Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Sissinghurst Castle Garden, located in the Weald of Kent is owned by the National Trust and thought to be among the very best gardens in all of England.

In the middle ages, there was originally a manor house surrounded by a moat built on the Sissinghurst Castle Garden grounds. That building was torn down and replaced by a new manor house in the 15th century when the Baker family acquired the property.

It stayed within the Baker family until the 17th century when the family collapsed. After that it was used for a variety of purposes, such as to hold prisoners-of-war during the Seven Years’ War, and as a Union Workhouse.

Sissinghurst Castle was purchased in 1930 by Vita Sackville-West who, together with her husband Harold Nicholson, made in the grounds one of the most celebrated gardens in
the world.

Sissinghurst was one of the first large houses in Kent to be built of brick; the only portions that survive today are the service range and the central tower where Sackville-West had her study.

The gardens of Sissinghurst Castle were designed as a series of outdoor themed rooms, the walls being hedges or the red brick ruins of the original castle buildings. The contrasting personalities of the romantic Sackville-West and the classical Nicholson are reflected in this most English of gardens.

Planning your visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Sissinghurst Castle Garden is open from March 17th to October 28th, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays to Sundays, between 11.00 - 18.30.