Faversham - an interesting town.

Faversham, the home of Shepherd Neame brewery and the historical gunpowder works. We drink the beer and enjoy it as part of Kent's unique flavor, the place where many hundreds of workers from London would come each year to pick hops, and each year enjoy the mayhem of the Hop Festival. This day my intrepid sister and myself took a stroll around the town because it was too muddy for track walking and threatened rain. We needed to run for shelter.

So we began our trek from the car park in the centre of town and headed for the town square where there was a French market around the old Guildhall. On the left is a view of the clock tower and if you are around in July when Faversham has an open town (for a reasonable fee) the Guildhall is on the list and well worth a visit.

Alongside the guldhall is a pump that must have once been used as a fire pump and also to supply water to the town centre. The square is a busy place and even if you have no intention of shopping is well worth a visit - try The Bear public house and experience an atmosphere that is both welcoming and typical of Faversham's welcome to its visitors.

We did not go into the Bear but I can recommend the tavern for its beer and decor which is a mixture of much older times and the dominant 19th C. A cosy pub.

However, Faversham is a maritime town and it was great to see some barges in the creek being renovated and a project that we will follow up later on. The history of the Thames barges is an interesting one and at times I will touch on it but for the moment I have nothing to offer. Like all things at times we have to look, listen, learn and investigate before we can pronounce and this I intend to do. In the meantime look forward later in the year to some small items on Thames barges. The messy wharf looks bleak in the winter but I am sure that come summer the place will liven up.

We took a stroll up to the recreation ground where the Rugby Club has it pavilion and club house and walked the perimeter wheer we met a man with a lively dog and had a chat. It was pleasant to listen to him and share the time of day and I was impressed with the park which is an asset to residents with its well designed play area and neat gardens plus a view over the town to the dominating church spire.

This is just a taste of Faversham which is worthy of a longer visit, and in particular to take a walk around the town, pay a visit to the brewery and explore the paths around the area including the gunpowder works at Bysing Country Park.

On top of all that there is of course the wonderful Queen Elizabeth Grammer School building opposite the modern school to see that stands not far from Arden of Faversham's house where on occassion players will put on a version of the ancient story.