Knole Gardens

On Tuesday Emma, Jackson, Isabel and I decided to visit two National Trust properties, Ightam Mote and Knole House.    But of course we did not check first to find out if they were open.   And they were both closed.   But as luck would have it, the gardens of Knole House were open.   So at long last I could visit the gardens, which normally are viewed through the house windows.   Or through different gates, as we walked around the walls.

A rainy day, but this did not detract from the beauty of the large gardens enclosed behind very high walls.

A view of the house, looking up at the windows of the rooms that are open to the public.   A touch of family life, a webber barbeque out on the lawn.    Families, Sackville descendants, live in the rooms on the bottom floor.

 Well trimmed box hedges in the formal gardens.

 The imposing steps leading up to the upper gardens.

 The pergola, which is covered by wisteria, must be beautiful in Spring.

 Isabel walking through the myriad of paths that take people through very established small trees, including hundreds of rhododendrons.    Another reason to visit in Spring.

 I love the very formal yew trees.   A little forbidding perhaps.

 And the kitchen gardens, enclosed by the meticulously trimmed box hedges.

 And finally we wandered out of the gardens into the courtyard of Knole House itself, where I showed Jackson the very unusual lead water tank.   Only it is not a water tank.    Once was a tank of fresh water, to keep the carp in, until they were needed to be cooked for dinner.    No fridges in those days.

 Knole Park, famous for the deer that live there.    Not very friendly.    These deer were escaping from two children who tried to talk to them.

Finally a visit to the restaurant for coffee, tea or soft drinks.   I forgot to add that we travelled around through many narrow lanes, bridle tracks and untravelled roads (by us) in between Ightam Mote and Knole House, due to Emma's Satnav, which was determined to take us to the back of Knole Park.   An interesting journey, and I am sure much of it is unchanged in centuries, especially the narrow lanes and bridle paths.