Sissinghurst, Kent

Sissinghurst is a small village in Kent, located within the borough of Tunbridge Wells. Once known as Milkhouse Street, the village changed its name in the 1850s, possibly to distance itself from the smuggling and cockfighting activities linked to the Hawkhurst Gang. It lies near Cranbrook, Goudhurst, Tenterden, and Staplehurst, with the nearest railway station at Staplehurst, about four miles away.

The village has a rich history, with Iron Age tools discovered nearby, reflecting its long-standing role as a resting place for travellers heading to the south coast. Sissinghurst’s most famous attraction is the Sissinghurst Castle Garden, created in the 1930s by poet and gardening writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson. The garden is renowned for its design, featuring a series of distinct “rooms” separated by clipped hedges and brick walls, each with its own unique character and colour scheme.

Trinity Church, built in 1838, serves the local community and is currently managed by Rev. Pete Deaves. Notable residents have included Sir Richard Baker, a historian and religious writer, and Vita Sackville-West, whose literary and horticultural legacy remains central to the village’s identity. Other distinguished figures connected to Sissinghurst include British Army general Laurence Drummond and horticulturalist Pamela Schwerdt, who was head gardener at Sissinghurst Castle Garden for many years.