An unconventional couple: Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson

An historic home

The writer Vita Sackville-West always felt she belonged at her lavish ancestral home: Knole, in Kent. She was distraught that as a woman, she couldn't inherit it.

When she married the diplomat Harold Nicolson, though, they found another historic place in the weald of Kent: Sissinghurst Castle, a magnificent collection of Tudor buildings and a sprawling farm, all of which had long been neglected. Vita and Harold bought it in 1930 and dedicated the following years to making it their home.

A mutual understanding 

Vita and Harold formed a genuinely loving partnership and a marriage that lasted until Vita's death in 1962. Yet their letters and biographies reveal that both Vita and Harold had numerous same-sex relationships during their life together. On Vita’s part this included some very serious relationships – most famously, those with Violet Trefusis and Virginia Woolf. 

Their marriage was the foundation of their life together, offering both constancy and freedom for them both to pursue their same-sex desires. 

A labour of love

Vita and Harold transformed the grounds at Sissinghurst into the spectacular gardens which now attract thousands of visitors every year.

It was a labour of love, which Vita and Harold planned together down to the finest detail. The legacy of their work surrounds you when you visit, from the meticulous planting and unfolding garden 'rooms' to the heady, romantic rose garden.