Knole | |
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![]() Knole in 2009 | |
Type | Country house |
Location | TQ53955420 |
Area | Kent |
Built | Mostly 1455–1608 |
Architectural style(s) | Jacobean architecture with other earlier and later styles |
Owner | National Trust |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | Knole |
Designated | 14 April 1951 |
Reference no. | 1336390 |
Official name | Knole |
Designated | 1 May 1986 |
Reference no. | 1000183 |
Knole (/noʊl/) is a country house and former archbishop's palace owned by the National Trust. It is situated within Knole Park, a 1,000-acre (400-hectare) park located immediately to the south-east of Sevenoaks in west Kent. The house ranks in the top five of England's largest houses, under any measure used, occupying a total of four acres.[1]
The current house dates back to the mid-15th century, with major additions in the 16th and, particularly, the early 17th centuries. Its grade I listing reflects its mix of late-medieval to Stuart structures and particularly its central façade and state rooms. In 2019, an extensive conservation project, "Inspired by Knole", was completed to restore and develop the structures of the buildings and thus help to conserve its important collections.[2] The surrounding deer park has also survived with varying degrees of management in the 400 years since 1600.[3]