Sissinghurst Castle - National Trust

Sissinghurst Castle - National Trust Historic, poetic, iconic: a refuge dedicated to beauty. Historic, poetic, iconic; a refuge dedicated to beauty. We welcome feedback – both positive and negative.

Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and created a world renowned garden. House rules: ​

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It’s Volunteers’ Week! This week, we’re taking the time to celebrate the incredible work our volunteers do at Sissinghur...
01/06/2026

It’s Volunteers’ Week!

This week, we’re taking the time to celebrate the incredible work our volunteers do at Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

Every day, they give their time, care, love and enthusiasm to help make Sissinghurst the wonderful place that it is. We simply couldn’t do it without them.

So if you’re planning to visit us this week, do make sure to say hi to our volunteers and thank them for helping make every visit so special.

© National Trust Images / Hannah Rhodes

It’s Volunteers’ Week! This week, we’re taking the time to celebrate the incredible work our volunteers do at Sissinghur...
01/06/2026

It’s Volunteers’ Week!

This week, we’re taking the time to celebrate the incredible work our volunteers do at Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

Every day, they give their time, care, love and enthusiasm to help make Sissinghurst the wonderful place that it is. We simply couldn’t do it without them.

So if you're planning to visit us this week, do make sure to say hi to our volunteers and thank them for helping make every visit so special.

© National Trust Images / Hannah Rhodes

Outdoor theatre returns to Sissinghurst Castle 👇🎭Much Ado About Nothing There ain’t no party like a Shakespeare party… G...
31/05/2026

Outdoor theatre returns to Sissinghurst Castle 👇

🎭Much Ado About Nothing

There ain’t no party like a Shakespeare party… Glitz, glamour and scandal hit Messina in Changeling Theatre’s revival of Much Ado About Nothing.

Beatrice and Benedick swear they can’t stand each other. Hero and Claudio seem picture-perfect until a little drama crashes their party. Lurking behind the cocktails and confetti is one deliciously devious Don John stirring up trouble.

It’s sharp, it’s funny, it’s Shakespeare’s ultimate romcom with more twists, tunes and turns than you can shake a stick at.

Friday 7 August | 7pm - 9:30pm | From £15

🔗Visit nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst to book your tickets

© National Trust Images/Andrew Butler, Changeling Theatre

Happy Friday! Welcome to a  . I'm Charlotte Hayden and I'm delighted to take over Sissinghurst’s Facebook account today ...
29/05/2026

Happy Friday! Welcome to a . I'm Charlotte Hayden and I'm delighted to take over Sissinghurst’s Facebook account today with another look back at my Giverny trip (pictured).

Time with the propagation team, east and west teams of Le Clos Normand, and evenings spent wandering the garden, studying planting combinations and, of course, accumulating a healthy collection of notes and sketches.

Claire Hélène Marron (head of Clos Normand Ouest) offered a very kind invitation to Fêtes du Plantes at La Roche Guyon over the bank holiday weekend. The castle overlooks the Seine, as well as its own vast potager walled garden, created in 1697 (see slides 11-13). The plant fair was a joyous event - local growers of roses, herbaceous perennials, pond plants, tools and local produce all enveloped within the incredible castle setting.

Back to work in Monet's Garden on Monday, and it was evident since I had arrived the week before, just how much the planting had subtly shifted within a week; bearded and dutch irises had begun to take precedent, clouds of Silene dioica and Hesperis matronalis had become staples, as well as alliums which were punctuations throughout, including architectural Allium siculum ("Sicilian Honey Garlic"), beloved by bees.

Alongside deadheading the last of the tulips, irises, camassias and bluebells, I weeded between Tropaeolum majus - known as la capucine in France - to ensure the young plants had space to breathe amongst the planting (slide 8). They will later form a trailing river throughout the Grand Allée in summer - worth another visit to see in person. Later on in the week, summer bulb planting began, with placement based on eventual height in the border. Bulbs included crocosmia, lilies and Tigridia to name a few.

Before my time concluded in Giverny, I was keen to witness the garden during the later hours as much as possible - it truly is a beautiful space when the sun begins to set. Monet was a master of expressing light and shadow in his paintings, and one can imagine he saw his garden as a living painting too.

Signing off for now,
Charlotte

Early mornings at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. © National Trust Images/Cassie Dickson
28/05/2026

Early mornings at Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

© National Trust Images/Cassie Dickson

“The roses are coming out, and I hope everybody will take the opportunity of seeing as many of the old roses as possible...
27/05/2026

“The roses are coming out, and I hope everybody will take the opportunity of seeing as many of the old roses as possible.”

— ‘Let us Now Praise Famous Gardens’ by Vita Sackville-West

© National Trust Images/Cassie Dickson

📣'Sissinghurst and Greece': In Conversation 📆Thursday 4 June  🎟£15 Join us for an afternoon of expert-led talks in conne...
26/05/2026

📣'Sissinghurst and Greece': In Conversation
📆Thursday 4 June
🎟£15

Join us for an afternoon of expert-led talks in connection with our current exhibition 'Passion and Politics: Sissinghurst and Greece' (sponsored by The Centre for Hellenic Studies at King's College London).

Talk run times to be confirmed.

🏺'Venizelos and Sissinghurst' by Koraes Professor Gonda Van Steen: Examining the effect of Harold Nicolson's close relationship with Greek Prime Minister Venizelos on modern Greece and Sissinghurst Castle

🏺'A Political Humbug: the Delian Altars at Sissinghurst' by National Trust Curator Jerzy Kierkuc-Bielinski: Exploring the familial history behind the antique altars in the Delos garden at Sissinghurst

🔗To book your tickets, tap the link in this post or visit our webpage at nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst

Photo: Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West's photo album from Greece, dated 'April 5 - May 7 1935' © National Trust Images/Megan Taylor

The week is hotting up, as is the Cottage Garden with verbascum, poppies, irises and more, offering visitors a wonderful...
25/05/2026

The week is hotting up, as is the Cottage Garden with verbascum, poppies, irises and more, offering visitors a wonderful display of fiery hues.

All set against the backdrop of the South Cottage and its climbing rose ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’.

© National Trust Images/Cassie Dickson

Our Visitor Reception has been refreshed for spring with this beautiful The Little Greene Paint Company wallpaper inspir...
24/05/2026

Our Visitor Reception has been refreshed for spring with this beautiful The Little Greene Paint Company wallpaper inspired by our very own garden here at Sissinghurst.

The “Castle Garden” wallpaper, shown here in the Pale Lime, is inspired by the abundance of colourful planting set against the structured design of our garden rooms.

A bright tribute to our eclectic vibrancy.

A contribution from the sale of every roll of the wallpaper goes towards our conservation work.

Image credit: National Trust Images/Cassie Dickson (photos 2 and 3), Little Greene Paint Company (photo 1)

📣May Half-Term Trail📆23 - 31 May🎟Free with admissionEscape the sun and explore our shady lakeside routes with our free B...
23/05/2026

📣May Half-Term Trail
📆23 - 31 May
🎟Free with admission

Escape the sun and explore our shady lakeside routes with our free Butterfly Trail.

Follow the map to find some of the most common species found on site.

What will you find? 🦋

🔗For more things to see and do during May Half-Term, tap the link in our bio

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Biddenden Road
Cranbrook
TN172AB

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