Summer 2024 visit - Batemens and Sissinghurst
Bateman’s - home of Rudyard Kipling from 1902 until his death in 1936
'That's She! The Only She! Make an honest woman of her - quick!' was how Rudyard Kipling and his wife, Carrie, felt the first time they saw Bateman's.Surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Sussex Weald, this 17th-century house, with its mullioned windows and oak beams, provided a much needed sanctuary to this world-famous writer and inspired his work.The rooms, described by him as 'untouched and unfaked', remain much as he left them, with oak furniture, Persian rugs and artefacts reflecting his strong association with India. Kipling wrote Puck of Pook’s Hill and Rewards and Fairies at Bateman's, which includes the poem ‘If’. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907.Bateman's is very much a family home that feels as though the Kiplings have just gone out for the day.
Sissinghurst Castle Garden - created by Vita Sackville-West Vita
Sackville-West, the poet and writer, began transforming Sissinghurst Castle in the 1930s with her diplomat and author husband, Harold Nicolson. Harold's architectural planning of the garden rooms, and the colourful, abundant planting in the gardens by Vita, reflect the romance and intimacy of her poems and writings.Sissinghurst Castle Garden was the backdrop for a diverse history; from the astonishing time as a prison in the 1700s, to being a home to the women’s land army. It was also a family home to some fascinating people who lived here or came to stay. We've undertaken research to find out more about Vita and Harold's original design and we are taking steps to recapture the vision that they had. Keep an eye out for changes we are making around the garden this year. Don't miss the vast panoramic views from the top of the Tower, the working farm and the 450-acre wider estate.Discover why Sissinghurst is famous as the epitome of the English garden and explore its series of garden rooms, each filled with different planting schemes and unique designs. Heralded for its beauty and diversity, the garden is a result of the creative tension between Harold Nicolson's formal design and the exuberant planting of Vita Sackville-West.
The White Garden
Wander through the White Garden for a refreshing contrast to the more colourful parts of the garden. Vita decided that only the colours of white, green, grey and silver were to be allowed to grow in this garden and it's now one of the most famous areas at Sissinghurst.
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Full details of the visit and booking arrangements are given in the attached file.
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