Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
22 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
22 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
22 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Dungeness Derek Jarman's Garden

Derek Jarman's Garden

An avant-garde artist is survived by his seaside garden.

Dungeness, England

Added By
Duncan Chappell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
More found object art.   duncanchappell
More found object art.   duncanchappell
Wildflowers.   duncanchappell
Another of the found item installations.   duncanchappell
Precariously balanced stones.   duncanchappell
Some of the artfully placed stones.   duncanchappell
All of the vegetation is local to the area.   duncanchappell
Well manicured gravel work is a hallmark of the garden.   duncanchappell
Derek Jarman’s Garden   duncanchappell
IFJ   isabelformicajakob / Atlas Obscura User
IFJ   isabelformicajakob / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Avant-garde artist Derek Jarman once said, "'Paradise haunts gardens, and some gardens are paradises. Mine is one of them. Others are like bad children, spoilt by their parents, over-watered and covered with noxious chemicals."

It is with this ethos that he built the sparse desert garden surrounding Prospect Cottage, his final home. The landscape consists of a number of varieties of hardy local plants accented by driftwood and found objects from the nearby beach. The garden surrounding the small slat-board cottage also features a number of standing stone sculptures that the artist installed. Jarman passed away in 1994, but for many years the garden was maintained by his former partner. The garden is on private property and not open to the public, but fans of Jarman's work or just beautiful landscaping are welcome to view the garden from the road.

In January 2020, the U.K.'s Art Fund launched a campaign to save Prospect Cottage from being sold and dismantled. They raised £3.5 million to secure the property, with a goal of turning it into a center for public creativity. If they are successful, the team behind the project hopes restore the house and gardens, launch a residency program for artists, academics, and activists, and open the cottage up to public visits.

Related Tags

Gardens Eccentric Homes Horticulture Art Film Homes Plants

Know Before You Go

The cottage is on the single track Lydd road from Dungeness and visible from the miniature railway. It’s a ten-minute walk along the shingle beach to the railway station.

Community Contributors

Added By

duncanchappell

Edited By

Martin, aribrown, isabelformicajakob, elvislovesmandy

  • Martin
  • aribrown
  • isabelformicajakob
  • elvislovesmandy

Published

September 6, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.coolplaces.co.uk/places/uk/england/east-sussex/rye/1370-derek-jarmans-garden
  • http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/derek_jarman_garden_prospect_cottage_dungeness
  • https://www.theartnewspaper.com/blog/the-final-push-art-fund-campaign-to-save-derek-jarman-s-cottage-is-almost-over-the-line
  • https://www.theartnewspaper.com/blog/derek-jarman-s-cottage-in-dungeness-is-saved-after-art-fund-hits-gbp3-5m-target
Derek Jarman's Garden
Dungeness Road
Dungeness, England, TN29 9NE
United Kingdom
50.922563, 0.976216
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Greatstone Sound Mirrors

Greatstone, England

miles away

Camber Castle

Rye, England

miles away

Portus Lemanis

Lympne, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
Stories 145

Nearby Places

Greatstone Sound Mirrors

Greatstone, England

miles away

Camber Castle

Rye, England

miles away

Portus Lemanis

Lympne, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
Stories 145

Related Places

  • Warner Castle.

    Rochester, New York

    Warner Castle

    This New York estate was designed to resemble a medieval Scottish castle.

  • Brief Garden.

    Kirantidiya, Sri Lanka

    Brief Garden

    This luscious masterpiece created by landscape designer Bevis Bawa inspired the work of his brother, a famous Sri Lankan architect.

  • Lanarch Castle, Dunedin.

    Dunedin, New Zealand

    Larnach Castle

    One of New Zealand’s few castles boasts beautiful gardens, grand architecture, and a history filled with family drama.

  • Elephants stand on the Sezincote grounds.

    Gloucestershire, England

    Sezincote Estate

    A majestic mansion designed in Mughalai style, complete with a turquoise onion dome.

  • Monet’s House

    Giverny, France

    Claude Monet House and Gardens

    At Monet's beloved home you can still see the Japanese bridge, waterlilies, and weeping willows that were the subjects of some of his most iconic paintings.

  • View of Casa Loma from the garden

    Toronto, Ontario

    Casa Loma

    A 98-room castle in the middle of Toronto that bankrupted a 19th century electricity multimillionaire.

  • Dove Cottage

    Grasmere, England

    Dove Cottage

    This charming English house was once the home of England's most famous poet.

  • The estate lies in disrepair.

    Santa Barbara, California

    Franceschi Park

    The home of one of California's most important horticulturalists wilts amidst a lovely park.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.