Sheffield Park & Garden
Sheffield Park, near Haywards Heath, East Sussex
A National Trust landscape garden in East Sussex, laid out around lakes in the 18th century and planted for autumn colour, with black tupelos and the National Collection of Ghent azaleas.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit Sheffield Park & Garden?
Sheffield Park is an informal landscape garden built around water, with lakes reflecting trees chosen for their colour. Capability Brown worked here in the 18th century, and Arthur Gilstrap Soames developed it as a woodland garden in the early 20th century. Walking the paths around the lakes is the whole point: views open and close as you go, and the trees change through the year.
Autumn is the famous season. The garden is particularly noted for trees planted for autumn colour, including many black tupelos, whose leaves turn brilliant red and orange. In late spring the National Collection of Ghent azaleas, held here, adds scent and colour along the paths. The lakes, which Brown probably divided into the Upper and Lower Women's Way Ponds, are the frame for everything, and the planting of exotic and native trees north of the lower lake goes back to the 1880s.
For gardeners, Sheffield Park shows how trees can be chosen and placed for the effect of their leaf colour, and how reflections in water double the impact. If you are thinking about a tree for autumn colour in your own garden, this is the place to see mature examples side by side. The wider estate is large, so allow time to walk beyond the garden. The Bluebell Railway's Sheffield Park station is nearby, and the historic cricket ground on the estate hosted Australia in 1884.
What to see
- Lakes at the heart of the garden, shaped in the time of Capability Brown.
- Black tupelos and other trees planted for autumn colour.
- The National Collection of Ghent azaleas.
- Exotic and native trees north of the lower lake, planted from the 1880s.
- The historic cricket ground where Lord Sheffield's XI played Australia in 1884.
Sheffield Park & Garden through the year
- spring
- Fresh leaves are reflected in the lakes, with the Ghent azaleas coming into flower in late spring.
- summer
- Green, shady walks around the lakes and wide views across the water.
- autumn
- The garden's best-known season, with black tupelos and other trees turning red, orange and gold around the lakes.
- winter
- Bare branches and still water show the shape of the landscape garden; check the National Trust website for winter opening.
The story behind the garden
Sheffield Park appears in the Domesday Book, and Henry VIII was entertained here in 1538. In 1769 the estate was bought by John Holroyd, later Lord Sheffield, who had James Wyatt remodel the house in Gothic style. Capability Brown visited from 1775 and is thought to have divided the lake into two ponds, and Humphry Repton is recorded as working in the park in 1789. In 1876 the 3rd Earl of Sheffield laid out a cricket pitch, and in 1884 Lord Sheffield's XI played Australia there.
Arthur Gilstrap Soames bought the estate in 1909 and carried out large-scale planting, creating much of the woodland garden seen today. Thousands of troops were based here in the Second World War, and the estate was sold in 1953. The National Trust bought 200 acres in 1954 and a further 250 acres in 2007. The house itself remains privately owned.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Walkers, photographers and tree lovers, especially anyone planning an autumn colour trip.
- Getting there
- Sheffield Park and Garden is in East Sussex, about five miles east of Haywards Heath, close to Sheffield Park station on the heritage Bluebell Railway.
- Before you go
- Autumn colour draws many visitors, so a weekday visit is often calmer. Check the National Trust website for current opening times and tickets.
Questions about visiting Sheffield Park & Garden
When is the best time to visit Sheffield Park?
Autumn is the best-known time, when black tupelos and other trees planted for colour turn red and gold around the lakes. Late spring is also rewarding, when the National Collection of Ghent azaleas is in flower.
Is Sheffield Park National Trust?
Yes. The National Trust bought 200 acres of the garden and estate in 1954 and another 250 acres in 2007. Sheffield Park House, the Gothic mansion beside the garden, is still privately owned and is not part of the visit.
Did Capability Brown design Sheffield Park?
Brown was consulted from 1775 and probably divided the lake into the Upper and Lower Women's Way Ponds, though few written records of his work survive. The woodland garden seen today owes much to Arthur Gilstrap Soames, who planted on a large scale from 1909.
Is Sheffield Park near the Bluebell Railway?
Yes. Sheffield Park is a station on the heritage Bluebell Railway, close to the garden, so a garden visit and a steam train ride can be combined in one day. Check both websites for current timetables and opening.
Garden features
Location
Sheffield Park, near Haywards Heath, East Sussex
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