Knole...built
between 1456 and 1486, by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1566 the Queen
presented the house and estate to her cousin Thomas Sackville, who again remodelled and
enlarged it and whose family have lived in it ever since.
The only daughter of the 3rd Lord Sackville
was a writer. Vita Sackville- West created the garden at Sissinghurst. The house could not
be handed down to her because it had to go to a male thus the present holder of the title
is her first cousin, the 4th Lord Sackville.
I think the most impressive room in the whole
house is the King's Room where the Silver Furniture is...the Kings Bed which is over 300
years old is laid with a silver and gold thread spread, along with the drapes that
surround the bed - it is truly something. The silver furniture is almost as rare as the
bed. The 16 piece toilet set on the dressing table were made in 1673.
This was a very large house and is quite
unique...there are seven courtyards, 52 staircases and 365 rooms.
There are a couple of pictures here showing
the outside of Knole, with it's park like setting. There are deer in the park as this is
on some 1000 acres and there was a lot of hunting in bygone days. You are now in the Green
Court and from there you go through the arch with the clock and enter the Stone Court -
the rain water pipes themselves are all unique and built in 1605.
Glass was once made here as well...they would
sell the wood from the Park and two years later the glass makers would come back with
glass that would be installed in the windows...this dates back to 1585.
The Garden itself was not open, but we did
get glimpses of it as we walked around the Kentish ragstone wall. It is 26 acres and
wholly enclosed. The gates are from William III. The plan of the garden has changed little
from 1710, which included a wood known as the Wilderness, with winding mossy paths and
many bluebells. The more formal part is laid out with shrub borders and orchards.
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