This wintry illustration shows Knole House in the winter, with some of the estate deer herd in the foreground in the snow. An ideal Christmas card for anyone who loves Knole or the Sevenoaks area!

Knole is a large stately home in Sevenoaks, Kent. It’s not too far from London and both locals and Londoners enjoy country walks through its extensive grounds and beyond.

The house is absolutely enormous – apparently occupying an incredible total of four acres, with the parkland around it consisting of 1,000-acres of meadow, woods and golf course.

The writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West was born here. Her father had inherited the house. Vita was his only child but aristocratic rules meant that she did not inherit her beloved home when her father died – to her lifelong annoyance.

When I lived in London, Knole was great for a winter’s walk. As Sevenoaks is very close to London, it was reasonably quick to get to the start of the walk – which is important if there are fewer hours of daylight. One time I did this, it started snowing on my return circuit through the Knole estate, and children were already out with sledges and building snowmen. I’ve never known a scene so transformed in just a few hours!

The fallow deer have been here since the deer park was created in 1456 by Archbishop Bourchier. This is the last medieval deer park in Kent.

There is a poster available of Knole from my shop in A4 and A3 sizes.

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