Fodor's Expert Review Knole

The pleasant but workaday town of Sevenoaks, seven miles northwest of Tonbridge, lies in London's commuter belt, a world away from the baronial air of its premier attraction: Knole, the grand, beloved estate of the Sackville family since the 16th century.

Begun in the 1400s and enlarged in 1603 by Thomas Sackville, Knole's sprawling complex of courtyards and outbuildings resembles a small town. In fact, with more that 300 rooms, 51 chimneys (count them!), and a total footprint covering five acres—the equivalent to almost four football fields—it's England's largest house. Factor in the supremely stroll-worthy (and free-roaming deer-filled) 1,000-acre park surrounding the property, and you'll need at least an afternoon to explore Knole thoroughly.

The house is noted for its wonderful tapestries, embroidered furnishings, and an extraordinary set of 17th-century silver furniture. Most of the salons are in the pre-baroque model, rather dark and armorial. The magnificently florid staircase was a novelty in its Elizabethan heyday. Vita Sackville-West grew up here and used it as the setting for her novel The Edwardians, a witty account of life among the gilded set.

Also on the property is the Conservation Studio, which showcases the work that the National Trust does at Knole and other local properties (you can also see the conservators in action), as well as the beautiful private garden, though this is only open on rare occasions.

In contrast to the property itself, the entrance is surprisingly low-key; look for the signposted track opposite St. Nicholas Church. To get here from Tonbridge, head seven miles north on the B245/A225.