Knole

Important notice -

The outdoor spaces only at Knole are open for local visitors to access for walks. The Brewhouse Café and toilets are closed. You will need to book in advance to use the car park. Keep a safe distance from the wild deer; do not approach or feed them.

Be part of a 400 year history of visiting Knole

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More about this place

Knole Park in Kent

What to expect from your visit to Knole this spring 

The Brewhouse Café and toilet facilities are closed due to overcrowding and a lack of compliance with government guidelines on social distancing. They will reopen on Monday 8 March. Knole House, the Gatehouse Tower, Orangery, Visitor Centre, shop, bookshop and courtyards are also closed in line with government guidelines. These spaces will reopen over the coming weeks.

National Trust members can use the car park for free and non-members can pay to park. We can only guarantee entry if you have pre-booked. If you don't have tickets please don't turn into the main drive. We recommend you use the multi-storey car park nearby in Sevenoaks town centre (TN13 1LW). We advise visitors to follow government guidelines on travel.

Due to dangerous and obstructive parking, Kent County Council have introduced parking restrictions in local roads around Knole Park which are currently in force until May. Please park considerately and avoid using residential roads.

The wild deer can be aggressive so take care – do not feed or touch the deer; walk away from them. Please help us keep the deer safe and the park clean by taking your litter home.

Upcoming events

See all events

Timed car parking at Knole (1 Mar - 7 Mar)

Thu 04 Mar 2021
10:00-15:00
Book your timed car parking at Knole.
Dog walking

Walking your dog at Knole 

Knole is a popular place for dog walking and there are just a few rules to follow to keep everyone safe, including the wild deer herd. Have a quick read of our pointers on dog walking at Knole before you set off.

The deer rut season at Knole in October

Wild deer herd at Knole 

The deer at Knole are owned and managed by the Sackville family's Knole Estate. Whilst National Trust doesn’t manage the herd, or the entirety of the park, it’s important to us that our visitors have the best experience possible, so here are some do’s and don’ts.

Take a virtual tour of Knole

Elaborate grey pannelled walls and a huge detailed marble fireplace line the walls alongside portraits of the Sackville family. In the middle of the room are piece of gilded furniture

The collection at Knole 

Take a virtual tour through Knole's showrooms to see one of the rarest collections of Stuart royal furniture, paintings, objects and textiles.

A long, narrow attic room stretches ahead, with wooden floorboards, a window at the far end, patched walls and trunks and chairs lined up against one side wall

The attics at Knole 

Take a virtual tour and discover the fascinating stories hidden in Knole’s attics, including furniture, graffiti and witchmarks.

Eddy Sackville West's bedroom in the Gatehouse Tower, including brass bedstead with white counterpane, blue armchair, blue shelves filled with books, tapestries and pictures on the walls

The Gatehouse Tower at Knole 

Take a virtual tour of the Gatehouse Tower, including climbing the spiral staircase for panoramic views over the medieval parkland.

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Knole

Eating and shopping

Visiting Knole this spring

matt scone

The Brewhouse Café at Knole 

Due to overcrowding and a lack of compliance with government guidelines on social distancing the Brewhouse Café is closed. It will reopen on Monday 8 March offering takeaway service only.

A display of cosy rugs on the central table in the shop

Shopping at Knole  

The shop at Knole is currently closed in line with government guidance. It will reopen on Monday 12 April. We look forward to welcoming you in once more to browse the shop in it's new location in Green Court.

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Knole

History

Knole's enormous Great Hall with checkered black and white tiled floor, red walls, wooden carved panels and moulded plaster ceiling

A brief history of Knole 

Knole is full of treasures and was designed to impress its visitors. Originally an archbishop’s palace, the house passed through royal hands to the Sackville family – Knole’s inhabitants from 1603 to today.

Elaborate grey pannelled walls and a huge detailed marble fireplace line the walls alongside portraits of the Sackville family. In the middle of the room are piece of gilded furniture

The collection at Knole 

Take a virtual tour through Knole's showrooms to see one of the rarest collections of Stuart royal furniture, paintings, objects and textiles.

A portrait of Lady Arabella Cope wearing a dark dress, white neck ruff, red beret style hat with large pompom style decoration, surrounded by a gilt frame

Women and power 

Women weave a fascinating and rich thread throughout Knole's tale. Often wealthy and powerful in their own right, they left their mark on the house and its land, a legacy that remains with us today.

The Golden Idol from a set of the Story of Nebuchadnezzar tapestry at Knole

Knole's tapestries 

Knole is home to some of the finest 17th century Flemish and other tapestries on display. Many have been in the Sackville family for more than three centuries.

A collection of Stuart era chairs and footstools upholstered in blue and red patterns sit against a dark paneled wood wall hung with portraits in gilt frames of well known royal court personalities from the Tudor and Stuart eras

Knole's furniture 

Knole is home to some of the last surviving furniture from Whitehall and Hampton Court Palaces, among the most expensive status objects of their time.

A sumptuous four-poster bed hung with golden coloured drapes sits in a plush bedroom with tapestries on the wall, Stuart era chairs, portrait over a fireplace and silver mirrors on the walls

Knole's state beds 

The three state beds at Knole are some of the most significant surviving pieces of royal furniture in Britain.

Portrait of Eddy Sackville-West by Barbara Ker-Seymer, c.1930

Exploring LGBTQ history at Knole 

Knole has been home to and shaped by people who challenged conventional ideas of gender and sexuality. Discover their stories and the challenges they faced.

Oil painting on canvas, Victoria (Vita) Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson (1892-1962) by Philip Alexius de László de Lombos

Vita Sackville-West and Knole 

Discover Vita Sackville-West's connection to Knole; her colourful life and her literary legacy as a poet, novelist, gardener, biographer and journalist.

A close-up of Lady Anne Clifford's portrait - a pale face with brown eyes, dark brown hair wearing a golden ruff round her neck

The melancholy chronicles of Lady Anne Clifford 

One of the most well recorded feminine contributions to Knole was that of Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676), who wrote a series of diaries during the period she lived at Knole.

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Knole

Our work

A table set with artists' materials including paints, pigments and a palette and palette knife

Discover The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio at Knole 

Take a look inside The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio at Knole and see conservation in action on objects from National Trust properties around the UK. Visit their website to find out more about when the studio is open.

A long, narrow attic room stretches ahead, with wooden floorboards, a window at the far end, patched walls and trunks and chairs lined up against one side wall

The attics at Knole 

Take a virtual tour and discover the fascinating stories hidden in Knole’s attics, including furniture, graffiti and witchmarks.

A series of witchmarks discovered in a room built to accommodate James I at Knole, a National Trust property in Kent, have been dated to the months immediately following the Gunpowder Plot.

Witchmarks at Knole and the Gunpowder Plot 

A series of witchmarks, believed to ward off evil spirits, were discovered in a room built to accommodate King James I at Knole following the Gunpowder Plot.

A grand staircase richly decorated with painted walls displaying the Five Senses, Seven Virtues & Four Ages of Man, with a large carved wooden leopard sitting on top of a stairpost

Sackville leopards on the loose 

Back in 2016, the striking carved leopards from the Great Staircase at Knole were removed during conservation work.

A huge four poster bed with rich red drapes and hangings, a large marble fireplace in the background surrounded by dark wood paneling, colourful tapestries on the walls and matching red footstools and chairs

Dismantling the Spangled Bed 

In July 2017 the glorious, 400-year-old Spangled Bed was taken apart to be sent away for conservation. Find just what it took to conserve this enormous bed.

Three letters dating back to the seventeenth century have been discovered under the floorboards at Knole in Kent.

Seventeenth century letters discovered at Knole 

Many amazing discoveries were made during the Inspired by Knole project, including three letters dating back to the seventeenth century hidden under the floorboards at Knole.

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Knole

Learning

A group of school children dressed in school uniform stand gazing upwards at the ceiling in the Great Hall, a dark oak pannelled room with elaborate plaster ceiling

Learning with Knole 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we aren’t currently able to go ahead or take bookings for any school visits. If you have any concerns or queries, please email our Learning Team who will be able to respond to you as soon as possible.

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Knole

Art and collections

Our collections

Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Knole on the National Trust Collections website

Search the collections
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