Explore autumn at Sissinghurst Castle Garden

An Autumnal garden

When Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson set about creating the garden at Sissinghurst in the 1930's, they had a fairly clear divide for the work; Harold took up the structure of the garden and Vita brought it to life with her planting. Looking back, it's clear to see that it was a masterstroke from the pair who were clearly playing to each other's strengths.

Vita was very keen to provide a garden that had interest throughout most of the year. To do this she created different garden rooms with seasonal planting which provided moments of colour from spring through to autumn. This legacy of planting serves the present day garden very well with seasonal flourishes that last until the end of autumn.

The Cottage garden

The cottage garden is one such room, it was designed to be a spectacle in the late season. It starts to shine in the late summer and carries through to September and October with rich tones of golden yellows and fiery oranges. The cottage garden also has the first rose that Vita planted at Sissinghurst, 'Madame Alfred Carrière' which leans up against the south side of the south cottage.

Purple border

The purple border was renewed in 2018 with vibrant blues and purples. This border which runs alongside the outer wall of the Delos garden comes into it's own during the early autumn and provides a contrast to some of the other colours in the garden.

Woodland walks

The estate is a great place to be during the autumn months. There's wildlife in abundance from cows in the fields to smaller creatures hiding in the woodland. However, it's not only wildlife that flourish at this time of year but also the woodland itself. The trees make for a canopy of yellows, browns and reds which add an extra special touch to our estate walks. In the wider estate our tenant farmer is hard at work harvesting the fields which makes for a great view across the low Wealden landscape. 

Views, vistas and photography

With such a diverse estate of parkland, woodland, wetland and farmland there're some great opportunities to take a wide variety of pictures. Here are just a few ideas that might make for a great picture, let us know what your favourite spot is and if you found some of your own.

• The top of the Vegetable Garden - Not only a great place to have a picnic if the sun is shining but it's a truly jaw dropping view at any time of the year with a far reaching view across the low wealden landscape.
• Lake Field - Aptly named as its the field that sits just next to the upper side of the lakes. There're lots of great angles to capture a perfect nature scene across the lakes which is brimming with wildife which changes throughout the seasons.
• Park Field - The large field that sits alongside the drive has a great view back toward the top of the tower.
• The wetland boardwalk - Nestled with in the foliage next to one of the lakes is a marshy wetland that can be navigated via a boardwalk. This area makes for a great photo with its rich biodiversity and views back across the lake.

If you need help finidng any of these areas just pop into visitor reception before you set off and they'll point you in the right direction. If you'd prefer to explore by yourself then a take a look at our walks below to take in the autumnal sights.

Sissinghurst Welcome Leaflet 2019 (PDF / 1.8MB) download