Newnham and Sharsted House

Newnham, tucked away in a fold between Doddington and Lynsted is one of those places you often drive through and think ' I should have a look at this place sometime' but you keep putting it off. This time we wandered out there and parked in The George Inn car park. Again as always I suggest you ask permission first and support the local pubs by planning lunch and sampling the ales. The George was most welcoming and I can recommend the food - sounds like I always do but that is because so far in this year of walking and blogging we have had nothing to complain about. The George comes up to what we are steadily discovering is a high standard of affordable lunch meals and excellent service in Kent pubs. The George is no exception; added to which the landlord was happy to show off the walks in his area; good man!

The George and the Church on this terrific February day

The walking: there is a recognised walk mapped out to lead you back to The George but as usual we ignored and relied on our personal sat-nav (a map of the area and propensity to follow our noses) and headed out to Sharsted Lane and up to the woods and Sharsted manor. The manor is a magnificent place set in woods with a wall surrounding with tennis courts which we were told was the residence of Virginia Wade. Impressed. We walked through Sharsted woods to Doddington church and the old Vicarage and took the footpath that leads across the Doddington House estate preferring to avoid the village itself in favor of walking back to The George for lunch. I suggest here that you book a table when you turn up at the pub - the service is much more friendly when the landlord is assured of a customer or two.

The Gatesof Sharsted Manor and the building

After lunch we headed up the road opposite for the little settlement of Seed enjoying the afterno0n sunshine; a treat for a February day and realising we were over-dressed. I nearly took one of my pullovers off wishing I had left my coat in the car. This time of the year is strange regarding the weather - sometimes it is cold and even at noon we shiver or there is a touch of spring and like this day, the 21st was almost a warm spring day. If the trees were not bare and the ground not so wet we could have been walking in spring. However, the walking. At Seed by the cross roads there is a path that will take you back to Newnham via the back road behind Seed. We took this and deviated a little on another path that led down to the Eastling road and down to the The George again.

The magnificent Doddington House from the estate grounds.

As you come out onto this road from the Seed footpath there is another opposite that will take you to the Ottenden road much further along where you can walk to Eastling. Being casual walkers the time was getting to the point where we would be walking at sunset and did not like the idea of tromping along in the dusk so the shorter route was better. The path has a couple of branches which will take you to a few interesting places which we will explore at a later time.

In the meantime our short offering is hopefully good enough to guide you around the place and catch some of the sweeping countryside views as well as experience excellent brews and good service.

The Compasses Pub and beyond

Happy, friendly staff inside The Compasses

My intrepid Sister and I, now on our own peculiar pilgrimage along and beside the Pilgrim's Way, decided that after the visit to Chilham we should have look at Sole Street close to Chartham. As you can see we are getting closer to Canterbury but not yet committed to crawling on our knees to pay homage to St Thomas a Beckett. The day was sunny and warmer than most although there was a little snow on the ground on the hills and as we travelled along the A20. As you can see from our other posts we often lunch at a local pub. The criteria is that the pub must not be a plastic fantastic and preferably serve real ales or in Kent Shepheard Neame, and offer good food at affordable prices. The idea is to walk the paths in the area or to spend time exploring the town or village or a natural feature, historic monument or simply becasue we have not been there before.

The Compasses Pub - a pleasantly located pub with good food and a beer garden for summer.

In this case we looked on the map and saw Sole Street and the convenient pub plus a Woodland Trust forest not far away. Denge Woods seemed an ideal place to go for a stroll although we expected after the snow and rain to put up with mud and soggy tracks. Plan of action: have a cup of coffee in the pub and go for a stroll locally; have lunch and then drive on to Denge wooods for a walk.

The view across the fields to Anvil Green

We stuck to the plan and enjoyed a sunny walk that took us into farmlands and gave us an inkling into what the area has to offer. We had arrived the long way round from Godmersham and on the way there were some tempting hill paths to walk which if we had more time, limited by the daylight hours, we may have walked through those as well. The trick is to head back to where Crundale is supposed to be on the map (park at the pub and book a table for lunch - more about that later) and look for the footpath as you go down the hill. Thios will lead you across fields to Barton Wood and from there you will find paths into Denge wood itself as well as a cross paths back to Sole Street.

A muddy track in Denge Wood

As for the Woodlands Trust area it was up to its usual high standard of treatment and probably because we lingered a little over lunch it was getting toward mid afternoon by the time we reached there but it was well worth it. There is plenty to see and with that odd attraction of winter when the silver birches stand out starkly against the cold skies and accentuate the bare woods and the undergrowth battered by the elements yet struggling to put on a brave show we lingered a little looking the scenery. And although this was mid winter it was warm and glowing and in the centre of the clearing - shown on the right - there was a seat for visitors to sit and enjoy the vista. We also found grass straw and footprints on the path that suggested a badger carrying nesting material. The problem with a short walk in the woods is that there are more to be seen and so we determined to return especially when the bluebells are in bloom!

Now, as for the Comapasses: the place is 15th Century, low ceilinged with a warm fire for winter and a varied program of events to attract visitors but that is not the attraction. The food is excellent and well presented, does not cost an arm and a leg and as this was St Valentine's Day there was a menu offered to suit. I noted from the events board that a special meal was on for Mother's Day. Again, that is not the attraction. The staff are friendly and for us they reserved the table we were sitting at for our coffee earlier on and welcomed us with smiles and unobtrusive service - now that is real skill!

The pub is a weekend friendly place and made our visit to the area well worth while. Maybe we can use that as a pilgrimage of sorts and go there in the summer for a longer walk.

Painters Forstal - The Elusive Gem

The Alma pub - good food, good atmosphere

website address for more informationis;

http://www.thealmapubkent.com/

Painters Forstal is one of those places you drive through or past on your way to and from Faversham and Ashford, or see signposted as you drive somewhere else. At last that was what happened to us most of the time until we decided to have a look at this little village. So we turned oof before Faversham off the A2 and followed the signposts along skinny roads until, crossing the M2 we arrived at the village and were forced to slow down to appreciate its charm. Imagine a cold winter's day with the threat of the snow following us from the north and a need to keep warm hoping that the clouds would clear and present at least a sunny day and you have it.

Bell Tower House - just one of the grand house in Painters Forstal

We parked in the Alma car park although I would suggest that if you are intending to walk around the village you ask the landlord and be prepared to have lunch there - the car park is small and needed for patrons. This is a place to walk to from somewhere else but the walk is worth it and on a summer's day a hike from Ospringe or Faversham would be a good idea. The pub is compact place with a warm atmosphere and above all good food. A visit for the meals would be enough.

However, there is a good reason for walking around the village and that is the wildlife reserve behind the prep-school grounds where there is evidence of a well planted avenue of large Chestnuts(the useful sweet ones you can eat) and some good views. This time of the year until it gets a little warmer the walker has to be wary of getting caught out in the dark on unfamiliar pathways so our policy is to more or less plan short walks that circle around to where we parked the car(usually the pub) so this is what we did.

A tour of the village revealed some old buliding and some that were new but tastefully designed to fit in with the area and some surprsingly thoughtful layouts that make Painters Forstal a pretty village. Mummery Close is a well designed section with a green area that overlooks the valley below and gives a light and sunny aspect to the houses and gardens. A treat is to pop along and see Bell Tower House - you can find that for yourself but a clue is to go back along the road toward the M2 and at the same time see the views from there across the valley.

The view from the gate of Parsonage Farm

But the walk around the reserve was a treat. From the row of houses known as Green Lees you find the entrance and follow the pathway into the trees and then from there walk down to the bridge across the gully where a gate leads to White Hills Cottages - from there you can walk up into the hills on the opposite side of the valley and come down through the woods back to Painters Forstal. We followed the roughly indicated path around the perimeter and up the hill looking back down the valley in the bright afternoon sun. Note, we said, the prolific number of mole hills that dotted the paddocks below. The little buggers have been busy - a good year for moles - plenty of water, plenty of worms and good digging. A groundsman's nightmare but for us a pleasant reflection on what is quite an attractive little mammal. It was nice to see them undisturbed by anti-mole devices.

The area is dotted with evergreens and with the decidious trees bereft of leaves they stood out in all their beauty. The day was a pleasant one and we were glad that we had not missed the place and left it out of our itinery. Painters Forstal is a little gem not far from Faversham, itself a historic town, and fits well within the group of villages that surround the busy Swale borough.

Mole hills or mountains

And as a poscript to the walk I also added this picture of the woodland walk - the avenue of chestnuts catching the afternoon sun, naked but still impressive. The reserve is a nature friendly reserve although my only complaint would be that people walking their dogs tend to leave the droppings behind so tread carefully as I am sure the landlord of the Alma would not like dog poo on his floors.

A Cold Day In Chilham

When my sister suggested Chilham she thought that I had visited the place before and was surprised when I said no, this is my first visit. So was I surprised when suddenly after a walk from a convenient car park accessed from the A252 the village square opened up and I realised how old the place must be. My camera worked overtime clicking shots of the ancient buildings, the church and the mistletoe hanging in the trees. I thought of Druids and wondered how the heck they were going to climb up and harvest the stuff wearing those funny robes. We did a quick tour of the village square and the churc - quick because it was getting near lunch time - and took our ease in the White Horse Inn. Note that the Inn is at the entrance to the churchyard which I think is the best arrangement for two such establishments. The one to nurture the soul and the other to help sustain the body.

On the right is the approach from the car park at the bottom of Turners Hill showing one of the older houses of which there are too many to describe. The suggestion being that although Chilham may be crwoded out with visitors in the summer months it is well worth a visit. We spent a little time in the square and around the village climbing the streets starting in the square itself taking a look at the castle grounds through the gate and then past the White Horse Inn to the magn ificent church down into the graveyard and up again to discover some alleyways that led past the rear gardens of bungalows. These were delightful, although modern brick, with gardens in square spaces between the houses that are neatly cultivated and down through the housing to the Woolpack Inn. Frome there we climbed back up to the square and had luinch In the White Horse.

I can recommend the White Horse as a place to lunch. It has a menu that covers most tastes and is affordable. The atmosphere is pleasant with a mixture of, as my sister put it, space for people who just want a pint and for those who want a meal. The pint was nice. The food tasty with the advantage that most of the food is local and they offer organic meat and free range chickens and eggs. I like that.

Outside ye olde village shoppe, the only place apart from the pubs and the post office shop that was open. Chilham goes into winter mode and closes down which is a pity because the tea shop has a reputation for excellent cream teas; a must for tourists and local visitors. However, on this cold day a warming meal and a pint or some coffee was a good idea and aof course a walk around the place.

We took off after lunch past the White Horse and down to the A252 where it is crossed by the North Downs Way and walked along the road back toward Challock. We had a look at the Chilham village hall and was suitably impressed. From there we turned off along Dane Street which promised a by-way that led us up the hill to the North Downs Way once more giving us some woodland views and some views of the Stour valley in winter. The soft colors subdued by the winter sunshine and the misty air gives the countryside a golden glow in late January and once we had warmed up we could appreciate the beauty.

On the way up from the main road we looked back and caught this view of the farmlands and hills we had left behind at the road. The contrast of dark winter shade under the trees and the sunlight playing on the delicate shapes of the bare trees below with the hills in the distance added a pleasure to the walk that is not to be missed. Bear in mind this is an observation from a man who likes the hot sun and and trees full of leaves this is rare praise indeed. But as always there are some views that detract from the beauty of a place and the ancient monument discovered on the way was a disappointment. However we carried on and walked through woodlands and down along the North Downs Way back to Chilham and again we were treated to a typical rural sight. Soft lit hills harrowwed and ready for spring and two oast houses caught by the sun against background of the downs. A walk worth doing and in the afternoon given that the sun gave up a little after four and the cold became a little more intense we were glad to get back to Chilham after what was a stroll of some four or five kilometres.

I have spent a little more time on Chilham because although I would like to put more photos of the village on the blog I think the place deserves a visit. Too much from me would take the pleasure away from you and spoil your surprise. If, like me, you had not visited Chilham then I recommend going as soon as you can and enjoy what I have. And secretly I think Chilham is my sister's favorite place and she was pleased to carry me there and show the place off.