🇬🇧 Knole Park: A Real-Life Game of Thrones Castle (With Deer!) 🏰
✨ Knole Park - Where History, Deer & Literature Collide Highlights 🦌🏰🥾 First drawn in by the park's friendly deer (way more approachable than Richmond's!), I was instantly transported to Westeros —this could easily be the real-life Storm's End ! The castle, once Henry VIII’s hunting lodge , left me speechless with its ornate four-poster beds and ancient stone walls. But the true showstopper? The writer Eddy’s tower —a literary haven with jaw-dropping decor that oozes bohemian charm! The estate’s rolling hills make for perfect deer-spotting hikes —imagine strolling through history with these graceful creatures as your companions! 🌿 📜 History Lesson - Built as a palace by Archbishop Thomas Bourchier (Canterbury) - Henry VIII snatched it up as a Tudor hunting lodge - Later gifted to the Sackville family (their crest? A leopard —so cool! 🐆) - Managed by National Trust since 1946 🏛️ Architecture - 365 rooms = days in a year - 52 staircases = weeks in a year - 7 courtyards = days in a week - Built with Kentish ragstone (warm grey-yellow hues) + red-tiled roofs - A mix of Gothic, Tudor & Renaissance styles 🎭 Eddy’s Tower - The Literary Hotspot Eddy, the 5th Baron Sackville , turned his tower into a post-war cultural hub —hosting salons, night-time concerts , and attracting poets & writers. This was my favourite part —so much artistic energy! ✍️🎶 🖼️ Decor & Art - 13 period rooms frozen in the 18th century - Stuart-era furniture , including James I’s silver throne 👑 - Paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough & Italian masters - Birthplace of the Knole Settee (adjustable leather sofa—genius!) 🦌 The Deer Park - Medieval deer park with hundreds of fallow deer 🦌 - They roam freely & are super photogenic ! - Volunteers share fun deer facts—great for families & hikers! 📍 Sevenoaks (easy train from London—very posh town!) 🎫 £18 (Free for National Trust members) #LondonLife #AntiqueFurniture #Deer #LondonWeekend #NationalTrust #EnglishManor #UKTravel #Castles #HikingTheWorld