Birling Village Kent

Birling is a small village close to Maidstone and West Malling in Kent set on the road between Ryarsh and Snodland.  Its attraction is the church on the hill and the ragstone houses built by the Neville estate for its workers.  As the friendly church warden informed us, it is a fuedal village and from the way she described the community, the youngest Neville plays the organ at the church, and how the family are tied to the church and the land around we had to believe her. The result is an attractive Kent village with that look of the larger towns, such as Maidstone and parts of Rochester.  The houses built of Kentish Ragstone and brick are attractive and are well looked after.  Notably the modern newly built homes followed the older style and although it obvious that they are new they blend in.   We wandered around in the heat taking a look at the church - there is parking - and took a stroll to the Neville Bull for a light lunch and some liquid refreshment.

The place is worth a visit.  Statement of fact.  The pub was clean, the landlord cheerful and friendly, the food good and the menu extensive.  The Bull theme is carried out with some droll water color cartoons distributed around the walls - dreadful jokes - but worth a look.  There is a large car park and a patio for sun lovers and smokers. 

Birling has its own attractions, least of all the glowing roses that abound in the gardens which at this time of the year with the rain and the hot sun are going crazy trying to show off.  A quietly pretty village Birling is surrounded by farmlands with paths leading to woodlands, to Ryarsh and back up to Holly Hill,  a local woodland area.  For the less intrepid walker the good news is that there is a car parking space at the Holly Hill woods and from there it is pleasant to walk along the West Weald Way or to take the paths to Luddesdown - that depends on the weather and the time you want to spend. 

The casual walk around Birling in the twenty to thirty degree heat was a little too much for me skin and blister and at one stage she sheltered in the shade of a telegraph pole to keep out of the sun.  Singing 'Waltzing Matilda' to remind her how hot it can get in Aussie I suggested we wander back to the church and go inside where it was cool.  It was there met the church warden and chatted.  A church has stood there since medieval times and has been impoved, added to and refurbished.  It is worth a look and please make a donation. 

The church stands on a hill which so its history suggests was used as a redoubt and a place to gather water.  There is evidence in the run of the land that there should be a natural water flow past the hill and through it as a filter it being sandy and not chalk - hence the use no doubt of the Ragstone - with the occassional showing of willow where a stream flows.