Route: Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Area: Kent
Date of walk: 12th June 2025
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.1 miles
Ascent: negligible
Weather: Sunny and very warm
Having visited one of England’s most famous gardens, Great Dixter earlier today we made a short 20 minute journey to another – Sissinghurst Castle Garden, managed by the National Trust
The site began life as a Saxon pig farm and soon developed into a small moated manor house. Over the centuries it was gradually improved but then fell into a state of disrepair. It was a derelict ruin when the writer Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat husband Harold Nicholson bought Sissinghurst Castle in 1930. They devoted the next 30 years into transforming the run down farmstead, to the extent that Sissinghurst Castle Garden is now one of the most significant and influential in the world
We walked through the arch under the Big Room, which houses the library, and then made our way around the various compartments of the garden, including the Rose Garden, The Herb Garden, The Orchard, The Cottage Garden and the well known White Garden, which was looking spectacular. The garden views were enhanced by the surrounding buildings dating back to Elizabethan times. Along the way we entered into the Tower and climbed up its narrow spiral staircase, passing by Vita Sackville-West’s writing room. From the top of the Tower there are wonderful views over the gardens and surrounding landscape
A free map is handed out at the entrance and this suggests two walks around the estate, one which is 3 miles long and another shorter one of about 1 mile which leads to the lakes. We followed the latter today. I’ve not shown this on the routes map as a free map of the estate is handed out at the entrance (click here for a copy, which also contains a garden plan)
The short walk brought us back to the start, and the end of our visit to this magical place
Click on the icon below icon for a map showing the location of Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Meadows in front of Sissinghurst Castle as we walk to the entrance...
We pass by the oast houses, now an exhibition space
We walk to the entrance
Inside the courtyard
The 16th century Tower, which we'll visit at the end of the walk
We enter into the Rose Garden
Looking towards South Cottage
Views of The Tower from the Cottage Garden...
South Cottage, which was converted in the early 1930s from the ruins of Sissinghurst’s Elizabethan manor house
We pass by The Tower
Entrance to the White Garden
The White Garden and Priest's House
Delos, one of the garden rooms created by Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West after a visit to the Greek island of that name
We walk through the Orchard
The Pavilion, built in 1969 by the sons of Harold Nicholson...
We walk back through the orchard meadow to The Tower...
As we climb the 78 steps to the top of The Tower, we pass by the Writing Room where Vita Sackville-West once worked
View from The Tower, looking over The Orchard and South Cottage
The Rose Garden
The White Garden
The entrance and the oast houses. We descend the steps and make our way back to the start
A final look back to Sissinghurst Castle at the end of a wonderful visit
