KENTSTAYCATION
PAGE-TURNING ESCAPES CONT .
Another great house to inspire the works of yet another British writer is Sissinghurst Castle . A place now historic , poetic and iconic , a refuge dedicated to beauty , it was here in the 1930s that Vita Sackville-West fell in love with Kent and created her world-renowned garden . Today , visitors can visit the unique ‘ garden rooms ’, with their colourful blooms still reflecting the romance and intimacy of Vita ’ s poems and writings . A friend , lover and contemporary of Virginia Woolf , Sackville-West was the inspiration for the protagonist of Orlando : A Biography but is also hugely acclaimed for her own works . A successful novelist , poet and journalist , as well as a prolific letter writer and diarist , Sackville- West published more than a dozen collections of poetry and 13 novels during her life . She was twice awarded the Hawthornden Prize for Imaginative Literature : in 1927 for her pastoral epic , The Land , and in 1933 for her Collected Poems .
Today , visitors to Sissinghurst can see her desk and writing room exactly as they would have been , offering a glimpse of her internal intellectual life . Almost 4,000 books line the walls , arranged by theme from astronomy to Renaissance poetry , 1930 ’ s gender theory and practical gardening advice . After a day exploring Sissinghurst , The Bell at Ticehurst ( www . thebellinticehurst . com ) is just a short drive away , and from Wednesday to Saturday , offers a finedining experience : ‘ The Stables ’ by head chef Mark Charker . As well as a five-course tasting menu , expect paired wines and bespoke cocktails . A hub of creativity , your day will get even more cultural and arty here - hanging in the dining room is a limited edition signed print by Francis Bacon . A triptych in a riot of reds and oranges , the magnificent work is a guaranteed conversation starter .
Kent ’ s rural countryside not only inspired settings for literature , but characters too . Author of the novella , The Darling Buds of May , H . E . Bates lived in Little Chart , near Ashford , in the imposing granary which still stands today . Bates based Pop Larkin ( a character later played adoringly on screen by David Jason ) on someone he saw emerging from a local shop , and the setting of this fictional world in rural Kent . The television series used Pluckley to reflect this haven , and today visitors can revel in this rustic nostalgia when visiting the idyllic village . A wonderful pit stop comes in the form of The Black Horse ( www . theblackhorsepluckley . com ), a 15th-century inn now offering fine dining . Expect outstanding dishes made from locally sourced produce , as exquisite to the eye as they are sensational on the tongue . The food is complemented by a wide range of fine wines and an extensive gin menu .
The title of the Bate ’ s book is a quote from William Shakespeare ' s Sonnet 18 : “ Shall I compare thee to a summer ' s day ? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate : / Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May ”, yet another legendary British figure who
was inspired by the landscapes of Kent before taking quill to parchment . It is said the Bard was so inspired after walking upon the White Cliffs of Dover , that he subsequently wrote the famous scene in King Lear , in which Edgar persuades the blinded Earl of Gloucester that he is at the edge of a cliff in Dover . The scene is so renowned that Dover ' s Shakespeare Cliff was named after the reference . Hundreds of years later in 1867 , famed 19th-century English poet Matthew Arnold wrote his beautiful lyric poem Dover Beach about the town , perfectly capturing the beauty of the Kent coast .
“ The sea is calm tonight , The tide is full , the moon lies fair Upon the straits : on the French coast , the light Gleams , and is gone : the cliffs of England stand , Glimmering and vast , out in the tranquil bay .”
There is no better time than 2023 , The Year of the Coast , to visit this area , which includes a pub and restaurant , The Coastguard ( www . thecoastguard . co . uk ) in St Margaret ’ s Bay . Britain ’ s nearest pub to France , The Coastguard has kept watch on the seafront for more than 300 years and after its recent refurbishment , guests can now take in those spectacular bay views in style while indulging in some hearty favourites .
THE BLACK HORSE
39