At Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, a walk through 240 acres of Grade I listed gardens is also an encounter with contemporary sculpture.
Artworks are woven through the gardens and lakeside paths, inviting you to discover the collection as you explore rather than view it within a single exhibition space. With eight lakes at the heart of the landscape, there is room to make art the focus of an autumn day out.
Autumn offers a useful reason to return, too. As deciduous trees lose their leaves, look for viewpoints that fuller summer foliage may have screened. Try seeing a work first from a distance, then more closely from the path: its outline, surface and relationship with the garden can become different discoveries.
Discover the artists behind the sculptures
Presented in partnership with the Surrey Sculpture Society, the collection brings together established and emerging artists, largely from Sussex and Surrey. Artists represented include Abby Martin, David Paynter and Nicholas Baker, whose work forms part of the varied collection you can discover across the gardens.
Take time to read the accompanying information and connect each piece with its maker. Notice the different approaches to shape, texture and scale and consider what draws you to one artist’s work over another.
The artists represented work across bronze, resin, glass, metal, wood, stone and ceramic. Make material part of your exploration: compare a textured surface with a smooth one or an open structure with a solid form. Read any accompanying artwork information rather than relying on appearance alone to identify how a piece was made.
View the Collection Beside our Lakes
The lakes give your walk a different sense of scale. Where garden paths encourage close looking, an open view across water offers the chance to consider an artwork within the wider landscape. Pause at accessible viewpoints along your walk and compare how a piece reads against trees, open sky or the opposite bank.
For photographs, try taking one wider image that includes the setting and another that concentrates on a detail, keeping to the paths. The aim is not simply to capture autumn scenery but to notice what the garden contributes to your experience of the work.
Make Time to Explore and Visit the Gallery
Continue your visit in the Gallery within the Garden Shop, where paintings, prints and smaller sculptures offer a change of scale from the outdoor collection. The outdoor sculpture experience is included in garden entry and works are available to buy; ask the shop team if a particular piece catches your attention.
Before setting out, check the latest opening information and dress for an outdoor autumn walk. Allow time to stop, discover the artists represented and let the collection shape your route through the gardens. You do not need specialist art knowledge, just curiosity and a willingness to look a little longer.
