The wonderful world of British heritage has opened further thanks to another HLF scheme. We are always delighted to bring you stories about local and national heritage and now we have another. Knole Gatehouse, part of the Knole House Estate for National Trust, has been closed off to the public for many years. Issues with the structure has meant that a key attractive part of the building is inaccessible. This has disappointed visitors and house staff alike. Now though, the impressive Tudor building will be open to the public for the first time.
By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6423811
The grant for the improvements of Knole Gatehouse is worth an immense £7.75m. Both the HLF and National Trust feel it will be worth it. The Grade I listed building is still occupied by the family of Lord Sackville who have kept ownership of part of the estate. The rest is open to the public, including the immense park and part of the house. These additional improvements means that the listed building will be made accessible to the public, increasing the appeal for visitors. The dramatic façade is strikingly and typically Tudor in style. Outside of royal residences, it is one of the best examples of surviving Tudor architecture.
About Knole Gatehouse and Estate
The gatehouse was built for Thomas Boucher between 1472 and 1474. Boucher was the Archbishop of Canterbury. It underwent renovation during the Stuart era and the architecture reflects that. Since being opened to the public, the gatehouse has served as an impressive entrance to the park but visitors were not able to complete their visit. With these improvements, you can now climb the stairs to the top of the tower and experience the panoramic view of the estate. Interestingly, the 5th Baron of Sackville West was an aspiring novelist. Amongst the visitors were Virginia Wolfe and painter Duncan Grant.