Once the home of Thomas Cranmer, Knole was surrendered to Henry VIII who took a shine to this sprawling mass of sombre greyness. Even on a bright early summer day, the blue sky and the emerald grass could not hide the severity of the Kentish ragstones. Much has been written about the Sackville family who has owned this place since the 17th century -the thirteen staterooms opened to the public displayed an endlessly tedious array of medieval (painted) mugshots of the Sackvilles, mixed with portraits of kings, princes, and movers and shakers of the day. Inside the house, the greyness was further heightened by the almost jet-black oak panels, giving the place an uneasy sense of foreboding.
The quandrangle leading to the front entrance
The Grand Staircase,
looking decidely monochrome
