Lullingstone Castle is one of England’s oldest family estates, dating back to the time of Domesday. The present Manor House and Gatehouse, which overlook a 15-acre lake, were built in 1497 and have been home to the same family ever since. Royal visitors have included Henry VIII and Queen Anne, and hidden in the grounds, alongside the River Darent, are Queen Anne's Bathhouse and an 18th century Ice House. More recently, Lullingstone was home to the famous Silk Farm, established in the 1930s by Lady Zoe Hart Dyke, which produced silk for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation robes and wedding dress. Lullingstone Castle is also home to Tom Hart Dyke’s World Garden of Plants. Tom is the twentieth generation of the family to live on the Estate and he hopes that his World Garden will help preserve the Estate for future generations. Tom's ambition for the World Garden to safeguard Lullingstone's future was documented on BBC 2 (‘Save Lullingstone Castle’ and ‘Return to Lullingstone Castle’) in 2005 and 2006. The idea for the World Garden was conceived during Tom’s nine-month kidnap ordeal in Colombia in 2000. It is laid out in the shape of a map of the World and pays tribute to British plant hunters who over the centuries have contributed to Britain’s gardens, in which some 80% of plants are not native to the UK. There are nearly 8,000 plants displayed in their respective countries of origin.