SISSINGHURST

November 2025. Sissinghurst. Kent.

Coming to the end of our year of middle-aged National Trust membership now, but still time for a few late ticks from our temporary South-Eastern base in Rye before we ignore the requests to renew for ’26.

Actually, has anyone ever completed a National Trust Handbook in a single year ? There’s a challenge.

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, tucked away in the Weald of Kent between A21 and M20, is one of their signature sites, notably the long-time home of Vita Sackville-West.

I had to check my own blog (here) to confirm I’d actually visited the gardens (see pink marking),

as well as a scarily upmarket village gastro I can’t bear to think about.

On the walk to the lady with the barcode scanner Mrs RM reveals she’s forgot her Trust card, and I ask ChatGPT if they’ll still let her in as we’re joint members.

By 2027 all my comments on the blog will come from ChatGPT. Except Russ’s.

The nice lady looks on the computer to confirm Mrs RM is valid. Try doing that at a CAMRA beer festival if you forget your gold card.

In the garden shop a volunteer engages me in a discussion about French pumpkins. Luckily I used to be a pumpkin picker (not called Peter) and know my pumpkins.

It could have been worse; she could have been explaining Vita’s complex romantic relationships to me, or bombarding us with dates and hereditary titles like they do in stately homes.

I guess if you’re a 72 year old lady called Jean and scared of pubs then volunteering for the National Trust is probably your best chance of chatting to strangers at the weekend.

It’s a bit damp today, but that only adds to the atmosphere at Sissinghurst,

whose centre point is the tower where Vita wrote.

Gorgeous.

I’m fairly sure those aren’t old Beer Guides on those shelves.

Great view of the gardens from the top.

I’d have happily walked those gardens in the drizzle, but Mrs RM had noted my pub opened at 11am.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

13 thoughts on “SISSINGHURST”

  1. “Actually, has anyone ever completed a National Trust Handbook in a single year ? There’s a challenge.”

    Do you mean just reading it or actually going to the places?

    Also, I noticed in the map above that the town of “Battle” is just north of “Hastings”. Imagine if the battle of Hastings had taken place a few miles further north. It would have been the battle of Battle!

    “I had to check my own blog (here) to confirm I’d actually visited the gardens (see pink marking),”

    (looks down)
    There’s pink everywhere. Half the roads are marked with it.
    (hang on, I see it right near the bottom)

    “By 2027 all my comments on the blog will come from ChatGPT. Except Russ’s.”

    (raises hands held together of his head) YES! 😀

    “Luckily I used to be a pumpkin picker (not called Peter) and know my pumpkins.”

    (slow golf clap)
    Although, Peter was the eater, not the picker.

    “or bombarding us with dates and hereditary titles like they do in stately homes.”

    (looks at pic below)
    That pumpkin does NOT look well at all!

    “I guess if you’re a 72 year old lady called Jean and scared of pubs then volunteering for the National Trust is probably your best chance of chatting to strangers at the weekend.”

    Pfft. There’s always Jehovah’s Witnesses.

    “whose centre point is the tower where Vita wrote.”

    To her various complex romantic relationships?

    “I’m fairly sure those aren’t old Beer Guides on those shelves.”

    Especially the 1974 edition!

    “Great view of the gardens from the top.”

    I’ll have to show that pic to my better half. I keep telling her that a garden shouldn’t be ‘pristine’. English country is the way to go.

    “but Mrs RM had noted my pub opened at 11am.”

    You had me at ‘pub’.

    Cheers

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    1. “Actually, has anyone ever completed a National Trust Handbook in a single year ? There’s a challenge.”

      Do you mean just reading it or actually going to the places?

      Obviously read the book, Russ. It’s 1,138 pages long, that’s more than Moby Dick and no-one will ever finish that (Spoiler – the whale eats Jonah).

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      1. Very little churn though so eminently achievable. The Fleece at Bretforton is a perennial I gather, must be a particularly lazy NT ‘Branch’, or is Worcs a bit short on Micro-Piles and Dovecote Taps…
        (The Real) Mark

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      3. That would be the National Trust for Scotland. You’re not required to complete their guide too. Though apparently your membership card is valid north of the border, as long as you’ve remembered to bring it with you.

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      4. ‘Just as you were about to finish they’d delete Snowhill and add the Standing Stones on Orkney.’

        The bigger the challenge…

        (The Real) Mark

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      6. “Obviously read the book, Russ. It’s 1,138 pages long, that’s more than Moby Dick and no-one will ever finish that (Spoiler – the whale eats Jonah).”

        Yes but, Jonah got spat back out didn’t he?
        (and then franchised ‘Jonah’s Fish and Chips’)

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    2. “Also, I noticed in the map above that the town of “Battle” is just north of “Hastings”. Imagine if the battle of Hastings had taken place a few miles further north. It would have been the battle of Battle! ”

      Good grief Russ you’re right. If there’s any participants from the battle of Hastings perhaps they could continue their skirmish in Battle ?

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