National Trust

Set in the grounds of a large medieval deer park, Knole House is home to the Sackville’s and the setting of Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando. Dating back to the 18^th Century, many of the rooms remain and can be viewed as they were then, including furniture and portraits of notable political figures and royals from Tudor and Stuart History.
In the park the deer roam freely and are incredibly tame, I got the feeling they were actually posing for the many camera’s pointing at them. It probably helped that on the day I went the weather was beautiful but the grounds are perfect for picnicking, bike riding or walking the dog. The place was very family friendly and being able to see the deer so close was enchanting for children.
They also have a charming little tea room, an essential part of any historical day out. There are fairly large seating areas both indoors and out, and a smaller convenience van outside selling drinks and ice cream, for those that don’t want to join the indoor queue for a hot lunch.
The grounds themselves are free to enter or just £4 to park the car for the day if you aren’t a National Trust member. I would strongly recommend Knole for a family day out. Even if you aren’t NT members and want to avoid costly entrance fees, then pack your bikes and a picnic and just go along and enjoy a day in the vast grounds with the free roaming Bambi’s, but don’t feed them.