It’s been one of those days. Busy, but little of moment to report. Volunteering at the archive this morning, necessary mundane tasks this afternoon. Hardly an exciting blog post. Instead I will treat you to the delights of a wonderful palace we popped into in September. A revisit really. The last time was forty years ago just after we were married. Where you ask? Knowle. The one thing I remember most were all the deer roaming freely. Forty years may have passed but those deer are still plentiful and very photogenic.
The National trust website says this about Knowle:
Knowle is a remarkably preserved and complete early Jacobean remodelling of a medieval archiepiscopal palace. From an even older manor house, it was built and extended by the Archbishops of Canterbury after 1456. It then became a royal possession during the Tudor dynasty when Henry VIII hunted here and found the place a useful residence for his daughter - later to become Mary I - during his divorce from her mother, Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth I is also said to have visited.
From 1603, Thomas Sackville made it the aristocratic treasure house for the Sackville family, who were prominent and influential in court circles. Knole's showrooms were designed to impress visitors and to display the Sackville family’s wealth and status.
Over more than 400 years, his descendants rebuilt and then furnished Knole in three further bursts of activity.
One thing I really noticed was the amazing Jacobean furniture. So many wonderful chairs and beds from the Tudor and Stuart period all together in one place. Worth visiting just for that. Add all the beautiful paintings and architecture plus the history of the Sackville family and it was certainly a gem.
I’ll let you browse through the photos and decide for yourself but you will want to visit even if it’s just for the deer.
See you tomorrow.
Barbara xxx
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