The beautiful Kew Gardens alternative in stunning countryside 50 minutes from London

Tucked away in stunning countryside near London you'll find the unheralded alternative to Kew Gardens. Owned by the National Trust but managed by Kew, Wakehurst is home to gardens and temperate woodlands which wouldn't look out of place in California.

Wakehurst is situated near the Sussex town of Haywards Heath - which is about halfway between London and Brighton on the Brighton Main Line rail route. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is one of the most popular attractions across London with millions of people visiting the site every year.

But even people who visit the site regularly might not know about its sister location in Sussex. Previously known as Wakehurst Place, it is huge - with 500 acres of wild botanic gardens.

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As you walk around you experience sights and smells from around the world, with plants grouped together by country or region as they are in the wild. Countries including Australia, China, Greece, Chile, Japan and Mexico are represented. There's also a Himalayan Glade and a Southern Hemisphere Garden.

But perhaps our favourite part of the whole estate is the magical Bloomers Valley, which transports you to Yosemite National Park, in California. The American Prairie can also be found in the site, which looks to preserve the North American grasslands which are under threat.

Working with experts from the USA, some 12 million seeds were gathered and checked by scientists before being planted across the six-acre landscape. The project began in 2019, and as of 2022 is in full bloom just a stone's throw from Wakehurst Place.

Other highlights include The Wetlands, where you can wander along boardwalks, and Westwood Lake, which is at its most majestic during the autumn as the trees that surround it change colour.

If you plan ahead, though, with spaces becoming available every Friday for the following week, it is a great time to visit and you can feel like you have parts of Wakehurst to yourself.

Where is it and how much does it cost?

It is close to the village of Ardingly and between the towns of Crawley, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. Entry is free to National Trust members on presentation of a valid membership card however car parking charges apply, which isn't normally the case at National Trust properties.

If you aren't a member the standard price for an adult is £16.50. The cost comes down to £7.25 if you are aged between 18 and 25, while children aged 16 and under get in for free if accompanied by an adult.

It is between a 50-minute and an hour's drive from most of South London. Just head down the M23 and then leave at Junction 10 from where it is a short drive. The nearest train stations are Haywards Heath, East Grinstead or Crawley. From East Croydon it is a 25 minute train journey to Crawley for example.

These stops are about six miles away from the site. You can catch a bus ride to the site lasting about 30 minutes from Haywards Heath train station, Three Bridges or Crawley stations.

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