Winter at Sissinghurst Castle

With new displays, a festive atmosphere, and exhibitions on the horizon, winter at Sissinghurst Castle Garden is not to be missed. Celebrate Christmas in a traditional Elizabethan style, experience a brand-new seasonal garden installation, take in the spectacular views at the top of the Elizabethan Tower, stroll around the lake walks, and more.

The garden in autumn. National Trust Images – Cassie Dickson

Don’t miss an Elizabethan Christmas which will see the site decorated for the festive season. Join in the festivities with a Yuletide Trail led by the Lord of Misrule. Discover how Christmas was celebrated 400 years ago along this merry route, dress up as Lords and Ladies of the Manor, practice your royal greetings in the Tower, find the escaped boars, and decorate a Yule log. Running from Saturday 23 November 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025, excluding 24 and 25 December.

A new collaboration between the Sissinghurst garden team and the London-based Aesme Studio is sure to provide a change of scenery between November and February. Offering visitors something a little different, this inviting garden display sits at the bottom of the Tower and around the entrance archway, emphasising an already beautiful vista. Colourful dried flowers, rose hips, vines, berries, and cherry trees will form the centre piece in several large urns. The display will be refreshed each month of its run to reflect the delicacy of the changing seasons.

© Crocus tommasinaus in the Nuttery in February. National Trust Images. Cassie Dickson

In the New Year, discover something new about the garden’s creators: author Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat husband Harold Nicolson. The South Cottage, once home to the pair and now closed to the public, will open on select days throughout January and February, inviting visitors to step inside.

This sense-ational experience will transport visitors back to 1935 to show how Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson lived when they first moved to Sissinghurst. Be immersed in soundscapes mirroring what Vita and Harold would have heard, handle objects and even read books in the sitting room.

An exhibition exploring the literary prowess of Vita Sackville-West opens at Sissinghurst in February 2025 just as winter comes to an end. ‘Between the Covers with Vita’ showcases books and objects from Sissinghurst’s collection that have fallen into obscurity, many of which have not been displayed before. Vivid paintings and animations will help bring the exhibition to life, putting a spotlight on the works of this significant 20^th century writer.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/Sissinghurst