Transforming the Wealden garden – the development of ‘plantsmen gardens’ by incoming country house families c.1840-1920s

We imported plants for centuries but, from the 1840s into the interwar period, a group of families bought old or built new country houses in the Weald and began to create gardens with an emphasis on plant collections from abroad. Several families co-funded professional plant hunters. Some of the schemes survive today as an important part of the Wealden landscape. We will explore where the family money came from – mainly from innovations in industry and finance and what may have influenced their interests.

Our speaker, Sue Berry, has published on aspects of the history of Sussex in the important Sussex Archaeological Collections (now accessible online), Journal of Garden History, Journal of the Georgian Group etc. She is also interested in persuading people to value and to use the wonderful archives for the county in our two record offices and elsewhere.

She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Royal Historical Society. The talk will be held at West Sussex Record Office in Chichester (and online) on Monday 27 April 2026 at 3pm. Booking essential on www.wsro.org.uk/events