Knole: The Childhood Home of Vita Sackville-West
EducationKnole: The Childhood Home of Vita Sackville-West
Victoria Mary Sackville-West, best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and poet. She was famous for her marriage, her passionate affair with novelist Virginia Woolf and her own gardens in Sissinghurst, Kent, which provide the backdrop to Sissinghurst Castle. However not many people know her childhood home, Knole.
Vita Sackville-West was born and grew up in Knole. Vita Sackville-West wrote that Knole 'has the tone of England; it melts into the green of the garden turf, into the tawnier green of the park beyond, into the blue of the pale English sky.' Her lover Virginia Woolf drew inspiration from her and Knole in the writing of the novel Orlando.
Knole is a historical site in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, and mainly has two parts: Knole House and Knole Park. Knole House was built by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury between 1456 and 1486. In 1538 King Henry VIII took over the house. Since 1603 it became a home of the Sackville family and has remained largely unchanged for 300 years. Surrounding Knole House, Knole Park is a 1000 acre Tudor deer park.
As a reputable calendar house with early 17th-century appearance Knole House has 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 14 entrances and 7 courtyards.
Knole Park is Kent's only remaining medieval deer park and over 200000 trees have planted after the storm. There is also a small medieval lavender garden and orchard owned by Lord Sackville. A Knole golf club is set inside Knole Park too.
Around the mansion Knole Park has survived the past 500 years. However Great Storm in 1987 damaged 70% of the trees in the park. Except the loss the park has changed little since Thomas Sackville's death in 1608.
Knole Park is Kent's only remaining medieval deer park and over 200000 trees have planted after the storm. There is also a small medieval lavender garden and orchard owned by Lord Sackville and Knole golf course too.
Today, National Trust owns the house and about 43 acres of the park. The gardens and the rest of the surrounding estate are owned by the Lord Sackville and his family, who still live in more than half the house.
The entrance fee is £9.50 for adult and £4.75 for child plus £2.50 for car parking, but all are free for national trust members. Knole house is open from March to October; Knole Park is open daily for pedestrians. The private garden opens for limited time which priced £5 for adult and £2.50 for child. A shop, tearoom and children's trail are all on-site. Nearby your can visit Down House and Chartwell too. For more details please visit my articles about Down House and Chartwell on Factoidz.