Activities and attractions
Visitor notice
The Nature Centre is open but for the safety of our visitors, staff and animals, entry is now possible only with a pre-booked ticket.
The Walled Garden Café and ice cream parlour will be open from 10am-6pm daily. The rest of the Walled Garden, including the Maze and themed gardens remain closed. Picnics are not permitted anywhere within the Walled Garden.
The playground remains closed until further notice.
Please remove all rubbish and if bins are full take it back home with you.
Car park fees apply as usual.
Lakeside Café
The new Lakeside Café serves a wide range of snacks, meals and drinks with a good selection of vegan and vegetarian items on the menu.
Summer opening hours:
10am-5pm
Winter opening hours:
10am-4pm
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden situated in the heart of Tilgate Park and once formed part of the historic Tilgate Estate. The Walled Garden has enjoyed a rich history from a kitchen garden for the gentry, a horticulture research station and now, a garden for everyone to enjoy.
Walled Garden Cafe
The Walled Garden café serves snacks, ice creams, sandwiches, baguettes and drinks as well as having an outside patio area.
Summer opening hours:
10am-5pm
Winter opening hours:
10am-4pm
Dogs are excluded from the Walled Garden.
Maze
Within the Walled Garden is a fun maze with a lookout tower in the centre. The route from the entrance to the base of the tower is 135 metres. The maze is free to enter and is open to anyone.
Themed Gardens
The Walled Garden is home to some stunning examples of different types of gardens and planting including a family garden, wildlife garden, formal garden, allotment garden, society garden, outreach garden, rockeries, herb garden and a rose garden.
Craft units
Next to the Nature Centre and Walled Garden Café are eight craft studios. Local artists, craftspeople and wellbeing practitioners are based there. These include a photographer, pewter jewellery maker and mosaic craftsman as well as:
- Clarabeau – a decorative art studio that specialises in teaching specialist skills
- Gatwick Greenspace Partnership – Runs lots of fun outdoor wildlife activities for children and young people
- Sew'n'beads – Specialising in all types of sewing classes and workshops