50 things to do before you're 11¾ at Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Children climbing a tree in the grounds of Mottisfont, Hampshire.

We've got loads of open parkland and woodland which are perfect for family adventuring, which means there's plenty of opportunity to tick off some of your 50 things during your visit. Take a look below at some of the best ones to do while you're here at Sissinghurst.

A girls sit in a den made of sticks

Wood work

No.4 - Build a den and No.12 - Make a trail with sticks. Take a wander down to our den building area near the lakes, there's plenty of sticks there for you to create your own den masterpiece. Why not grab a few of the smaller straight sticks and create arrows along the paths, try and make it as windy as you can.

Man and two children playing a grass trumpet

Make a grass trumpet

No. 25 - Make a grass trumpet. As you're making your way around the estate, keep an eye out for a large wide blade of grass, these make the best sound.

Child in red wellies splashing in puddle

Rainy day fun

No.6 - Run around in the rain and No.13 - Make a mud pie. There's still lots of fun to find on a rainy day, with plenty of space you can run around in your wellies and make yourself a mud pie in the woodlands.

Hughenden Bug Hunting 3

Bug hunting

No.31 - Hunt for bugs. With all the miniature wildlife that call Sissinghurst home there's a great chance that you'll find some bugs in our woodlands. Make sure to look under rocks, in muddy areas and mossy logs.

Family walking by the river

The Dragonfly Trail  

Enjoy a day of family fun as you trail our dragonfly while covering vegetable gardens, gardens, woodlands and lakes. There's lots of fun activities for you to try along the way as well as finding out about the key conservation work which helps protect our estate. Pick a map up from visitor reception when you arrive to begin your adventure.

Upcoming events

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Gardening Women

Fri 21 Sep 2018
11:00-17:00
This exhibition, co-curated by Dr Catherine Horwood, using her book, Gardening Women, explores how gardening became a profession for women.

Early bird walk

Sat 06 Oct 2018
07:00-09:00
Well worth the early start, a great opportunity to see and hear the many species of birds with our guided estate walk, and don't forget those walking boots and binoculars. After the walk you can warm up with a breakfast treat in the restaurant.

Beatrix Potter's Garden

Sat 27 Oct 2018
11:00-17:00
An exhibition exploring the inspirations of the world famous author of the original Peter Rabbit Books ™ with items on loan from the Frederick Warne Archive.

Festive Market

Sat 24 Nov 2018
10:30-15:00
Kick start your Christmas shopping at Sissinghurst this November with our festive market returning on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 November between 10.30am and 3pm.

Christmas lunches

Sat 01 Dec 2018
12:00-14:30
Treat yourself to a Christmas lunch after a walk or tour or taking a look at our exhibitions.