Visitor Information
Great Dixter Shop
Our shop is open from the beginning of April until the end of October and offers a selection of high quality gardening tools and workwear, tried and tested in the garden, as well as books by Christopher Lloyd and other authors, handmade and locally sourced products and wooden products made at Great Dixter. The online shop is available all year round.
Café
We serve home-cooked meals, incorporating the produce grown in the vegetable garden as well as local food producers, alongside tea, freshly ground coffee and delicious cakes.
There is outdoor seating in the café garden and under the cover of green-roofed shelters.
Picnics may be eaten on the grassy car parks where there are picnic tables, we kindly ask you not to eat picnics within the garden.
Great Dixter Location
Great Dixter House and Gardens is in the village of Northiam, which lies in the Sussex Weald, 9 miles from Rye and 12 miles from Hastings. Great Dixter is approximately three quarters of a mile off of the A28, which runs through Northiam. Follow the brown tourist signs once in the village. Google Map.
To improve your visit, please take the time to browse these pages regarding planning your visit, as well as the general information below.
General Information
With the exception of guide dogs, no dogs are permitted in the garden. Please note that dogs must be kept on leads in the car park.
Guide books are available at the Ticket Office, Shop and Nursery in English, French and German.
Families
In this section:
We very much welcome families to Great Dixter.
Part of the ethos of the place is dedicated to the nurturing of young minds with respect to nature and the beauty of their environment. We offer a family annual ticket (for 2 adults and 2 children), which can be purchased at the ticket office.
Families with young children should be aware that pathways are narrow and use of pushchairs may be difficult in places. We recommend use of baby carriers. Pushchairs may be left in the Barn Garden under the barn at your own risk. Baby changing facilities are available in the disabled toilets and at Dixter Farm buildings.
Narrow Paths
In August and September the garden is at its fullest and as a consequence some paths are narrow and difficult to navigate, particularly in a wheelchair or with a push chair. We cannot do much about this without a fairly significant change to the ethos behind the planting, so advise if this is likely to be a problem that these months are avoided. It should be said however that many parts of the garden are accessible in these months and we certainly don’t want to discourage wheelchair users and people with push chairs from coming during this time.
Garden Map
Download our garden map
Health and Safety Information
Great Dixter Charitable Trust works hard to manage risk to visitors both in the garden and the wider estate, through regular monitoring, and systems of incident and accident reporting. There are a few areas that visitors should be aware of:
Paving Stones
Paving stones in the garden may be uneven or slippery when wet. Please take care when walking on the paths.
Poisonous Plants and Allergies
Some plants are poisonous and some may lead to an allergic response if touched. Parents and carers should be careful to supervise children and dependents in the garden at all times.
Open Water
For your safety, please be warned that there are a number of unfenced ponds in the garden. It is not advisable to leave children or dependents unsupervised. The location of these ponds is shown on the garden plan and within our leaflet.
Weil’s Disease
Weils disease can be caused by contact with water infected with rat urine. Some of our educational activities involve pond dipping and care should be taken to cover any cuts or abrasions prior to taking part in these activities, and to thoroughly wash hands afterwards.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks which can be carried by deer and other animals, which are prevalent in the East Sussex countryside. Long trousers and sleeves are recommended particularly for educational activities where a visit to our woodland is included. Early symptoms can be a characteristic ‘bullseye’ rash and flu like symptoms. It is important to visit your doctor early if you suspect you may have Lyme disease as the symptoms can be serious if untreated.
Garden
Great Dixter is a garden you can immerse yourself in. Vibrant, daring and exciting. It is a highly managed garden that is bold, experimental, and has a long season. It is exuberant yet rich in biodiversity.
Nursery
The Nursery was started by Christopher Lloyd in 1954, specialising in plants he deemed garden-worthy. We remain a small, personal, and professional nursery producing plants from the garden and teaching traditional nursery skills.
House
Great Dixter is made up of three houses, one built here in the mid-15th century with slightly later additions, the second a yeoman’s house from Benenden, across the border in Kent, built in the early 16th century and moved here in 1910, and the third combines the two with additional accommodation, completed in 1912.