A week of Kent: Sissinghurst

September 2, 2009

A week of Kent: Sissinghurst

The glorious gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, home to Vita Sackville West and her husband Harold Nicolson, was perhaps the highlight of our weekend in Kent (which I’ve somehow managed to string into a week of posts). It was thrilling to walk around the sprawling 400 acre estate she had designed and created, with its pockets of themed colour (@LibertyLdnGirl had recommended the stunning white garden) and texture.

I adored climbing the tower, peeking inside Vita’s study and admiring her mother’s coloured glass collection…

Tips from the Twitterati: LibertyLdnGirl suggested heading to the “blissful” Three Chimney’s pub just down the road, and MaggieA recommended getting there late to avoid crowds (done and done, thank you!).

I also couldn’t resist a visit to the extensive National Trust shop on site (whoever is their buyer does an extremely good job), which stocks a good selection of gardening gifts and books as well as works by Vita and Virginia Woolf. I’m really loving the simple but effective cover design of these Vintage Classics:

Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Sissinghurst, nr Cranbrook, Kent TN17 2AB
Tel. 01580 710701 (Infoline)

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Posted at 10:19 pm in Best of Britain, Kent | Permalink

Tweet tweet! I love reading all your comments - thanks so much for stopping by.

westendmum

You’re going to all the places I’d like to visit. I’ve been meaning to get to Sissinghurst for ages, having read Orlando and loving gardens. Must do – next year. Great pics.
WEMx
http://makedostyle.blogspot.com Make Do Style

Bravo you culture vulture – great posts, now I need you to go to Paris and the recommend to me best places for flea market hunting!
http://le-petit-oiseau.blogspot.com/ nath

oooh, that looks beautiful. i love vita sackville west. i think vita would be a beautiful name for a girl, don’t you think?
http://www.sarah-janedownthelane.blogspot.com sarah-jane down the lane

Clever clever Birdie! what a joyous week of posts! From my neck of the woods, I have loved seeing Kent through wee Birdy’s eyes. Sissinghurst is joyous! Did you know about the connection between Sarah Raven and Sissinghurst? She is married to Adam Nicholson, Grandson of Vita. You must get to PERCH HILL Sarah’s Vegetable and Cutting garden, I thoroughly recommend, check out the website for open days and courses etc. http://www.perchhill.co.uk/ It is near Robertsbridge, you could double whammy and see Batemans too, home of Rudyard Kipling. Happy days!
Sarah
http://basilexposition.wordpress.com Fionnuala

What great covers!
http://www.arosebeyondthethames.blogspot.com Rose

I have been so enjoying the Kent series. You are literally having a holiday I always intend to take and never do. You have inspired me to do something about that sooner rather than later. Sissinghurst looks like heaven.
http://kickcanandconkers.blogspot.com Deb

Love the vintage Woolf covers.
http://passionistta.com gia

I love the quaint tower. I wish we had those in here and so I can emulate Rapunzel. Those are brilliant book covers.
http://mysterycreature.wordpress.com Lauren

What a beautiful place – and what a wonderful collection of pretty things to discover whilst you are there! Lovely!