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A nice easy cache with a nice view of Sissinghurst Castle and gardens. This is one of the LQ series and replaces LQ:KENT - Granny's Island (https://coord.info/GC15GTW) due to the CO no longer being able to maintain it.
This cache been placed with the kind permission of Sissinghurst Castle National Trust
How Sissinghurst became a castle
The site that Sissinghurst Castle Garden sits on was once a Saxon pig farm, it would have been originally called 'Saxenhurst', with 'hurst' having meant woodland. The tudor buildings were used as a prison for up to 3,000 French sailors who were captured by the British during the Seven Years War, between 1756 - 63. Held for months at a time in vile, stinking conditions, the prisoners lived in 'cells' with little access to fresh air, clean water or adequate food supplies. The sailors referred to Sissinghurst as 'le chateaux' hence 'castle' being adopted in to its name, although not a direct translation.
Sissinghurst in the early 1930s
When Vita Sackville-West and Harold purchased Sissinghurst in early 1930 it looked quite different to the present day. The buildings were used to house farm workers, the current famous garden had yet to be laid out and was mostly growing vegetables for the workers. The surrounding farm was growing cereals as well as having well established orchards and hop gardens.
The Women's Land Army
During the Second World War the shorthorn dairy cow enterprise continued. The milking and day to day operation of the herd were assisted by members of the Women’s Land Army (WLA) who used to get up at 5.30am to milk the cows. Molly Carr, was a member of the WLA who lived and worked on the farm. Vita Sackville-West was heavily involved in the organisation and welfare of the WLA in Kent.
Vita and a group of her 'shillingses'
The garden at Sissinghurst Castle opened to the public in the late 1930s. The admission fee was 1 shilling, hence Vita's name for visitors to the garden - shillingses. Visitors would often leave their admission charge in an old tobacco tin on a table under the entrance archway.
Sissinghurst in the 1950s
By the 1950s Sissinghurst was a working farm with a yard and machinery all over the site. Several of the buildings no longer exist whilst those that remain have a completely different use today, the gift shop was once the piggery and the restaurant was the granary.
The last private owners of Sissinghurst
Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson were the last private owners of Sissinghurst Castle. After Vita's death in 1962, Harold decided that Vita's beloved Sissinghurst should be given over to the care of the National Trust who started taking care of it in 1967.
From this cache site you are able to get a good view of the 'Castle' and the gardens - be advised this is a very busy location so stealth required when searching
Please note: Following several incidents of people not signing the log (a requirement in order to post your find online) and the responses / arguments that have followed - Take note, if you do not sign the logbook (unless there is very good reason, logbook sodden etc. - sorry, but not having a pen is not good reason) - do not post a find online.
If you cannot find a cache, do not assume it missing and do not put a throwdown as a replacement. ALL maintenance is the responsibility of the CO – if any is required, please add a ‘Needs Maintenance’ log to highlight the issue.
Please replace all caches exactly as found