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.

In recognition of a useful little book

Not all of our walks are accidental and although he hasn't asked me to I want to acknowledge the contribution to our pleasure that Mike Easterbrook has made to our exccursions. This little book has some excellent walks and is not only well laid out but the directions are extremely accurate. Most of the walks we have followed and sometimes added to as the mood has taken us have been most enjoyable and where there were said to be good views they were there to be seen. It is a delight to watch others taking the same trails and enjoying the walks as much as my sister and I so I take the opportunity to say thank you Mike for your time and effort.

I have also posted a review on Amazon.

West Peckham Pub Walk

We have a little book (reminiscent of the Mikado and his little list) that describes pub walks in Kent and on the list is The Swan on the Green at West Peckham. So, with a desire for a good lunch and a walk we set off to try the place out. Surprise! The pub brews its own beer and I can shay without doubtt...that the beer is verra good. Having tasted small samples of each - we both had some - I settled on the strong bitter Bewick Swan which was delicious and so easy to go down that one has to take care when imbibing because it is definitely moreish. The young lady who served me was giggling and worrying about being 'snapped' but she need not have worried - it was the pint that took my interest!

You park in the pub car park and go in for a cup of coffee or a beer and be sensible on summer week eneds and book a table. I can recommend doing that with all pub walks as it not only makes your day an enjoyable one but it also helps to keep a precious part of our English heritige in place - i.e. the country pub. Besides, it is polite to let the landlord know that you appreciate his or her amenities. Not only that you also learn much about the locality and get a warm and friendly welcome.

A pretty cottage not far from the village.

As for the walk itself you stagger out of the pub and visit St Dunstans church on the way crossing the green to a kissing gate and follow the path to Pear Tree Cottage. From there you go through a gate into a strawberry field and follow the perimeter to a posted gap which will lead you out onto the road past a stone cottage with a magnificent willow tree growing in the garden. There is a gate and wide track which you take leading up a hill past views of the valley to a marker post which then directs you past orchards - apple, raspberry and apple, to a track between two orchards. Look for the huge trees in the paddocks.

The track leads out onto Gover Hill Road and a cross roads where you will be directed to take the narrow road up the hill. We deviated and took a path through part of the National Trust woodland and was treated to a viewing point over the Medway river valley.

The road will lead you to a cross roads where there is a private road up to Hurst Manor - take a stroll up the road and for a few moments stand and look at the view.


View from the look-out in Gover Woods

One of the attractions of West peckham is the quiet roads and this makes walking a pleasure. The area is so pleasant for walking with so many footpaths and bridleways to choose from that if you should feel like it you could arrive at the Swan early in the morning, do a four hour walk, have an excellent lunch and walk it off in time for the evening opening.

Right, a few words about the lunch. The menu is small but covers most tastes and being small this means that what is served is of high quality. The produce used in the cooking is sourced locally wherever they can and it is obvious that it is also fresh (as opposed to frozen and zapped) and prepared and cooked on the premises. I had the sea-food platter which was excellent with fresh bread that was light yet tasty and Daphne had the asparagus dish. Both portions were enough to enjoy and not too large to exclude a dessert. Again as local as you can get and delicious.

Walking the lunch off was a pleasure.

Although we used the pub walks guide for our walk it is obvious that other walks can be taken in the area with no more than a good West kent road map and a little common sense as to direction and pace.

As a perk of the walking tour we saw this delightful display of red Hawthorn blossom which, like the white blossom and the wonderful spring blooms cascading from garden shrubs and wild trees alike gives us a magnificent visual treat.

Sheffield Park Gardens - Spring and Rhododendrons

Sheffield Park Gardens belong to the National Trust and one of the great advantages of belonging to the NT is that you can visit more than once and get the benefit of seasonal changes. I have already blogged the gardens when I paid a visit to them in the fall and was excited (daft old ---) when the thought of seeing the Rhododendrons in bloom. So, my intrepid sister and self set off sharpish in the morning to have a look. Below is a selection of pictures from the day.

The idea of going to Sheffield Park Gardens was almost shelved when the weather before the weekend looked as if was going to be more suitable for the Canard than the average National Trust punter, but we were wrong and the sun came out to bless us with its light on the beautiful gardens.

The features of the gardens are the lakes and bridges and the fantastic water views that in all seasons add to the beauty and as my Sister pointed out the ability of 'Capability' Brown to design a garden that is good in all seasons and adds layers of interest to the created landscape. It is like reading a good book: first you read the story and enjoy the tale and then you start to read the sub-text and finally you reach the deeper, philosophical and spiritual layers that you alone create from what is presented to you. The gardens yake on a life of their own and you can imagine the work of laying down the design, creating the basic reality and then watching the garden develop knowing that you as a gardener, the owner or even the many time visitor see it as a snap shot - a brief moment in the life of the organism that is on display.

Water views from the gardens are always appealing.

The attraction of Sheffield Park is that no matter when you visit you will always be delighted by what is around the next corner and be surprised by the different views offered by the changing seasons.

These modest looking shrubs blend in wonderfully with the new spring growth and captivate the watcher.

In Spring we are bound to be looking at Rhododendrons; those exotic shrubs so beloved of the Victorians (and earlier collectors) that dominate the south east of England at this time of the year. We have many varieties but none so many as those that grow in the hills above India and the lower heights of Nepal yet we are delighted by the many we have. Note that the area around Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge abound with Rhodos and on the way to Sheffield Gardens were offered the sight of many gardens on the way with magnificent specimens.

The pink blooms are rich in color and reflect the sunlight with a singular pride.

Sheffield Park is Old Folk user friendly and accessible by wheelchairs and indeed there are buggies and wheelchairs that can be used on site. Not only are the gardens a delight for the old but they are also a wonderland for children whose eyes seem to widen even further than it is possible for children's eyes to widen as they do as we do - stand and stare at the wonderful seasonal blossom.

As they say in the jargon the upside is that the gardens are accesssible for all and are also close to the Bluebell Railway and would therefore make a wonderful weekend combination. There are seats and wide spaces for picnics and some interesting trees with lots of little nooks for children to hide in. The downside is that it is difficult to do both in one day.

An Old Folk hams it up showing red on red.

We found people friendly and willing to share their experiences and to take part in the fun of taking photos. A camera is a necessary item here and adds to the pleasure of being able to share your experience with others. We can recommend the park as a must see destination.

How to get there?

Look it up on the RAC route map but we found from Sittingbourne it was a matter of turning the right way along the M20 and wandering along the M26 to the M25 and turning off at the A22 via East Grinstead - do not go to Uckfield but take the A275 and follow the signs. You also pass through Pooh Country and the wonderful Ashdown Forest. we returned via Heathfield and Hawkhurst along the A272 passing through some lovely Sussex countryside.

A visit to Marle Place - a nice place for a Teddy Bear's picnic.

The thing is with Kent and its villages, gardens and woodlands is that in Spring they are green and fresh; in Summer the sun brings out the roses and in Autumn we are given the pleasure of the brilliant Autumn colors. Winter has its own charm and as you can see from our recent blog posts we have indulged in such excursions.

Marle Place from the croquet lawns - there are hammers and balls and hoops set up (no Flamingos and Hedgehogs or playing cards but there is place for a game)

Marle Place near Horsmenden. We picked a leaflet out of the pile in the car glove box and thumbed through them realising that although we had often looked at the leaflet we had not been to Marle Place so, as usual, we decided on a whim to pay it a visit. The idea was to take a look at the gardens and then go on somewhere else for lunch. Instead we had a snack of cake and tea and walked the gardens. There was more than enough to take our interest. In fact the place is beautiful, well cared for and has an atmosphere of welcome and relaxation that is apparant around every corner. I think it is the artists and artistry that abounds in the gardens and the gallery and the attention paid to detail that seems simple but is so well done that the visitor is captivated by its charm.

The charm of the gardens is that the visitor is allowed to see everything except inside the house or the immediate area around the dwelling. The delightful fern garden is almost an intrusion on the family privacy but the visitor does not feel like a voyeur because he is invited to look and enjoy. The visitor can also enjoy a swing in the woods on the woodland walk which at this time of the year offers up the sight of mature bluebells and wild orchids which are a contrast to the orchids displayed in the 19thC greenhouses close to the tea shop and entry buildings.

The word Welcome on the sign board reflects the welcoming attitude of the volunteers and the owners. You help yourself to tea and coffee and cake and pay for it in an honesty box and take your purchases out to sit and admire the rockery (pictured above) and a little walk will take you to where azalea's grow in magnificent display close to the house.

This day also the drive there was a typical Spring experience with swathes of bluebells in the woods that can be viewed from the road if you don't drive too fast; and the bright Spring blossom that seems to sprout from every country garden. This all augmented by the emerging white blossom of the Hawthorne trees.

A view of the rockery.

We can recommend a visit to Marle Place - as the song says - you can be sure of a big surprise.

The surprises are not just that you can swing in the woods or admire the not so pristine Morris Minor that must by now have definitely failed an MOT but the other sculptures dotted about in the gardens and the wonderful blend of color, smell, texture and viewpoints that present themsleves.

Yes, Marle Place is a place to go for a pleasant afternoon.