Lamberhurst

Wher do you go on a cold autumn day when you have explored much of East and West Kent and do not fancy freezing on the coast or wanderinbg around a city such as Canterbury pretending to go shopping? We have enjoyed much of our local area and have sorted some routes so that we can travel quickly to favorite places. We decided that Lamberhurst was a good place to go with the intention of exploring the village or town casually and plan further visits when the weather and the season is more friendly to casual walkers. It proved to be a pleasant trip although with not a lot of walking but enough to enjoy. We also discovered a leaflet in the local shop described as the 'High Weald Welly Walk' that guides the walker to Scotney Castle estate and to places of interest around Lamberhurst and Kilndown.

Lamberhurst, just off the A21, not far from Goudhurst and close to Scotney Castle. A pretty place in the summer and naturally we visited it in the late autumn. The day was sunny and cold and therefore ideal for walking although we did not want to tromp in mud. We are not that intrepid without a guide either in the form of a map or a walk plan. We stopped in the car park in town and strolled the main street taking a look at the wonderful church built of sandstone.

The rain during the week and the night before was so heavy that golf courses were closing for play so when we walked across the course on the buggy path and public footpath we were glad there was nobody at play. We did not linger in the church as there was a group inside doing what groups in churches do but it is worth a visit.

Lamberhurst has managed to do something unique with its buildings in most of the places we saw close to the centre. Firstly the old houses are well preserved and tidy which is a great asset for the place given the number of visitors it has in the summer, and secondly many new buildings have been tastefully designed to fit in with the older styles and do not look out of place. There are some modern styles but these are gratefully suppressed and the whole place is a picture - a photographic delight. The new mixes with the old gracefully.

With sunset getting earlier the problem with our jaunts is, apart from the walking conditions, is time. We have to adjust so if we want lunch we have to work it so that we have a return to the car with a short walk and make the longer one before. The problem with that idea is we often need a warming cup so this day we walked from the centre up to the church and back and stopped in the Chequers Inn for a coffee intending to eat there if needs be. The Chequers is a grand place with a polite and pleasant welcome, a good lunch menu if somewhat on the high side for price but quality seems excellent.

The bars of the Chequers are hung with paintings by local artist Jane Grey and worth a look. She uses colors and adds a wonderful excitement to her scenes. The paintings are well framed

and for sale. We didn't lunch there as it turned out finding the rest of Lamberhurst more interesting than hurrying back part way for a meal. Instead we nipped into the Swan where the locals were watching the Irish beat the South Africans at Rugby. A pint of local Sussex ale and a light lunch was taken and recommended as a place to go for food. We were treated to a pleasant, unobtrusive service, good food served by cheerful staff and heated by a warm open fire with a gentle reminder that Christmas is coming.

In all the day was pleasant and intruduced us to another part of the Weald that needs to be visited. Filled with history of Iron making, charcoal burning and clay work this area also has the Scotney estate and was once a Hop Growing area. I am glad because the beer in the Swan was good.

Battling around Battle

On this exciting day of wind and rain we spent a few hours in Battle. We made the border crossing past Hawkhurst and followed the signs leading to the A21. We followed the signs to Battle and parked in the Abbey car park with the intention of looking around Battle but did the trip to the Abbey as well. Even on a grey day with occasional sunshine, heavy rain and wind the place is impressive. The autumn colors set off the dreariness of the old buildings although the town is attractive. We had intended to walk the battle of Hastings site but the weather was not helpful and we decided against getting wet and cold and confined our stroll to having a look at the battlefield from Harold's point of view. A bit one eyed you might say but under the circumstances a wise move - which is more than could be said of Harold.

The battlefield does not create much of an impression until you can imagine a wall of Saxon shields on the ridge looking down on the approach (the line of trees mark the flat where Willy had to come) knowing that whatever you did the buggers would still be up there on the hill ready to hammer the daylights out of you if you backed off. An uncomfortable feeling even for expert fighters such as the Normans.

As the seat of our modern history it is underplayed which means that we get to see it without all the trappings of hyped up tourism in the off season. The idea of walking around the battlefield is excellent in warmer weather but the day was not conducive; nevertheless we saw much and gathered much potted information from the hand held speaking guides. Still, it was a sly French trick to use better tactics and win thus setting the pattern for the English propensity for turning certain victory into utter defeat. We learn that Harold was a little over hasty to get to grips with William and stretched his forces out too much. He had no back up and instead of directing the fighting from above he was part of it and could not see what was happening. When the Normans did their false retreat his lot lost the plot and raced after the retreating soldiers and were in turn surrounded and murdered. Mind you - Henry V got his revenge in the return match at Agincourt (but by then most of England was Norman anyway). We determined to return in more favourable weather and 'do' the walk. In the meantime exploring Battle itself was a treat despite the obvious. One of the treats was seeing Anglo-Saxon names for streets and places. So did William really win?

Battle is old so we expected to find old buildings popping up all over the place. Right beside the Abbey gate there are two ancient buildings both eating houses and worth a visit and these form part of a town square with ancient buildings on all sides functioning as thriving shops and stores. The council workers were putting up the Christmas Tree (Yes, Christmas Tree) doing a manful job in the wind. They seeemed to be enjoying the job adorning what is a delightful town centre with a seasonal - sorry Christmas Tree for a Christmas celebration - bringing the thought that it is that time of the year again.

We walked a public footpath and got our bearings admiring the Police Station as we passed it and the new Library building that both seeemd to fit in; the former from an earlier time and the latter modern and tasteful instead of modern and 'orrible.

On the way we saw the Old Court Cottage and the magnificent Old Court house, now a dwelling, and a Tudor building that looked like something out of Disney movie.

We will be back later, next year maybe, to walk the battlefield and to explore the town and environs. Having explored much of Kent and enjoyed that we decided on a sudden whim to explore Sussex. Notable is the change of countryside as we move across the border into Sussex.

The High Weald seems different and the buildings are built differently to those of Kent which adds a sense of the new to what we are seeing. It will be a pleasure to explore our neighboring county.

Around Penshurst Place

A day out in the countryside is always a pleasant thing and is made much better when the weather is good. This November day Kent looked magnificent and was waiting to be walked on, visited and driven through.

We decided to re-visit Penshurstand take a walk to the park instead of guessing our way around without a map. There was a rumor that a map could be obtained from the gift shop in the park itself so we dids't take a walk there, located the leaflets and partook of a cup of coffee brewed and sold for a donation to a charity by a hard working lady. We parked in the village near the church and Liecester Square and from there we walked to the gift shop meeting many walkers on their way from elsewhere coming in the opposite direction. No matter. We had no idea where we going to end up until we had the leaflets.

The idea was to walk and look back at the view as we climbed and perhaps do the shorter walk but instead we chose to do the longer route and as a result we made the right choice. We were warm and feeling good from the cooler weather and happy to walk on a well mapped path. The attraction apart from the views across the fields and the park itself was the huge Oak trees dotted around the estate. The woods showing autumn colors and the flocks of birds diving and flying; crows landing and feeding on the insects in the soil.

The day was wonderfully bright and warm for early November and although at times I took off my coat I did have to put it back feeling the nip in the air suggesting winter is not far off. The weather belied that thought and we basked in warm sunshine. There were two walks offered, the Parkland Walk and the Riversdie Walk. We chose the parkland walk and was treated to lovely views back toward Penshurst Place and when we reached the top views across the weald and as far as Tonbridge. The path climbs from the car park normally reserved for visitors bypassing Well Place to join a cycle way (route 12) and deviates past some charming houses to the river Eden and then across the fields to the banks of the Medway.

We crossed a field where some beautiful cows were gathering near the water troughs looking content.

We thought this was a nice touch as we have followed the Medway during the summer and early autumn. The path leaves the river and follows a busy road but we used part of the cycle track and when a path was offered further along the road we took it to avoid the vehicles that seemed to want to hurry along and miss the bright day.

The path climbs a hill and again we can view Tonbridge in the distance. Walk through a squeeze gate and onto an avenue of what we think might be Maples and then down through another avenue of Beech to the parkland passing the shattered oak and back to the village via the church. The oak is given the title 'Sidney Oak' to reflect the fact that it was there when Sir Philip Sidney of Elizabethan times was alive. From the size of it one would deduce that it is much older than 450 years since then and perhaps was closer to 800 years old. I think the fence is new.

Take this walk and enjoy it. The cycle track is linked to the Hayesden Park tracks and if you have the time try a walk either from the Country park to Penshurst and back or perhaps start from Penshurst early in the morning and walk back over the hills to the village allowing for a visit to the Liecester Arms for a meal. I suggest making it know you want to return and imbibe. Of course you need to look into the church where the Sidney family have their tombs.

I believe we will return for the riverside walks if the weather holds.