Knole Park Sevenoaks: free on foot, £6 a head to park in

Knole Park in Sevenoaks sounds too good to be true and is not: a thousand acres of medieval deer park at the top of a Kent commuter town’s high street, open dawn to dusk, free to walk into on foot. What catches people out is the part that is not free. The house, the Gatehouse Tower and the National Trust car park all sit behind a ticket, and at weekends and in school holidays that ticket has to be booked in advance, members included.

This guide keeps the two apart. Every price, time and rule below comes from the National Trust’s own Knole pages, along with what a first visit tends to get wrong: where to leave the car if you only want the parkland, how close you may get to the deer, and how long the walk up from the station really takes.

Two dates shape a visit this autumn. Twelve giant Gruffalo sculptures are in the parkland until Sunday 1 November, and the National Trust charges admission for them even though the park itself is free. Then on Monday 2 November the car park and the café start closing an hour earlier, at 16:00. The one day this year when everything was free, Heritage Open Day on Tuesday 15 September, has now passed.

Knole Park key facts

Every value in this block was re-checked against the National Trust’s own Knole pages on 8 September 2026, including the day-by-day opening calendar it publishes to the end of December.

Knole at a glance: what each ticket buys

Knole Park opening times

The parkland itself is the simple part: dawn to dusk, every day, free to walk into, with no seasonal change at all. Everything with a door or a barrier runs to a published calendar instead, and that calendar changes twice between now and Christmas. The National Trust has posted times for every day up to Wednesday 31 December 2026 and nothing past it, so a January visit cannot be checked yet (National Trust).

Four things in that table are worth pulling out, because none of them are obvious from the front of the National Trust’s page.

• You lose an hour on Monday 2 November. The car park, the Brewhouse Café, the shops, the bookshop and the toilets all move from a 17:00 close to a 16:00 close on that date. It is the day after the Gruffalo trail ends, so the first quiet autumn weekday is also the first short one. Last orders in the café are half an hour before it closes, which from 2 November means 15:30.
• The last day inside the house is Wednesday 23 December. The showrooms are open daily 11:00 to 16:00 until then and do not appear again on the calendar for the rest of the year. The Gatehouse Tower carries on to 31 December.
• On 24 and 25 December you cannot drive in. The car park, café, shops, toilets, showrooms and Tower are all shut on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The park stays open dawn to dusk, so a Christmas morning walk works, but only on foot and from the town.
• The Conservation Studio keeps its own hours. The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio in the medieval barn opens Wednesday to Saturday, 11:00 to 16:00, not daily like the rest.

One room is out of use whatever the day: the National Trust’s own notice says the Venetian Bedroom is closed for essential maintenance, with no reopening date given (National Trust).

The park is free, the house is not

The single most useful fact about Knole is that pedestrians can walk into the parkland free of charge and without booking anything at all, and the park is open dawn to dusk every day (National Trust). No ticket, no membership, no arrival slot.

What you pay for is everything with a roof or a barrier: the showrooms, the Gatehouse Tower and the car park in the middle of the park. The National Trust is clear that the car park is for admission ticket holders only and that there is no parking-only ticket, so the cheapest way to drive here is not to drive here (National Trust).

What it means for you: if the deer and a long walk are the point of the trip, budget nothing and arrive on foot. If you want the house, budget properly and book ahead.

2026 admission prices

There are two tickets and parking is free with both. The Outdoor and Tower ticket covers the Gatehouse Tower, the Brewhouse Café, the shops, the courtyards and the car park. The Showrooms, Outdoor and Tower ticket adds the rooms inside the house, and can be bought as an upgrade at the Visitor Centre on the day (National Trust).

Outdoor and Tower (National Trust):

• Adult (18+): £6.00
• Child (5 to 17): £3.00, under 5s free
• Family (2 adults and up to 3 children): £15.00
• One adult family (1 adult and up to 3 children): £9.00

Showrooms, Outdoor and Tower (National Trust):

• Adult (18+): £19.00
• Child (5 to 17): £9.50
• Family: £47.50
• One adult family: £28.50

Pre-booked groups pay less on both tickets: £5.70 an adult and £2.85 a child on Outdoor and Tower, £18.00 and £9.00 on Showrooms, Outdoor and Tower (National Trust). Behind-the-scenes attic tours run every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 11:30, cost £7.50 per person and must be booked (National Trust).

Worth knowing about the summer VAT reduction. It runs from 25 June to 1 September 2026, and the National Trust’s own wording is that “the admission price you pay at the till may be less than advertised” (National Trust). Knole never cut its published prices for it, so nothing on the list above changes on 2 September, unlike Hever and Riverhill. We have set out what goes up when the cut ends.

Booking: pre-booking is essential at weekends and in school holidays, including for National Trust members and free pass holders, who book a free ticket per person and show their cards on arrival. Tickets are released every Thursday covering the next 28 days (National Trust).

Two discounts are easy to miss. Blue Badge holders get free access to the accessible car park without pre-booking, subject to spaces, and there are 19 designated bays (National Trust). Anyone arriving by bus or train gets two-for-one on admission plus 20 per cent off in the gift shop and bookshop, on production of a ticket or receipt for the day (National Trust).

Parking: the trap and the way round it

The main entrance is off the A225 High Street, opposite St Nicholas Church. For sat nav, use TN13 1HX rather than the postal address TN15 0RP, because the National Trust warns that some systems will not route correctly on the postcode (National Trust).

The trap is assuming you can pay a few pounds at the gate to leave the car and walk the dog. You cannot. Admission is charged per person in each vehicle, so a family of four driving in for a walk pays four admissions, not one parking fee.

The way round it is the town centre. The National Trust itself points visitors who only want the park to the nearest public car park in Sevenoaks, sat nav TN13 1LW (National Trust). That covers Suffolk Way, where four hours is £5.30, and the Sevenoaks Town multi-storey, where an all-day weekday ticket is £5.80. Full tariffs are in our guide to parking in Sevenoaks.

What it means for you: two adults driving in to walk the park pay £12 through the National Trust gate, or £5.30 to park in town for four hours and walk in free. For a family the gap is wider still.

If you do drive in at a weekend or in the school holidays, book before you set off. Pre-booking is essential on those days, members and free-pass holders included, non-members are charged per person at the Gatebox, and tickets are released every Thursday to cover the next four weeks (National Trust).

What’s on at Knole this autumn

One thing changes what a visit costs and what you see between now and the end of half term, and it is not obvious from the opening times.

The Gruffalo trail, 29 August to 1 November

Twelve giant hand-painted sculptures inspired by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo are in the parkland and the Orangery from Saturday 29 August to Sunday 1 November, 10:00 to 17:00 every day with no closed days (National Trust).

Here is the part worth reading twice, because it is the exception to everything above. The trail is in the parkland, and the parkland is free to walk into, but the National Trust is not treating the trail that way: “This trail is included with normal admission. The minimum admission ticket required is an Outdoor and Tower ticket per person,” and pre-booking admission is essential to guarantee entry (National Trust).

What it means for you: the free walk-in-from-town route works for the deer and the views, but not for the Gruffalo. If the sculptures are the point of the trip, book, and expect to pay per head. Everything else about the trail is on our separate Gruffalo trail at Knole Park page: what a family pays, the names of all twelve sculptures, the buggy, dog and access rules, and why driving in works out cheaper than parking in town.

Heritage Open Day has passed

Knole’s free Heritage Open Day was Tuesday 15 September, when the showrooms, the Gatehouse Tower and the car park all opened without charge. The festival’s other free events in the district run until Sunday 20 September, and our guide to Heritage Open Days in Sevenoaks lists them day by day.

Lord Sackville’s private garden

The 26 acre private garden behind the Orangery doors opens on twelve days in 2026, between March and October. Tickets can be booked online or bought on the day, subject to availability (National Trust).

Toddler Mondays and the rest of the Knole diary, with times, are in our monthly what’s on in Sevenoaks listing.

The deer, and the rules that matter

The fallow deer are the reason most people come. They are owned and managed by the Sackville family’s Knole Estate rather than the National Trust, and they are wild animals that happen to be used to people (National Trust).

The rules are short and not decorative:

• Never feed them. Anything you offer, fruit and vegetables included, is outside their natural diet and harms them. Fed deer start associating people with food, pester visitors and turn aggressive while doing it.
• Never touch or pick one up. The National Trust asks that the herd is treated like any other grazing livestock and watched from a distance.
• If a deer walks up to you, ignore it and move away. They approach hoping for food, and the approach itself is a symptom of people getting too close.
• Take your litter home. Deer chew and swallow what gets left behind, which can kill them.
• Ticks. Any park with deer carries a Lyme disease risk, and touching or feeding the deer raises your chance of a bite. The NHS page on Lyme disease covers symptoms and prevention.

Foraging of any kind is banned, and drones are not permitted anywhere in the park, on National Trust or Knole Estate land (National Trust).

Autumn and early summer need more care

Two parts of the year need more distance. The rut takes place in autumn, when the bucks fight over the does. It is worth seeing, but bucks holding their stands do not want people near them, and the National Trust asks visitors to keep well back (National Trust). That matters more than usual this year, because the Gruffalo trail runs through the parkland from 29 August to 1 November and takes families across the same ground during the rut.

In late spring and early summer the does have their fawns, and you may find one lying alone in long grass. It has not been abandoned. Mothers leave fawns while they feed and always return, unless a human has disturbed the fawn first, in which case your scent can stop her coming back. Never approach, touch or pick up a fawn (National Trust).

Dogs at Knole

Knole is a two-pawprint place in the National Trust’s rating system. Dogs are welcome across the parkland, in the outdoor courtyards including Green Court and Stone Court, and at the outdoor seating at the Brewhouse Café. They cannot go into any indoor space, including the café counter, the shops and the Orangery. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout (National Trust). One thing to plan around this autumn: part of the Gruffalo trail is inside the Orangery, so a dog on the walk means someone waits outside for that stretch.

The one hard rule: dogs must be on a lead at all times in the park. The National Trust’s reason is blunt rather than precautionary, which is that deer at Knole have been fatally attacked by dogs off the lead. Water bowls and tether points sit outside the Brewhouse Café, with more in Green Court, and dog waste bins are by the café, at the car park exit and near the cattle grid at the main entrance. More local routes and pub gardens that welcome dogs are in our guide to dog-friendly Sevenoaks.

Walks in the park

Knole Park runs to 1,000 acres of woodland, dry valleys, tree-lined avenues and open grassland, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, largely for the deadwood beetles living in its veteran trees (National Trust).

If you do not know the park, use the colour-coded routes. They start from the front of the house, run 4 to 5km, are signposted, take 50 to 75 minutes, and were agreed with Knole Estate so they keep clear of the golf course. The ground is mostly rough and undulating; the red route is the one to pick with a sturdy pushchair. Maps are displayed outside the Brewhouse Café and by the picnic area, and there is a downloadable walks map (National Trust).

Archbishop Thomas Bourchier acquired Knole in 1456 and enclosed the deer park, and deer have roamed it ever since, which makes this the last medieval deer park in Kent. Dendrochronology dates the oldest trees to the early 1700s, concentrated in Chestnut Walk, Broad Walk and Duchess Walk (National Trust). Footpaths, bridleways and common land carry on beyond the boundary towards Godden Green and Stone Street if you want a longer day. For other routes nearby, see our family walks near Sevenoaks.

The café, toilets and facilities

The Brewhouse Café opens 10:00 to 17:00 with last orders half an hour before closing. Two toilet blocks, one in Green Court and one opposite the café, both have baby changing, and there are two large accessible toilets but no adult changing facilities. An enclosed picnic area sits beside the car park with decked flooring and a wheelchair-suitable ramp, with a cycle rack next to it. It has tables, benches and chairs, and picnics are welcome but barbecues are not. Highchairs are at the café on a first-come basis.

Two things catch families out. Pushchairs and buggies are not allowed in the showrooms or the Gatehouse Tower, so plan who waits where before you queue, and there are lockers for large bags if you ask at the Visitor Centre (National Trust).

On accessibility, wheelchair users can reach the Great Hall but not the upstairs showrooms, and the Gatehouse Tower is up a steep, narrow spiral staircase with no alternative route. A powered mobility vehicle can be booked by calling 01732 462100 at least 24 hours ahead, Monday to Friday (National Trust).

Walking there from Sevenoaks station

Sevenoaks station is on Tubs Hill, TN13 1DP, about 30 minutes’ walk from Knole through the town centre. It is uphill most of the way (National Trust). Trains run direct to several London terminals, and the times and stopping patterns are in our guide to Sevenoaks train times to London.

There are several pedestrian entrances. The obvious one is the footpath from the main vehicle entrance off the A225 High Street, which runs through the parkland to the house and Visitor Centre. The other is Webb’s Alley from the town centre, roughly 20 to 30 minutes with some steep sections (National Trust). By bus, the nearest stop to the main gate is Sevenoaks School on the A225 High Street.

Arriving by bus or train also earns the two-for-one on admission, which turns the walk up the hill into a discount rather than a chore. Our roundup of things to do in Sevenoaks covers what else is within reach.

Frequently asked questions

What time does Knole Park open? The parkland is open dawn to dusk every day of the year, free and without booking. The showrooms and the Gatehouse Tower open 11:00 to 16:00 daily, last entry 15:30. The car park, Brewhouse Café, shops, bookshop and toilets open 10:00 to 17:00 until Sunday 1 November, then 10:00 to 16:00 from Monday 2 November to the end of the year (National Trust).

Is Knole open at Christmas? The park is, on foot. Everything else, the car park included, is closed on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December. The Gatehouse Tower, café, shops and car park reopen on Saturday 26 December for 10:00 to 16:00, but the showrooms do not: their last day of 2026 is Wednesday 23 December (National Trust).

Is Knole Park free to enter? Yes, for pedestrians. You can walk into the parkland without paying or booking, dawn to dusk, every day. You pay only for the showrooms, the Gatehouse Tower or the National Trust car park (National Trust).

Can I park at Knole for free just to walk in the park? No. The car park is for admission ticket holders only, there is no parking-only ticket, and admission is charged per person in the vehicle. For the park alone, the National Trust points you to the town centre car park at TN13 1LW and you walk in from there (National Trust).

Is Knole ever free to get into? The parkland is always free on foot, dawn to dusk, with no booking. National Trust members also go free, though they still book a ticket per person at weekends and in school holidays. Everyone else paid nothing on one day in 2026, Heritage Open Day on Tuesday 15 September, and that day has passed (National Trust).

Is the Gruffalo trail at Knole free? No. The sculptures are out in parkland you can normally walk into for nothing, but the National Trust counts the trail as part of normal admission, so the minimum is an Outdoor and Tower ticket per person and pre-booking is essential to guarantee entry; members go free but still book a ticket each (National Trust). The prices, the booking rules and the access detail are set out on our Gruffalo trail at Knole Park page.

How much does it cost to go inside Knole House? The Showrooms, Outdoor and Tower ticket is £19.00 for an adult, £9.50 for a child aged 5 to 17 and £47.50 for a family, with parking included. Members go free but still book a ticket per person (National Trust).

Can you get close to the deer at Knole? You often end up close whether you plan to or not, because the deer approach people hoping for food. The National Trust asks you to treat them like grazing livestock: watch from a distance, never feed or touch them, and if one approaches, ignore it and walk away (National Trust).

Are dogs allowed in Knole Park? Yes, on a lead at all times, in the parkland and outdoor courtyards but not in any indoor space. Only assistance dogs may go into the café interior, shops or Orangery. The lead rule exists because deer at Knole have been killed by off-lead dogs (National Trust).

How long does it take to walk to Knole from Sevenoaks station? About 30 minutes through the town centre, uphill for most of it. Webb’s Alley, one of the main pedestrian entrances, takes 20 to 30 minutes and has some steep slopes (National Trust).

Sources

• Opening times for every day to 31 December, the 2 November change, the Christmas closures, the Venetian Bedroom notice, 2026 admission prices, facilities, accessibility, directions and parking rules: National Trust, Knole
• Free pedestrian access, booking rules, attic tours, car-free two-for-one offer and the TN13 1LW town car park: National Trust, planning a visit to Knole
• Deer rules, feeding, fawns, ticks and dog safety: National Trust, wild deer herd at Knole
• Walking routes, park history, SSSI status, the rut, foraging and drones: National Trust, explore the park at Knole
• Dog access, pawprint rating and facilities for dogs: National Trust, visiting Knole with your dog
• Lyme disease symptoms and tick prevention: NHS
• Town centre car park tariffs: Sevenoaks District Council
• Gruffalo trail dates, daily times, ticket requirement and access: National Trust, The Gruffalo Art Adventure at Knole
• Free entry on Heritage Open Day, 15 September 2026: Heritage Open Days, Knole
• Pushchair rule in the showrooms, lockers, highchairs and the picnic area: National Trust, family-friendly visits to Knole

Opening times for every day to 31 December, admission prices and booking rules were re-checked against the National Trust’s own Knole pages on 8 September 2026; the Gruffalo dates, the Thursday ticket release and the booking rule for members were re-checked on 16 September 2026, the day after the Heritage Open Day passed. Nothing is published beyond 31 December yet, and tickets sell out at weekends, so confirm before you travel.