Knole is the home of the Sackville family and was the childhood home of Vita Sackville-West and she loved it with a passion. The house passed down through the male line of the family so due to a technicality Vita was unable to inherit the house:
‘Sissinghurst and and St Loup are my spiritual homes,’ she later wrote. ‘and of course Knole, which is denied me for ever, through “a technical fault over which we have no control”, as they say on the radio.’
Although the house is in the care of the National Trust a large part of it is still lived in by the Sackville-Wests:
Today, the house is in the care of the National Trust; however, the Trust only owns the house and about 43 acres of the park. Considerably more than half the house is still home to the Sackville-Wests. Lord Sackville and his family still own the gardens and the rest of the surrounding estate. Knole’s garden is probably the largest private walled garden in Britain at 26 acres (30 including the ‘footprint’ of the house), and indeed is large enough to have the very unusual (essentially mediaeval) feature of a smaller walled garden inside itself. Knole Park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the park hosts the annual Knole Run, a prestigious schools cross-country race.
Unfortunately on the day I visited I wasn’t able to explore the grounds because it started to pour down with rain which was a shame. I suppose that gives me a good excuse to go back though.
Lovely place CherryPie, reminds me of the Angus castle:)
Do you have statues of muscular men in courtyard of the Angus castle?
Another home I have never visited… I must get out more!
I would love to see your photos from this location
They’re not related to the Sackville-Bagginses, are they?
When I get chance to visit the grounds I will let you know!
Looks lovely but who’d want to live there. I beet it’s freezing.
I must admit I wouldn’t want to live there.
Lovely pix of a lovely place, Cherie. There’s something wild about it, almost savage: the way the architecture can’t quite make it from mediaeval to Renaissance (those redundant crenellations), and the juxtaposition of the magnificent antlers, hunting trophy, amongst the classical busts (grand tour trophies!). Have you read their son’s book about Harold (Nicolson) & Vita?
I wished I had got a view of the front which gives you an idea of how the house looks. It was so dull though I didn’t bother because the white sky would have spoilt the photo.
No I haven’t read that book.
PS I am afraid you must bite the bullet and take yourself and camera back to Knole and Sissinghurst … Yes, yes, I know: will be very hard. But just think of your readers
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I will have to wait until it opens later in the year
Its in Kent isn’t it? Drat – its the furthest distance to where I live or I would certainly visit it armed with my Nikons.
As a freelance photographer I am sending you compliments again at the reproduction, quality and your clever use of the rule of thirds in composing a photo. I think you should market these photos of yours as postcards or calendars. Your talent is wasted.
Thanks for you kind words DD
It is in Kent yes. It is a five hour drive from me and we call it the moon