exotics.

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Visiting the HouseAround the House26 House and gallery

entrance27 Horsebox

refreshments ‘Morning Star’

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5 Nymans is a no smoking property

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Visiting Nymans with your dog

Dogs are welcome in the woodland, outdoor seating area of the café, shop and plant centre.

Dogs are welcome in the garden during winter opening hours after 1.30pm. Dates vary, please check the website for details.

You can help us look after this special garden and protect the precious plants by leaving balls, frisbees, bikes and scooters in the car. Some of the trees here are rare and ancient so please don’t climb on them.

Access Information

Suggested wheelchair route under good conditions

Steep gradient

HNymans enjoys glorious views across the Sussex Weald but the hillside location means that some areas are sloped. Please stay on the paths to avoid slipping on grass banks.

7A team of volunteers run mobility buggy tours around the garden and woodland. Check availability and book a seat at visitor reception.

FAccessible toilets can be found next to the café and in the car park.

JWheelchairs can be borrowed from visitor reception.

The ground floor of the House can be visited via the Forecourt Garden (30 on map). Unfortunately, the gallery and ruins are currently not accessible to wheelchair users.

Entrance & welcome1 Visitor reception2 Welcome hub3 Shop & plant centre4 Café5 Entrance to woodland

Exploring the garden6 Top Garden7 Temple8 Pinetum9 Wildflower meadow10 June border11 Second-hand bookshop12 Potting Shed13 Rose Garden14 Lime Avenue

15 Arboretum16 Wall Garden17 Winter Walk18 Main Lawn19 Sunk Garden & Loggia20 South African bed21 Heather Garden22 Croquet Lawn 23 Combers’ Field24 Wild Garden25 Kitchen Garden

(Restoration in progress not currently open)

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Welcome to Nymans

Feeling hungry?

Whether you want morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea, you’re in for a treat. Our café, located next to visitor reception, offers a variety of freshly made dishes reflecting the spirit of Nymans. Ingredients and recipes change with the seasons, so the menu is always fresh and exciting.

Hot lunches are served from 12–2.30pm and for younger visitors we offer children’s lunch boxes, as well as bottle and baby food warming facilities. Lighter snacks are also on offer as well as a deliciously tempting array of cakes and ice creams.

Alternatively, ‘Morning Star’ horse box offers drinks and snacks which you can enjoy sitting in the courtyard outside the House. Check at visitor reception for opening times.

One of the National Trust’s premier gardens, Nymans was home to the creative and artistic Messel family.

The garden showcases year-round interest with its rare and unusual plant collection. A stunning range of fragranced magnolias seen throughout spring precede exceptional displays of rhododendrons. Dazzling floral borders in summer are followed by dramatic shows of vibrant colour in autumn. In winter, structural form brings a new dimension to the garden.

Surrounded by the countryside of the Sussex Weald, discover hidden corners, stone archways and tree-lined avenues. The adjoining ancient woodland, designated as a Site of Special

@Nymans.NT @NymansNT @nymansnt

Tel: 01444 405250Email: nymans@nationaltrust.org.uk

Become a memberNational Trust membership helps to fund our conservation projects so that we can protect places like Nymans for ever, for everyone. Please ask at visitor reception how you can become a member today and contribute to the protection of over 257,000 hectares of land and over 300 historic houses and gardens.

Remember that when you visit every penny you spend goes to the work we do here.

VolunteerWe’re looking for friendly and approachable people with an interest and a passion for the work of Nymans and the National Trust. Ideally, you’d be able to offer a regular amount of time each week and in exchange we offer training and the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. Ask in visitor reception for more details.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans

Scientific Interest, is a rich nature reserve with plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife.

The House, a partial ruin, reflects the personalities and stories of the talented Messel family. The gallery upstairs is open daily with exhibitions throughout the year.

We are committed to tackling the challenges of climate change. Our biomass heating system is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by up to 52 tonnes per year. The nursery harvests rainwater, which is used to water the garden in summer. All plants grown and sold are 100% peat free. We are also working towards reducing single-use plastic.

House and garden Welcome to NymansEating and shoppingStay in touch

Shop and plant centre

A visit to Nymans wouldn’t be complete without a spot of retail therapy. Next to the main entrance, the shop offers a range of gift ideas including products crafted by local suppliers and artists, as well as exclusive National Trust ranges.

Our plant centre, adjacent to the shop and café, offers an extensive range of seasonal plants, decorative ornaments, pots, tools and garden furniture. Look out for the ‘Nymans Collection’ in pink pots, propagated on-site from plants growing in the beautiful garden. Our friendly team of staff and volunteers are on hand to offer advice and guidance.

The second-hand bookshop, including rare and unusual books, is a popular spot to hunt for a bargain. Just a short walk from visitor reception, all proceeds fund our conservation work at Nymans.

Ludwig’s son Leonard inherited Nymans in 1915. His wife Maud disliked the house and persuaded him to remodel it, turning it into a medieval manor house. The rebuilding finished in 1928 but, less than 20 years later, the house was devastated by fire.

Leonard and Maud’s daughter Anne, Countess of Rosse came to live at Nymans in 1979 after the death of her 2nd husband, the 6th Earl of Rosse. The House opened to visitors in 1992 and the remaining rooms are displayed almost exactly as Anne left them.

The garden

At 13 hectares, the garden holds an extensive plant collection of international importance. The garden has both informal and formal areas encompassing topiary, exuberant planting, wild flower rich meadows as well as manicured lawns. Constantly evolving, it is a joy in every season.

The House at Nymans is not all it seems. Partly ruined, it stands in the centre of the garden as a striking reminder of the fire that engulfed it in the cold winter of 1947.

There have been members of the Messel family at Nymans since 1890 when the property was bought by successful German stockbroker Ludwig Messel. He was looking for a country residence where he could indulge his passion for gardening and enjoy spending time with his wife Annie and their six children. Nymans was the perfect place, being close to London and situated in the beautiful Sussex Weald.

The House at that time was a simple late Victorian building. Ludwig’s brother Alfred Messel, a renowned German architect, transformed it. He added a tower, a billiard room in the style of a Swiss chalet and an extensive conservatory.

Photography: © National Trust Images /Andrew Honour / Clive Nichols / Marianne Majerus / Stephen Robson / Andrew ButlerDesign: Blacker Design

Printed on paper from sustainable sources. Please recycle this leaflet after use.© National Trust 2019. National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846