Planning Your Visit

Between 2nd and 31st August 2025, we are trialling timed entry into the garden, which includes access to the Big Room (Library) and Tower.

Timed entry helps protect the long-term health of our historic garden by reducing the impact of high footfall during peak periods.

Concentrated visitor numbers can lead to soil compaction, damage to borders, and stress on both the garden and our staff.

This trial aims to spread visits more evenly throughout the day while maintaining our overall daily capacity.

Please note that access to all other areas of the site including the car park, shops, cafe and restaurant, exhibition space, and the wider estate is not affected.

No. Visitors do not need to book tickets in advance for entry or for the car park, even during the timed entry period.

Booking in advance is not required, as per usual.

Once visitors have scanned their membership cards or paid for entry at Visitor Reception, they will receive a ticket with a 30-minute entry time on it.

Visitors can enter the garden at any point during this 30-minute period. The ticket will be collected by a volunteer at the garden entrance. Once inside the garden, visitors can stay for as long as they like.

This trial affects when visitors enter the garden, not how many. By spacing out arrivals, we hope to offer a more enjoyable experience for everyone during one of our busiest periods.

2 miles north-east of Cranbrook, 1 mile east of Sissinghurst village on Biddenden Road, off A262. Keep a look out and follow for the National Trust brown signs, we are on the left if coming from Sissinghurst village and on the right if coming from Biddenden and Headcorn, there are black signs before the turning for our driveway.

Sat Nav: Look out and follow for the National Trust brown signs, the sat nav may take you to the wrong address. The turning for Sissinghurst Castle Garden is on the left from Sissinghurst village and on the right when coming from Biddenden and Headcorn, there are black signs just before the turning for our drive on both sides.

For full details and directions via other means of transport, please see our 'Getting here' tab here.

On-site parking and accessible parking bays are available. Please note that our overflow car parking is not in operation during the wet winter months.

Parking is free for National Trust members and blue badge holders.

Membership cards must be scanned at Visitor Reception to obtain your entry ticket. When you do this, it also means Sissinghurst Castle Garden receives extra money from our general funds to spend on improvements.

There is a standard £4 car parking charge for non-National Trust members. This will cover your visit for the entire day and can be paid at Visitor Reception or in cash upon arrival in the car park.

On days where we experience busy periods, we may need to close for short spells to allow enough parking spaces to clear.

At busy times, our car park team may guide visitors to parking spaces to ease congestion too.

Our overflow car parking is not in operation during the winter months and periods of heavy wet weather.

Please check Sissinghurst's homepage for updates on the car park ahead of your travels.

Yes. All funds received are reinvested into Sissinghurst Castle Garden to help maintain pathways and facilities. We are grateful for our visitors for helping to look after the places that we love.

If you are a National Trust member and plan to just walk your dog, we ask that you still scan your membership cards at Visitor Reception for this reason.

Yes. All visitors must have an entry ticket before entering the garden which also includes the Big Room (Library) and Tower. Our entry tickets resemble bookmarks and can be obtained at Visitor Reception by either scanning National Trust membership cards or by purchasing entry.

Please keep a hold of your ticket during your visit as you will be asked to show this to a volunteer steward by the hut at the garden entrance every time you enter the garden.

There is a recommended accessible route through the garden for wheelchair users as some pathways lead to steps, narrow sections or 'dead ends' for turning.

Please note that all pathways are narrow due to the historic structure of the garden and uneven terrain can be found throughout.

For ease, speak to a member of our team upon arrival for a map of the recommended accessible route or for clarity of direction.

Due to the narrow pathways, pushchairs and wheeled toys are unfortunately not allowed in the garden. We kindly ask that those who are able to use other means to get around the garden, such as hands-free baby carriers instead of pushchairs, do so.

We kindly ask that all food and drink is enjoyed outside of the garden for conservation purposes. Visitors can enjoy their meals in the Cafe, Restaurant and the picnic areas next to the Vegetable Garden and in the orchard at the top of the car park.

On hot days, visitors are encouraged to stay hydrated in all areas of the site during their visit.

Please note the lawns in the garden close during the winter season and occasionally during extensive wet periods.

In warmer weather, the lawns may remain closed in order to manage excessive footfall over them and to preserve their general health.

During select times of the year, sections of our pathways may also be roped off to allow the garden team to carry out essential work.

While we aim to complete this work outside of visitor hours, this is not always possible.

Assistance dogs only are allowed inside the garden.

Visitors wishing to walk their dogs around the grounds can enjoy routes across our estate.

Photography for personal use is allowed and encouraged.

Photography for commercial use, including wedding, engagement, and portrait photoshoots, must be approved ahead of time through our team at filmoffice@nationaltrust.org.uk or at sissinghurst@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Due to narrow pathways and intermittent closures of lawns, tripods are not allowed inside the garden.

For more information, please visit our page on Photographic Access.

The National Trust does not usually authorise personal drone flying on its land and or properties in order to preserve the special nature of these places.

For more information, please visit our page on Drone Flying.

The buggy service is in operation during our peak months between March and October only, due to limited volunteer availability.

The route usually covers the car park, Visitor Reception, shops, Restaurant and the garden entrance. This buggy does not go inside the garden.

Yes, there are a select number of wheelchairs available to hire for free on site.

These must be booked in advance. Visitors wishing to book a wheelchair ahead of their visit can do so by emailing sissinghurst@nationaltrust.org.uk or calling us on 01580 710700.

There is uneven terrain around site, and a step free route around the garden, restaurant and shops. More information on this route can be obtained upon arrival at Visitor Reception or at the garden entrance.

You can download a map of the step free route around the garden here.

Visitors are welcome to use a pushchair on site, but please note they are not allowed in the garden and collection spaces due to narrow pathways, limited step-free access, and the historic nature of the site.

There is uneven terrain around the site which may not be completely accessible to pushchairs.

We encourage visitors to bring and use their own baby carriers if they are able.

Visitors can leave their pushchairs in the designated area behind Visitor Reception.

All food and drink must be enjoyed outside of the garden for conservation purposes.

We have a picnic area next to our Vegetable Garden which overlooks the Wealden countryside. The picnic area has plenty of benches, including sheltered seating areas, and space for children to explore.

There is also a smaller picnic area at the top of the car park.

Yes. These areas are located in both toilets by Visitor Reception (not including the accessible toilet) and in the women's toilet at Granary Restaurant.

We unfortunately do not offer visitors baby carriers but encourage visitors to bring their own.

Visit our Family article to see our full seasonal offers throughout the year.

You can also:

• Spot the fairy doors hiding in the trees along our woodland walks.
• Explore our lake walk and longer hiking trails (if you’re feeling adventurous!).
• Find the tree hollow in the sheep fields where you can explore under exposed roots.
• Take a break and play in the Dragon’s Den-building area.
• Get a seasonal spotter sheet from Visitor Reception to explore Sissinghurst’s habitats.
• Find a story for the whole family to enjoy at the Second-hand bookshop.
• Our shop carries a full range of children’s toys and products.

Although dogs are not allowed inside the garden and vegetable garden, visitors can walk their dogs on leads around the wider estate which has more than 450 acres.

Find out more about the canine code and bringing dogs to Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

Yes, for non-National Trust members. All funds received are reinvested into Sissinghurst Castle Garden to help maintain pathways and facilities. We are grateful for our visitors for helping to look after the places that we love.

If you are a National Trust member and plan to just walk your dog, we ask that you still scan your membership cards at Visitor Reception for this reason.

With the exception of assistance dogs, dogs are allowed inside the Old Dairy Cafe, Plant Shop, and main Shop only.