The tower at Sissinghurst Castle
Ravenswood W.I. visit to Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens, 27th April, 2012.
In a week of exceptionally stormy and wet weather, we were very lucky to choose the one day which was bright and warm for our outing to Sissinghurst Castle. We arrived for our historical and horticultural day to find a farmers' market in full swing on the front lawn, much to the delight of one or two of our members, who couldn't resist a bit of shopping.
In due course, we set off on our "Bluebell" walk around the estate. We didn't see many bluebells, but we did meet three gorgeous pigs and enjoyed some lovely views across the Kentish countryside! We returned to the Barn for a pleasant lunch before entering the garden and castle and were lucky to encounter at the entrance a guide who was about to start a talk on "The Influence of Queen Elizabeth I on Sissinghurst Castle". It was very interesting to learn about the history of Sissinghurst, from its original building, the impact that Queen Elizabeth's visit had, its time as a prisoner of war camp during the Seven Years War, later as a poor house, and eventually to its purchase by Vita Sackville West and subsequent blossoming as a working farm. Vita and her husband Harold Nicholson designed and created what is now an internationally acclaimed garden. We visited the White Garden, the Hot Garden, the Pleached Lime Walk, the herb garden, the Library Room, and popped in at the Plant Sales shop on the way back to the car park.
For a slideshow of pictures from our visit see below
In a week of exceptionally stormy and wet weather, we were very lucky to choose the one day which was bright and warm for our outing to Sissinghurst Castle. We arrived for our historical and horticultural day to find a farmers' market in full swing on the front lawn, much to the delight of one or two of our members, who couldn't resist a bit of shopping.
In due course, we set off on our "Bluebell" walk around the estate. We didn't see many bluebells, but we did meet three gorgeous pigs and enjoyed some lovely views across the Kentish countryside! We returned to the Barn for a pleasant lunch before entering the garden and castle and were lucky to encounter at the entrance a guide who was about to start a talk on "The Influence of Queen Elizabeth I on Sissinghurst Castle". It was very interesting to learn about the history of Sissinghurst, from its original building, the impact that Queen Elizabeth's visit had, its time as a prisoner of war camp during the Seven Years War, later as a poor house, and eventually to its purchase by Vita Sackville West and subsequent blossoming as a working farm. Vita and her husband Harold Nicholson designed and created what is now an internationally acclaimed garden. We visited the White Garden, the Hot Garden, the Pleached Lime Walk, the herb garden, the Library Room, and popped in at the Plant Sales shop on the way back to the car park.
For a slideshow of pictures from our visit see below