Sissinghurst Castle Garden

I had high expectations and Sissinghurst Castle Gardens exceeded them! Cannot recommend a visit to this special garden enough, especially at this time of year (May). Abundant, romantic, and thoughtful plantings that are beautiful and differ from one outdoor “room” to the next. I also recommend taking the walk around the castle grounds that leads to the ponds and woodland. My children really enjoyed that space. PS good restaurant and gift shop too

A beautiful place with intricate narrow geometrical paths guiding you through formal gardens bursting with abundant flowers and verdant foliage. Then there are informal woodland areas that let you relax into the unstructured escapism of rural life. A new addition is a Mediterranean-inspired garden. Also, the buildings are full of charm and beauty, including a row of large bold oast houses. And the impressive tower provides panoramic views across the countryside. The restaurant food is good and the staff are very friendly. It's a great place to escape to.

A remarkably beautiful garden, full of surprises. I recommend setting aside a full day to visit the house and garden. The coffee shop serves delicious coffees, and the restaurant menu is enticing. The pet and garden shop is full of cute ideas, theres a second-hand bookshop, and you can buy freshly harvested organic vegetables from their very own garden. A walk through the vegetable garden and apple orchard is not to be missed, followed by a quiet period in the bird hide. Vita Sackville West, the co-creator with her husband Norman, of the stunning garden, has a fascinating life story.

Beautiful gardens. We visited on a hot day in July and it was glorious. There are lots of different areas of colour and interest. Perfect to wander or sit for a while enjoying the splendour and end with a visit to the shops and coffee and sausage roll in the cafe.

A beautiful estate to take a leisurely walk around. The main grounds are home to the Sissinghurst castle tower, the house, the gardens and other adaptations to the grounds over the past decades. You can learn about the history of the buildings and grounds from the staff and several informative boards.

Such an amazing garden to walk and enjoy. We spent four hours walking through each section, including a long hike around the lakes. The cafe offers different types of food and drinks to enjoy.

Beautifully laid out gardens to walk through and enjoy both the colours and fragrances. It’s also worth a climb to the top of the tower to see the view although quite tough on the thighs.

Plenty of parking that stretches quite a way from the entrance. £4 to park. £19 each for entrance so not an inexpensive day out. We had refreshments at the tearoom and lunch in the restaurant. Food and service was ok, gardens snd architecture interesting.

Visited Sissinghurst during the Easter heatwave. The flowers and wildlife were beautiful. Set all around the idyllic garden, the borders were full of vibrant bursts of life. We were greeted by friendly parking stewards when we first arrived and were directed to the correct place. Being NT members, parking and admission was free. To make sure people have payed, each person is given a small coin with the inscription 'Sissinghurst Garden Shilling' to get into the garden. The tower is quite a climb, and the stairs are fairly narrow, but you wouldn't regret climbing it when you see the mesmerising views. Overall, I would recommend Sissinghurst to anyone looking for a great day out.

Designed by Vita Sackville-West, artful techniques from propagating to pruning are unveiled in a visit to this renowned landscape. Evidently Sissinghurst began as a pig farm then transformed to a manor house with a moat, a magnificent Renaissance home with 37 fireplaces, a prison, a poor house, and in 1932 was purchased by Vita and her husband who created this world-renowned garden. It was raining the day we visited, yet the views of the countryside from the top of the tower were spectacular. Stepping into Vita's writing room and listening to audio tapes of her speaking, shed light on the times and her passions. Plants are sold at the shops as are books and garden related ornaments. Sissinghurst is a working farm with pigs, sheep, and cattle and even the hops oast. Since it was November when I visited, I didn't get to witness the landscape in all its colorful glory, but greatly appreciated the architecture and design of the gardens. Sissinghurst is part of the National Trust and cottages can be rented. Part of the lure of Sissinghurst is the relationship between Virigina Wolfe and her dear friend Vita.