A WALK TO TAKE

SISSINGHURST CASTLE ESTATE WALK, NEAR CRANBROOK, KENT

VISIT THE SISSINGHURST ESTATE IN EARLY SPRING AND YOU’LL BE REWARDED WITH CROCUSES AND DAFFODILS DOTTED ACROSS THE VAST WOODLAND AND SURROUNDING FIELDS. THIS THREE-MILE WALK WILL LEAD YOU AROUND THE CASTLE, WHICH WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A RUN-DOWN ELIZABETHAN MANSION UNTIL ACCLAIMED POET AND WRITER VITA SACKVILLEWEST BOUGHT IT IN 1930, TRANSFORMING ITS GROUNDS INTO A WORLD-RENOWNED GARDEN. THE ROUTE TAKES YOU ALONG THE MOAT, UNTIL YOU REACH THE GAZEBO. BUILT AS A MEMORIAL TO VITA’S HUSBAND HAROLD, IT HAS WONDERFUL VIEWS OF THE WIDER WEALDEN COUNTRYSIDE. AFTER CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE LAKE AND TAKING YOU THROUGH PARK FIELD, THE RETURN LEG LEADS YOU THROUGH BULL AND BIRCHES WOOD, THE ORCHARD AND ACROSS THE VEGETABLE PATCH BEFORE A HOP OVER THE STREAM BRINGS YOU BACK TO THE CASTLE (nationaltrust.org.uk).