Minster In Thanet - a short walk

On the way to Minster I stopped off to look at the windmill at Herne. I like villages and was put off in the past by the large sprawl of Herne Bay but today curiosity overcame my prejudice and I drove up the hill to look at it. Unfortunately the mill wasn't open for visitors until 2pm, so not wanting to wait for another two hours or so I took some photos and pushed on. I travelled via Herne on the Canterbury road and turned off toward Hoath to try the back roads to Minster.

The mill at Herne

I got mildly lost but passed by some deeply cool green woodlands and probably crossed a river or two that was significant - may be the Wantsum as it seems to be everywhere around there
and gave me some typical Thanet views. The land is undulating to flat with crop fields stretching seemingly to the horizon interspersed with runs on willows along the banks of waterways and the inevitable pub tucked away on some crossroads of small village. Lovely.

A view into the grounds of the Abbey

Although I have been to or through Minster before it has been a fleeting visit stopping in the Bell Inn for a meal and a quick look around. Today I was armed with camera and stopping at the Bell for a snack and a jar of Shepherd Neame I took time to walk. Before I tell of the walk I have to say that the Bell is a good choice for a convivial drink and lunch although on the opposite corner there is a cafe and a wine bar that is worth a look in.

I started off from the pub and walked first around the churchyard and emerged onto Church Lane intending to see if there was a chance of visiting the Augustine Abbey but being a Sunday there were devotions going on and visitors are requested to arrive on Saturday afternoons.

I went past the Abbey and on up the slight rise to a yellow bar gate to a public footpath sign and entered. A pleasant Polish worker told me that the path followed the concrete farm road but he was not too sure of the exact route from there. As it turned out I walked instead following the wall alongside the pathway and turned into a small road on the right that led back to Church Lane. On the left I discovered a footpath sign and followed that past a rest home complex. As I plodded on a fox rose from where it was resting and trotted off quickly into the bush which was odd because to disappear completely from view he had to cross a stream. I crossed a bridge and from there the track floowed the railway line crossing it just beyond the signal box past Minster station.

A view across well tilled and cropped fields close to Minster

Crossing the track was easy and I had the treat of seeing a choo-choo in the station and watched it move off. (Choo-choo?) The path followed the railway line and again we crossed on a curve - one has to be careful here - into a field turning left and then following the path to eventually reach a graded farm road. Turning left as it seemed the village must be that way because ahead of me there was a view of the power station cooling towers, a dominant sight in this flat land, following this until again we crossed the tracks.

I followed the concrete road past fields with a view of the Minster church across the way and arrived back at my starting point on the path where again I met the friendly Polish worker.

There are a few more pathways around Minster but today was a short walk (about 3km) with the intention of getting the feel for a Thanet exploration.

Anyway, the afternoon was not wasted as I enjoyed the walk in what is some delightful Kent countryside and at walking pace yields some interesting views and of course exercises the ageing body.

The Bell Inn

Sissinghurst in Summer

The charm of Sissinghurst gardens is that whatever season you arrive there is always something different to see. This day I was determined to see the White Rose Garden in its full summer glory. I was lucky. The garden was at its best with the sun shining, people marvelling at the layout and the abundant white roses, plus the other white themed plants that abound in the formal layout.

As I said with Sissinghurst there is always something different to see and, answering a call of nature I was surprised to see a Swallow sitting on a nest in the entrance to the Gent's toilets - naturally I took a picture.

There are more Swallows in the Barn which I notice is being refurbished. It is also the way out to see the new vegetable garden which has, so I was told, been shown on the telly. News to me, as i do not watch the telly.

A Swallow looking confused and bemused in an unlikely place.
Extremely busy!

This was a brief visit to look at the rose garden devised by the Sackville-Wests as I have always only seen it when it was finished or just beginning to blossom.

I was impressed.

I was also impressed by the myriad different colors in the gardens as I wandered around. The gardens always please and are ever changing so I offer these few pictures as a contrast to the white roses.

A delightful corner of extreme color - whatever the planst are they are very pretty.

Mind you, I enjoyed seeing the Swallows.

Gunpowder experience

The Gunpowder Works at Oare, now a Countryside Park is part of Kent's heritage and this dangerous activity was once a mainstay of Oare and Faversham's manufacturing. Faversham, that ancient town, home of Shepheard Neame brewery, the Hop Festival and the centre of the apple and pear growing was also the home of a thriving gunpowder industry and to learn the extent of the trade a visit to the Oare Gunpowder Works is an education.

Part of the old works buildings

Set in the Bysing Woods the vistor is treated to a casual walk, a pleasant place for a picnic and on July 12th 2009 an entertainment to boot!

Artists in the Woods is the theme where artists will show off their skills and give the public a chance to take part. Musicians wiill play and sing and where you are likely to come upon some wandering poets who will read and recite.

As a bonus there are a pair of swans with their cygnets on the lake for the visitor to see and as the music will be acoustic the visitor can listen to the birds and catch sight of fleeting squirrels.

We liked the pathways that allow access to most of the site by wheelchair and buggy and most of all the place is green and tranquil.

Myself, James Apps and my two fellow Island Artists Bob Collins and Bill Anthony will be performing.

However, the place is worth a visit especially if you also take a trip to the Three Mariners at Oare and sample their ale and food.

Part of the gentle walking path

Ellen Terry's home - Smallhythe

Smallhythe House is steeped in theatrical history. Once the home of the Victorian Actor Ellen Terry it is now part of the National Trust who naturally take a pride in celebrating the actor's history and performances. The house is old but then so is the area - as far as people living there are concerned - and was once a port on the Stour. Today the house is a museum of the Victorian stage which inside is well worth a visit although having already seen the inside for this day I chose to see the gardens alone and leave the house to another time.

The gardens were designed by the actor in part and today we can enjoy the Rose garden and enjoy the roses that clamber over the building adding color to the 15th century walls. I wandered the gardens enjoying the sudden bright color that although not overwhelming seemed to be abundant offering little surprises as I walked around the cut lanes through the nuttery and peeped at the house through gaps in the hedges.


I mentioned that the house is a museum but to imagine it as a deadly dull train of exhibits would be wrong; the place is alive with the presence of Ellen Terry as if living there she claimed it for her own and made a mark on it that will not be eradicated. And as if to emphasise that life there is the barn which is being thatched but still open and in use as a theatre. It is there that memories of great actors are embedded in the story of the house where greats have stood on the stage and played their parts and where many others have contributed to its running. It is there that a program of plays and performances is carried out during the year and in the Summer there is to be played a Shakespeare play. This year's offering is As You Like It and I hope to be one of the audience.

A view of the house from the rose garden

As a romantic and soppy cat owner (I am soppy not the cat) I like to wander around thinking about soft furry animals, birds, bees and other creatures. As a result I have time to sit and reflect on the slow growth of a garden and how it changes and develops over many years and yet when one returns to it the changes are not always that obvious. Smallhythe is like that and as the years pass so the garden seems to mature but although I am sure it was different the last time I visited it I am sure it was the same. I found that reassuring.

Roses in the rose garden

To sit where Ellen Terry may have sat and contemplate such silly things as my cat and the evidence of Rabbits trying to take over the grassy knolls; and try to visualise the ship building and the nature of the port ( the name Hythe says such was the nature of the place) and imagine water where there are now fields. On leaving the place I took the road to Oxney Island and as I passed the river flats I could see the water meadows that are now part of the land.

The Rose arbor from the Gazebo

Smallhythe house is a part of our heritage and well worth a visit. The atmosphere is peaceful yet alive as if the Victorians have left behind a spirit (Gin I expect) that is there for the visitor to absorb and take a little away with them as an inspiriation for their own creative bent. I felt the atmosphere in the barn as the stage unfolded to my view. A person was dressing a figure in costume and we chatted recognising the actor in each other - she an actor and myself a poetry performer and actor - she showed her enthusiasm and declared that being on stage and also in the audience at the Barn is a wonderful experience.

Visit Smallhythe and feel two parts of our history - that connected to the stage and that of our maritime prowess. You will not be disappointed. Also, a treat, a pair of Swallows nesting in the cafe.

Some Have Greatness Thrust Upon Them

We aimed for Sarre and the windmill but instead we turned off at St Nicholas at Wade and saw there was an open garden event going on. So we circled the village and ended up parking in St Nicholas Court where we bought tickets and started on the hike around the open gardens. The guide sheet had a little paragraph at the bottom to say that 'we hope you enjoy your visit to St Nicholas at Wade' and we have to say that we did indeed enjoy it.


This is an ancient Pyrocanthea that Daphne is pointing at. I mean ancient!

We were impressed not only by the gardens which were all working gardens and lived in except for 12A that was put together at the last moment and looked as if the owner had worked on it up to the day of showing. She had! The result was a garden under development that was fresh, bright and surprisingly, once the visitor had stopped to take a good look at it, a well laid out garden that had great potential.



The 14thC undergrond chapel at St Nicholas Court





The treat was visiting St Nicholas Court - and later we learned that this had been owned by the family Tapp whome we met later in the day. The Grandfather grew roses in tandem with fruit trees, mostly apples and the result was a wonderful combination of emerging fruit and rose blooms that entwined with the branches. The rest of the Tapp family had adopted a similar approach and here it gets complicated - the granddaughter and her husband, a most charming couple, live in a house that once belonged to the grandfather and hence there was an ancient apple tree with an equally ancient rose bush embracing it. In the grandaughter's mother's garden there was a similar invasion.





The amazing thing about the visit was the friendliness and the enthusiasm of the people for their church and village. Nothing was pristine which was refreshing and at each place we went the owners were happy to chat and happy to know that two out of towners were willing to come and look at their offerings.



A typical gable end



St Nicholas at Wade is one of those villages that are set off the main road and warrant only a sign pointing the way yet when the visitor arrives it is obvious there is more to the place than merely a pub and a few houses. The buildings are unusual and from the shapes of some gable ends one can see a Dutch influence. The older houses in the most cases have been added to but their 18thC origins remmain and from were the occasional Tudor house is placed it is also obvious that there were more Tudor originals. In other words the place is steeped in history which we have yet to discover.





This cottage is set in a disused chalkpit - circa 1720 which means the pit was worked out by the lime burners sometime before 1800.



We took many pictures of the gardens and the village and as the week end was devoted to the restoration of the church we were also pleased to add to the coffers in return for the openess of the residents. I took a picture of the restored church tower and naturally chose to take it framed by trees and roses. We had said that this time of year is the best time for roses although roses are seen for a long time during the summer.

We can recommend taking time to visit St Nicholas at Wade and maybe combining the visit with a walk to Sarre.





As an accidental visit the day was most enjoyable and has increased our desire to explore Thanet more widely.

West Malling - a thriving Kent village

On a sunny but breezy day we decided to have a look at West Malling which was the place when we lived on the edge of the Medway Towns was our council There is still a council presence but we were not aware of it. In fact we went to Manor Park country park and walked from there to visit the town ship. We picked a beautiful day with clear skies and enough wind for people to fly kites and a cooling breeze to fend off the otherwise hot sunshine. We walked the perimeter from the car parking area where new building is going on to construct a toilet block, kiosk and a visitor's centre. The sign informed us that cattle grazed the meadow land but we saw none and instead enjoyed the buttercups and clover that peeped out of the grass creating a glow that complimented the fresh green of the trees and shone like golden butter in the sunshine.

Imagine our delight when walking beside the lake we saw a pair of Swans and six cygnets on the opposite and protected bank that a few minutes later began to swim majestically back to their nest ushering their brood along like a flotilla of small ships. We also had the treat of watching a mother with her boy and a baby girl feeding the ducks and a friendly squirrel and a pair of water voles who decided to partake of the treat.

The country park is a mixture of easy walking, play area for children and will give families a chance to get together and play games of have a picnic. The family we met are regular users of the
park and told us much about the Swans' progress with their family - the boy told us about how to feed the ducks and the cheeky squirrel. Most enjoyable.

Wildlife - and many birds singing and tweeting in the trees. Luverley! (Noisy little ---) here the squirrel poses for the camera

From the park we crossed the road to look at St Leonard's Tower - he wasn't in but we heard his pigeons calling. This is a Norman tower keep that was used as an administration centre that could also be defended if need be.

St Leonard's Tower

We wandered from there along the road past Malling house and Douce manor to the church that domintaes the high point of the town. From there we walked down the pathway past a school and past a delightful row of houses which led us to the Frightened Crow pub which we walked on past to Norman road and West Street where we had a sandwich lunch at Ragamuffins Craft Cafe. I can recommend this place. It is not flashy and at first glance you might want to pass it by but the sandwiches were excellent and the tea tasty so pop in and eat. The service was good too - cheerful people with a local identity. From there we walked back up to the church along the high street and back down again to turn right and head toward the Abbey.

The centre of West Malling is attractive with Tudor buildings and many others of later eras that track the progress of the main street from earlier times to the twentieth century. Some buildings have Georgian and Victorian facades built on to early buildings. A pleasant mixture of ancient and almost modern.

A Tudor house in King Street

Like many Kent villages there is always something of interest to surprise you and as we walked into the area before the Abbey gates we met a person who was tending the garden. She told us much about the Abbey and explained that it was a working Abbey with Nuns in residence who run retreats (allowing visitors to have respite time) and she told us of the gardens and the cascade further along the road.

The stream cascades from an arch in the wall of the Abbey.

It was there we discovered that West Malling must have had a brewery. The old buildings are now apartments and further along the road there is a delightful cottage once attached to the brewery. We saw the water fed by the stream that runs through the country park and headed out of the village to turn right following the perimeter of the Abbey wall into Water Lane. Gluttons for punishment we retraced our steps down the High Street to see the London Road end.

A general concensus (we polled each other and the person working at the Abbey and the old gentleman we met ) was that the village was crowded with vehicles. We learned that medieval gates were likely to be short lived simply because cart drivers would crash into them and cause damage. Speeding carts seemed to match the excessive speed of those drivers who negotiated the narrow confines of West Street with a few exceptions, namely the police patrol car and a motorcyclist who drove carefully past the cafe. The speed limit is 20mph in the precincts.

Again there was a delightful garden with the statue of Hope standing under trees and below the old houses of King Street by which we returned to West Street after first taking a short excursion down a side road. We had a pleasant chat with an 89 year old resident who recommended the Bull Inn across the road for a decent pint; which was only right, he should know.

A view along King Street

We completed the walk from King Street back up the high street and turning into the Manor Park and across the meadows back to the car. On the whole a pleasant stroll and although we missed the opportunity to have lunch in one of the many West Malling pubs we did finish off the day with a slice of cake and a cuppa in the Old Mill tea rooms.

The place was busy despite the FA cup final on the goggle box - maybe the residents are more interested in outdoor pursuits than silly games. The downside of the place is the prolific number of cars and the narrow roads they have to negotiate; and the reluctance of some drivers to drive to the speed limits.

What did the Romans do for us?

I decided that the last day of the half term break excluding the weekend which I would have off anyway should be a day of recreation. So, after doing some chores in the morning, apologising to the cat for leaving her on her own and doing a couple of tasks downtown I set off for Sandwich and the Roman port of Richborough. The Romans called the place Rutupiae and I expect that was what it was called for many centuries. The ruins - although if you look at from my perspective you could say that since AD43 the Roman builders have taken a heck of a long time to finish the place. You can see the foundations and the rest of the buildings but without the reconstruction it is a little difficult to immediately imagine the finished fort.

A view of the interior

The walls, in spite of my comments about not finishing them, are impressive and are well worth a look to see the pains taken over the construction. If the Romans used slave labor then there must have been some skilled slaves or some extremely vigilant overseers. The construction engineering alone is impressive without the concept of what the wall was for - to keep people out and as a platform from which to kill them if they tried to get in. This item cannot do justice to Rutupiae but I will attempt to paint a picture of the fortress. Imagine a large area clear of vegetation other than a few trees close to a river which was once much wider and part of an inlet - the Wantsum - and the fort was set on an island. Ships could dock at its foot as can be seen by the lie of the land where there is a low escarpment and the logical placement of the original roads and gates. The roads that start from the landing place cut through the emplacements to the fourway arch and head North, East South and West with the west gate leading out across the land as the start of the main Roman road through Kent.

The wooden bridge to the left crossing the ditch is the start of Watling Street (Is this the A2?)

The amazing thing is also to learn that Richborough was the start of the road we know as Watling Street and when you see where it started along with the reconstruction you can with a stretch of the imagination and with the aid of a modern map begin to see where this history stuff kicks in.

As a complementary part of the trip I continued to the coast again close to Whitstable and stopped off at Reculver where at one time there would have been a Roman establishment that although not as elaborate as Richborough would nevertheless be a garrison to help protect trade and such on the Wantsum. Today all we see is the towers of the massive church that was once there and evidence of Roman walls close to the pub. I did not have time to take the walk around Reculver but from what I can see from the leaflet I picked up in the pub it is a good stride around the place. Like Richborough it is a bit flat and bleak but what can you expect from a coastal region? However, the towers are worth a visit and I was happy to see a family with children playing running and wrestling games where once Romans and their eventual usurpers trod, worshipped and did normal Roman things.

A Roaming Rabbit at Rutupiae - is this a direct descendent of the creatures the Romans brought with them?

And naturally we have to look at what the Romans did for us - they created trade, roads, brought new ideas, new foods, beat the daylights out of us, the idea of cheap labor and of course the dear, furry little bunny. But I d recommend taking a look at Richborough and relating its impact if you can to the modern world.