Knole House

A bright sunny day, so what better way to spend it than out in the country.   Well, only just out in the country, as Knole House is in Sevenoaks, which is less than an hour on the bus from Bromley.   But it feels as if it it miles away from the hustle and bustle of London.

Sevenoaks is quite a pretty little town, with lots of little shops and a small market hidden round the back of the High Street.   The Post Office shuts at 12.30 on Saturdays, and the last bus going back towards London leaves at 4.50 p.m., although the trains obviously continue to run a lot later.   The bus station is small, but it does have one advantage mover many larger ones - a very good cafe which sells excellent food at very reasonable prices.   Getting down to Sevenoaks just after eleven - the bus was slightly late - we had an early lunch (or was ito a late brakfast?) before going to Knole House, which is in a huge park just off the High Street.

Knole House has been around for a very long time - since the late 15th century in fact, when the Archbishop of Canterbury decided Sevenoaks would be a good place for a really super palace and deer park, the sort of place that befitted an Archbishop of Canterbury in those days.

Several archbishops followed him in living there, before one kindly donated the house to Henry VIII.
It subsequently came into the hands of the Sackville family, by somewaht devious means (corruption isn't just a modern activity among the rich and powerful!), and remained in their hands until it was taken over by the National Trust - a member of the Sackville family still lives there on a 200 year lease.

The Sackvilles made a lot of improvements to the house during their 400 year occupation, extending it and filling its rooms with paintings, tapestries, china, furniture, etc. so that today it is a treasure trove of beautiful things, including many from the Royal palaces, as one of the Sackvilles had authority to dispose of any no longer wanted items.   Not surprisingly, rather a lot ended up at Knole House!

Knole House has only had one female owner in it's entire history; since no-one was able to find any male heirs, however distant, it went to a daughter.   When she married a Mr. West, his surname was added to make them Sackville Wests, which they remain to this day.

Vita Sackville West was brought up at Knole House, and lived there until she married Harold Nicholson.   An exhibition in the Orangery looks at her life - which was a far more interesting one than most of us could boast of.   She loved Knole House, and was always disappointed that, as a daughter, she was not able to inherit it when her father died.

There is a short history of the house near the ticket office, and also a short film, which is made even more interesting by the beautiful voice of the presenter - one could sit and listen to him for hours.

How can one sum up Knole House?   It's large, it's full of room after room of absolutely beautiful things, and it'sset in an enormous park with herds of deer peacefully grazing.   The perfect spot for a sunny day out.