Sissinghurst Castle
History
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Sissinghurst in the early 1930s
Sissinghurst in the early 1930s
This is a remarkable view of Sissinghurst Castle in the early 1930s. It shows how the buildings sit in the middle of a working farm. Look out for the old orchards behind the tower and note how much denser the woodland was then. The farmland was used to grow wheat, graze livestock and grow fruit and hops.
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The Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army
During the Second World War shorthorn cattle were milked in the dairy on the Sissinghurst Castle farm. The herds were managed by members of the Women’s Land Army (WLA) who used to get up at 5.30am to milk the cows. Here is a photo of Molly Carr, a member of the WLA who worked for Vita at Sissinghurst.
© National Trust
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Vita and a group of her 'shillingses'
Vita and a group of her 'shillingses'
The garden at Sissinghurst Castle opened to the public in the late 1930s. The admission fee was 1 shilling, hence Vita's name for visitors to the garden - shillingses. Visitors would often leave their admission charge in an old tobacco tin on a table under the entrance archway.
© National Trust
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Sissinghurst in the 1940s
Sissinghurst in the 1940s
Here's a photograph of the library at Sissinghurst Castle as it would have appeared in the 1940s. Prior to its conversion, this large, long room formed part of the Castle's stables. This room wasn't used often by Vita and Harold unless they had important and grand guests.
© National Trust
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Sissinghurst in the 1950s
Sissinghurst in the 1950s
This picture, taken in the 1950s from Sissinghurst's tower shows how it was a working farm with a yard and machinery all over the site. Several of the buildings in this picture no longer exist whilst those that remain have a completely different use today.
© National Trust
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Visiting for 70 years
Visiting for 70 years
Sissinghurst Castle's garden has been attracting visitors for 70 years. Here Vita describes some detail of her work in the rose garden to some interested visitors. She adored animals, in particular Alsatian dogs who went everywhere with her.
© National Trust
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The last private owners of Sissinghurst
The last private owners of Sissinghurst
Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson were the last private owners of Sissinghurst Castle. Here they are sitting outside the South Cottage. After Vita's death in 1962, Harold decided that Vita's beloved Sissinghurst should be given over to the care of the National Trust. We started managing it in 1967.
© National Trust
How the estate has changed over time
Sissinghurst Castle's past is a complicated one; spanning many centuries, monarchs and uses.
Here's a brief glimpse into the past of one of the most intriguing places in the Weald of Kent.
How Sissinghurst became a castle
This picture is believed to have been painted by one of the prisoners
Sissinghurst Castle was used as a prison for up to 3,000 French sailors who were captured by the British during the Seven Years War. Held for months at a time in vile, stinking conditions, the prisoners lived in 'cells' with little access to fresh air, clean water or adequate food supplies.
This picture above is a remarkable insight into what the site would have looked like in the 17th century. The original painting is on display here at Sissinghurst, as is a fascinating new exhibition about the life and times of the prisoners.