Knole House, some 4 miles from Chevening Primary, was the birthplace of Vita Sackville-West in 1892- the only daughter of the third Baron Sackville and his wife, Victoria.
Now an acclaimed Grade 1 listed  National Trust property, the House and Estate have a long and eminent history, including a period as a C15 Archbishop's Palace.

Vita's happy childhood memories of showing visitors around the family's estate were clouded by the legal system of the time that prevented her from inheriting the property when her father died. 

Vita's writing skills started in childhood and continued to develop; 'Knole and the Sackvilles', her biography caught attention in 1922, with some praising it as a 'classic' example of literature about English country houses, whilst others felt it was more romantic than historically accurate. Vita's passions demanded courage at a time when there were strict views about relationships.

Her childhood plays, novels and poetry were the foundations for her 'Poems of East and West', based on her time in Constantinople with her husband, Harold.  Subsequent literary works won accolades and awards, culminating in Vita being made a Companion of Honour for her services to literature, in 1947. 

Vita's skills and knowledge extended to gardening, which also served as a source of inspiration for her weekly column, 'In your Garden' in The Observer. Gardening and journalism demand respect and faith in actions undertaken and the impact of words on others.
If you visit Knole today, one of the treasures to look for is Vita's bedroom door-stop - in the form of William Shakespeare.