Knole Park - Kent.
Over the past number of years, I have been visiting Kent several times each year and always try to incorporate a visit Knole Park in Sevenoaks.
With over 100 acres of parkland to explore it is a wonderful place to come for a walk in the open countryside, surrounded by ancient trees, fallow and sika deer. Although the park covers 1,000 acres the National Trust manages just 100 acres, with the rest taken care of by Lord Sackville's Knole Estate (including the deer herd).
Originally built as an archbishop’s palace, Knole passed through royalty to the Sackville family, who still live here today. From the main car park there are many walks around the estate and within a few minutes you can wander through the trees at your leisure. I have noticed, more so recently, the large number of Parakeets that have taken up residency amongst the woodland their screeching call clearly heard as they fly from tree to tree.
The history of the deer park dates back over 500 years to 1455 when the park was fenced in by Thomas Bourchier the English cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury, who lived here till his death in 1486. The parkland was originally stocked purely with fallow deer until a herd of Japanese Sika deer were introduced in the 19th century, and the two species now roam the landscape together.
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