Wadhurst Castle is 19th-century castellated mansion just to the west of the village of Wadhurst built on the site of a much older house which was mentioned in records of the 14th Century. In an elevated position, the Castle commands magnificent panoramic views of the gloriously beautiful Sussex countryside to the South and West.
First built in 1818-20 by James Louis West, on the site of the farmhouse of Maplehurst, the castle was bought by Benjamin Harding in 1838, for whom it was remodelled to its present appearance by the architect Edward Buckton Lamb. The drawings were exhibited at the Royal Academy. It was at this time that the Winter Garden was added, and as is typical of Lamb’s style of architecture, the outside of the castle was embellished with further turrets, odd shaped spires and window tracery. The existing parkland was also developed, and the terraced gardens and entrance lodge on the present B2099 were added. The castle was purchased by Edward Watson-Smyth in 1844 who enlarged it to the north-east and also further extended the parkland.