THE LOWDOWN

Heralded for its beauty and diversity, the garden at Sissinghurst Castle is among the most famous gardens in England and should be on your to-do list as one of the top places to Kent.

English poet, novelist and (unofficial) garden designer Vita Sackville-West and her husband, the diplomat and diarist, Harold Nicolson, who were on the fringes of the Bloomsbury set, are the reason that the garden looks as splendid as it does today. They purchased Sissinghurst in 1930 and the garden opened to the public in the late 1930s before it later become a National Trust property in 1967.

Thanks to their vision, the outside space at Sissinghurst Castle flourished and evolved into the now world-renowned gardens which are laid out as a series of themed ‘outdoor rooms’. The most distinctive architectural feature of Sissinghurst is the 4-storey red-brick Elizabethan tower with capped octagonal turrets where Sackville-West kept her writing room and wrote her books.

THINGS TO DO

Make sure you take time to explore the garden’s many features including The Rose Garden, The White Garden plus Delos which was inspired by Vita and Harold’s visits to the Greek island. There is a Children’s quiz and trail so you can take little ones too plus head to its Granary restaurant if you are feeling hungry. The tasty menus are developed with its team of kitchen gardeners to create dishes inspired by Sissinghurst which highlight the season’s best produce.

If it’s walking that you are after, there’s 460 acres of diverse estate to enjoy. Pick up an estate map to help you explore the far reaching grounds. There’s a very popular lake walk which is a mile long plus the bird hide is a great spot to sit and while away the hours as you take in the sights and sounds around you.

Make sure you keep an eye out too for events throughout the year including family friendly trails in the spring and summer months when you complete the route and enjoy fun activities along the way.