A day in Kent with Michael

We drove, in rain,  to the enormous  Knole Manor, built for the Arch Bish of Canterbury and later 'possessed' by Henry VIII--then later the seat of the Sackville family for hundreds of years.

Of the 350 rooms, 83 are still occupied by the Sackville family matriarch.

The 1000 acres of grounds are home to an ancient line of deer.

No photos inside were allowed, but we

took some in a sculpture exhibition, of Mary...........

Of much more interest was Ightem Medieval moated Manor house-dating back to about 1302. In spite of it's age, it was a much warmer, friendlier home, rescued from certain derilication and decay by a very wealthy American Anglophile. The NT spent ten million pounds restoring it all. It also has an occupier, but a more sociable one. The inner courtyard is delightful.

Pictures were allowed.

The Great Hall is a superb example of  a medieval hall. The whole place has never burned down , been ransacked or suffered storm damage.

The whole place is a real gem.