SISSINGHURST

'Sissinghurst' is a small village in the county of Kent in England. Originally called ''Mylkehouse'', Sissinghurst changed its name in the 1850s to avoid being blacklisted by the Cranbrook Tourism Office for smuggling and cockfighting (possibly in relation with the Hawkhurst Gang.

Contents

Position

History

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens

The Church

People

External links

Position

Sissinghurst is situated with Cranbrook to the south, Goudhurst to the west, Tenterden to the east and Staplehurst to the north. It sits just back from the A229 which goes from Rochester to Hawkhurst.

History

Sissinghurst's history is similar to that of Cranbrook in that Iron Age working tools have been found and was through history a meeting and resting place for those travelling towards the south coast.

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens

''See Sissinghurst Castle Garden for the original article''
Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of ''The Observer'', which incidentally — for she never touted it — made her own garden famous. Sissinghurst's garden is one of the best-loved in the whole of the United Kingdom, drawing visitors from all over the world. The garden itself is designed as a series of "rooms", each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls.

The Church

Sissinghurst's religious activities are served by its church, Trinity Church, with the Rev Allan Norris who is also Rector of Frittenden.

People

There are a few people of note to have live/lived in Sissinghurst including:

★ Ian Hislop. The editor of Private Eye and team captain on the popular satirical current affairs quiz ''Have I Got News for You''.

★ Vita Sackville-West, The Hon Lady Nicolson, English poet, novelist and gardener.

★ Sir Harold Nicolson, British diplomat, author and politician.

External links

★ Sissinghurst Village website

★ The National Trust website