The gardens at Sissinghurst Castle are some of the most visited in England. They were created in the 1930s by the Bohemian couple Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson. The estate came under the stewardship of the National Trust in 1967.

The red brick Tudor buildings that survive date from the mid-16th century. At its height the large courtyard mansion house was impressive enough to entertain Queen Elizabeth I. Its decline into ruin began following the English Civil War. During the Seven Years’ War, in the mid-18th century, it was used as a prison for up to 3,000 French sailors. They nicknamed it 'le chateaux'  and it is from this that Sissinghurst is reputed to have had castle added to its name.