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Knole Stories

Interviews about the history of Knole in Sevenoaks, Kent

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Interviews about the history of Knole in Sevenoaks, Kent
  • Knole volunteers who found the Message-in-a-Bottle
    Knole volunteers who found the Message-in-a-Bottle
  • Graeme Gardiner's work on Knole's 17th century pedigree rolls
    Graeme Gardiner's work on Knole's 17th century pedigree rolls
  • Kate Arding, childhood memories of Knole where her mother worked
    Kate Arding, childhood memories of Knole where her mother worked
  • Maurice Howard, OBE, supervised two key PhD theses on Knole
    Maurice Howard, OBE, supervised two key PhD theses on Knole
  • Maurice Howard remembers visiting NT houses from the 1950s
    Maurice Howard remembers visiting NT houses from the 1950s
  • Roy Calthorpe remembers cycling to Knole in 1957
    Roy Calthorpe remembers cycling to Knole in 1957
  • Listen to the stories and memories of the Sackville-West family and those close to them
    Listen to the stories and memories of the Sackville-West family and those close to them
  • Jacquie Elphick and Linda Grimwood, childhood memories of visiting Knole
    Jacquie Elphick and Linda Grimwood, childhood memories of visiting Knole

Welcome

Whatever the season, Knole and its surrounding parkland offer visitors a special experience.

This website features excerpts from interviews with people who lived at Knole in the 20th century, including members of the Knole Estate staff. Residents of Sevenoaks are also regular visitors, and several interview excerpts are highlighted here from Knole’s Oral History archive which dates from the 1880s to the present.

When the British Library’s online catalogue services resume in full in 2025/26, (after its 2023 cyberattack), you can listen to interviews in full by reserving a recording for playback at the BL in London.

More about Knole Stories
Featured interviews
  • Knole volunteers who found the Message-in-a-Bottle

    Brenda Jarvis and Jim Parker relive their exciting discovery
  • Graeme Gardiner's work on Knole's 17th century pedigree rolls

    Conservator of the Sackville pedigree rolls and ennoblement documents
  • Kate Arding, childhood memories of Knole where her mother worked

    Summer holidays at Knole, from the age of 8 to 12
  • Maurice Howard, OBE, supervised two key PhD theses on Knole

    Emeritus Professor of Art History, University of Sussex; architectural historian
  • Maurice Howard remembers visiting NT houses from the 1950s

    Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Sussex, and eminent architectural historian, remembers 60 years of visiting Knole
  • Charlie Beavin, Head Gardener at Knole from 1938

    Born on Knole Estate, started work from the age of 14
Memories through the decades
  • Visiting Knole

  • Working at Knole

  • The Sackville-West family

Interviews by decade
  • 1880s (2 interviews)
  • 1890s (3 interviews)
  • 1900s (4 interviews)
  • 1910s (7 interviews)
  • 1920s (11 interviews)
  • 1930s (13 interviews)
  • 1940s (18 interviews)
  • 1950s (11 interviews)
  • 1960s (19 interviews)
  • 1970s (14 interviews)
  • 1980s (14 interviews)
  • 1990s (7 interviews)
  • 2000s (6 interviews)
  • 2010s (35 interviews)
  • 2020s (7 interviews)
Popular keywords

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  • Estate life (14)
  • childhood (13)
  • park (11)
  • kitchen (9)
  • attics (8)
  • gatehouse tower (8)

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