A couple of weeks ago I made the decision that as Spring had reached its peak, we needed to haul our cookies Kent-wards and visit Sissinghurst. It's another of those National Trust properties we somehow have never managed to see until now.
Sissinghurst Castle, a ruin, was bought in the 1930s by writer and poet Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat/author husband Harold Nicolson. They set about restoring and transforming the garden, turning it into one of the most famous in England - a grand example of arts and crafts garden style.
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| The lime walk |
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| There are few trees as dramatic as the chestnut |
Sissinghurst holds a particular fascination for me because of its association with one of my favourite authors, Virginia Woolf. Vita and Virginia were friends, and lovers, for many years. Vita was the inspiration for the incredible time travelling Orlando, a novel published by Virginia in 1928, and one that I have read at least ten times.
Having also devoured volumes of published correspondence between the two it was very affecting to explore this incredible garden.
Vita and Harold's relationship was unconventional in that over the course of their marriage he had male lovers and she had female ones, yet their mutual respect, affection and even love for each other were profound. Clearly they found a way to accommodate each other's needs in a society where such things had to be hidden away.
Vita's sanctuary was the 16th century tower which became her 'writing tower'. It's been preserved with some of Vita's personal possessions and it is easy to imagine her gazing out over the countryside for inspiration. I think if I owned Sissinghurst I'd be pretty inspired too...
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| The writing tower |
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| Vita Sackville-West's writing room, inside the tower |
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| The view over the Kent countryside, from the top of the writing tower |
Located in The Weald, which is an area that sits between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and South Downs, this really is beautiful countryside. It's more open country, not heavily wooded like our beloved Surrey, but the rolling hills and quaint villages surrounding Sissinghurst are simply gorgeous.
The estate abounds with charming cottages and walled gardens bursting with colour and structure. There's also a wild meadow and a moat.
We were fortunate to catch the last of the bluebells, and the formal gardens were at their spectacular spring peak.
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| Oast houses |
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| Alliums |
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| Cottage in the grounds of the garden |
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| The last of the bluebells in the woodlands surrounding Sissinghurst |
Our visit to Sissinghurst has given us a desire to explore Kent further. Once again we are feeling fortunate to live within an easy drive of such great beauty - we reached this gorgeous place in just over an hour from Epsom.
We're about to welcome several sets of visitors who are staying with us in the next month, and we'll also be catching up with other friends from Australia in London. It will be a busy time but we'll take great delight in showing friends our little corner of this green and pleasant land.
Until next time,
- Maree xo
