Great Comp Garden

Set in the heart of the Garden of England and surrounding a 17th century house, Great Comp Garden is the delightful creation of Roderick and Joy Cameron since moving to Great Comp in 1957. The gardens are now run by the Curator William Dyson, assisted by two full time gardeners, 2 part time gardeners and a small team of volunteers.

Surrounding an early 17th Century Manor The garden extends to 7 acres, with many beautiful and rare shrubs, perennials and other hardy and half hardy plants. This remarkable Kent Garden is a veritable plantsman’s paradise. The year begins with Snowflakes & Hellebores, followed by Magnolias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons.
Summer brings a wealth of colourful, rare & exotic shrubs & perennials, especially Salvias; these unusual and long flowering plants are particularly well represented at Great Comp with their display extending between May & October.

For the name we need to go back to the XIIIth Century and before. In 1240 Comp was known as Camp de Wrotha (an abbreviation for Wrotham) in 1251 as Caumpes and Compe in 1461. The name is derived from Old English Camp meaning campus or field.

An interesting footnote appears to suggest another possible but rather far-fetched derivation of the name, ‘All kinds of food except bread and drink were called companage’.

Visit our exhibition in the summerhouse on the front lawn where you can see how Great Comp has evolved over the years.

Place Categories: Attractions and Parks and Gardens