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Benenden is a village and civil parish in the Tunbridge Wells District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald six miles (10km) to the west of Tenterden and four miles (7km) from Cranbrook. In addition to the main village, Iden Green, East End, Dingleden and Standen Street settlements are included in the parish. Benenden is without a doubt one of the prettiest villages in Kent with three character Country Inns serving lovely home cooked food and with well stocked cellars with excellent real ales, a quintessentially English Village Green dominated by a large medieval Church. The parish church is dedicated to St George, and is a 19th century building on the site of a medieval building destroyed in a fire. Benenden School, a private all girls school is located to the north of the village.
The Wealden iron industry probably existed in the area from before the Roman period,
but evidence of two Roman roads built to take the cast iron from the Weald have been
discovered, as well as other finds from the period. The evidence of one road, that
between Maidstone and Hastings at Iden Green, is in the form of a paved ford.
In 1907
a consortium of trade unions and friendly societies established a chest hospital
in Goddard's Green Road, Benenden for the treatment of tuberculosis. Today the hospital
is an independent organisation, for most medical and surgical specialities.
Kent is
renowned for the quality, choice and commitment to excellence of its educational
system in both the public and private sector. Noteworthy schools in the area include
Ashford, Benenden, Bethany, Cranbrook, Dulwich, Friars, Kings, Marlborough House,
St Edmunds, St Ronans, Sutton Valence and Underhill to name but a few.
Commuters have
the Main Line Railway Station at Staplehurst with a large Car Park. There are fast
and frequent services to London Bridge/Charing Cross/Cannon St (55 mins). One can
travel down line to Ashford International and beyond to the South Coast including
Dover Docks. The M20 Motorway is
some 16 miles from Frame Farm, giving direct fast
access to London, Ashford and the South Coast. From the M20 one can access the complete
Motorway Network.
EDUCATION
Kent is renowned for the quality, choice and commitment
to excellence of its educational system in both the public and private sector. Noteworthy
schools in the area include Ashford, Benenden, Bethany, Cranbrook, Dulwich, Friars,
Kings, Marlborough House, St Edmunds, St Ronans, Sutton Valence and Underhill to
name but a few.
Posted by Aleks at 3:13 AM 0 comments
Biddenden is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England.
The village lies on the Weald of Kent, some five miles (8km) north of Tenterden.
It was centre for Wealden iron industry and also of clothmaking. During the reign
of Edward III some Flemish clothworkers settled in the area. The ready availability
of raw materials led to the establishment of an industry for the production of broadcloth.
The Old Cloth Hall is a reminder of the trade that was once carried out in the Village
by Flemish weavers. An important cottage industry is established to the west, where
wine and cider is produced.
Picturesque and steeped in history, Biddenden is a 'chocolate
box', quintessentially English Village with beautiful half-
Biddenden is also the trading
name of Biddenden's Cider. Biddenden's cider is made by Biddenden Vineyards Ltd.
whose premises are close to the village of Biddenden. Biddenden Vineyards have a
website.
Transport connections are excellent with a Mainline Station at Headcorn providing
fast and frequent trains to London, Ashford International and the South Coast and
connections at Tonbridge with Gatwick Airport. From Ashford International one can
join the Eurostar train service, bringing Paris and Brussels within about 90 minutes'
travelling time. Ashford will also provide a new fast rail link to London, forecast
to be finished soon, which promises a rail service into Central London taking approximately
35 minutes. Junctions 8 and 9 of the M20 Motorway are each approximately 12 miles
away offering road links to the South Coast and the M25 leading to London, Lakeside,
Bluewater, Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted Airports. From the M20 one is connected
to the full UK Motorway Network. Eurotunnel, accessed via Exit 11 on the M20, provides
an excellent train service for motorists wishing to travel over to Calais in their
cars, in a journey time of approximately 35 minutes.
EDUCATION
Kent is renowned for
the quality, choice and commitment to excellence of its educational system in both
the public and private sector. Noteworthy schools in the area include Ashford, Benenden,
Bethany, Cranbrook, Dulwich, Friars, Kings, Marlborough House, St Edmunds, St Ronans,
Sutton Valence and Underhill to name but a few.
Posted by Aleks at 3:12 AM 0 comments
Cranbrook is a small market town with a shopping centre one can expect from its size.
A wide range of shops can be found in the high street. It is on the main bus route
from Maidstone to Hastings . The main train service from Dover and Ashford to London
can be caught at nearby Staplehurst , about 5 miles to the north.
Cranbrook has a
very pretty old high street, which winds through this small market town which retains
the pretty medieval character from its past. It is an old town, which came to prominence
in the 15th century as a centre of the weaving industry, much like nearby Tenterden
. In 1331 the export of unwashed wool was prohibited by King Edward III. He encouraged
weavers from Flanders to settle here, thus bringing their weaving and dying techniques
to England. Many of the buildings date back to this prosperous time, including the
parish church, St Dunstans which is known locally as the Cathedral of the Weald because
of its size.
Cranbrook for which the name is derived from brook(stream) where the cranes were
to be found the lies about 18 miles east of Royal Tunbridge Wells on the B2189. The
earliest record of the name is in the Domesday Monochorum of 1070 as Cranebroca.
Cranbrook
boasts one of the most impressive windmills in the country -
EDUCATION
Kent is renowned for the quality, choice and commitment to excellence of its educational
system in both the public and private sector. Noteworthy schools in the area include
Ashford, Benenden, Bethany, Cranbrook, Dulwich, Friars, Kings, Marlborough House,
St Edmunds, St Ronans, Sutton Valence and Underhill to name but a few.
Posted by Aleks at 2:59 AM 0 comments
Northiam is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England.
The village is located thirteen miles (21 km) north of Hastings in the valley of
the River Rother. There is a Site of Special Scientific Interest within the parish.
Officially designated as Northiam, it refers to a disused and partially flooded quarry
on the outskirts of Northiam village. It is of geological, palaeoenvironments and
palaeogeography, interest.
Cottages covered with white weatherboarding look out over
a large Village Green at Northiam where Oaks and Limes grow with one great Oak dominating
the scene, and it is beneath this tree that Elizabeth I is reputed to have rested
on 11 August 1573. There is a range of good local Shops. There is also a popular
Church and a range of fantastic Country Inns in and around the Village with 'Flackley
Ash', -
Jempsons
Supermarket is in the nearby Village of Peasmarsh, and for a more comprehensive range
of Shopping and Banking Facilities Rye and Tenterden are within easy driving distance.
Hastings is also located approximately 20 minutes drive away, where there are a variety
of Shops including a Sainsbury's and a Tesco. Tunbridge Wells with its fantastic
range of shops, Supermarkets, Restaurants Cinemas and Theatres is some 40 minutes
drive away.
Tenterden is situated approximately 10 to 15 minutes drive away, the Town
has a variety of excellent Restaurants, friendly Country Inns and fascinating Antique
Shops all within walking distance of each other. Ashford also has much to offer including
a vibrant Designer Outlet Village.
For commuting purposes, the Railway Stations of
Battle, Etchingham and Robertsbridge offer regular services to London/Charing Cross
and Cannon Street.
The Channel Ports and Channel Tunnel provide links to Europe. Recreational
facilities within the area are plentiful, with Bewl Water for Water Sports, Golf
Courses and a wealth of Sports Centres abound locally. There are a variety of excellent
Schools in the area including Vine Hall in Robertsbridge and Marlborough House and
St Ronans in Hawkhurst. There is a local Primary School at the bottom of the road
and school buses to the local Secondary Schools collect and drop off children nearby.
These buses are provided for Robertsbridge Community College, Thomas Peacock and
Homewood Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre.
EDUCATION
Northiam C of E Primary School
Nearby Kent is renowned for the quality, choice and
commitment to excellence of its educational system in both the public and private
sector. Noteworthy schools in the area include Ashford, Benenden, Bethany, Cranbrook,
Dulwich, Friars, Kings, Marlborough House, St Edmunds, St Ronans, Sutton Valence
and Underhill to name but a few.
Posted by Aleks at 2:55 AM 0 comments
Wadhurst is a market town in East Sussex, England.
It is the centre of the civil parish of Wadhurst, which also includes the hamlets of Cousley Wood and Tidebrook. Wadhurst is twinned with Aubers in France. There are three buildings of particular architectural interest in the town itself, and a good range of old manor houses and farms nearby. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul dominates the centre of the town. Wadhurst's heritage as a centre of the iron industry is shown by the many iron gravestones in the church. There are two early Georgian houses on the High Street, the Old Vicarage and Hill House. Also to mention is The Greyhound Public House which was built in the 16th century. The rest of the town is in a variety of vernacular styles, dating from the 15th century onwards, though little in the centre of the town is very modern apart from a range of shops which replaced the Queens Head Hotel, demolished in a jet crash in the 1950s.
The Victorian era saw the town expand towards the new railway station, about 1.5
miles north of the town. The station (the highest in southern England) is on the
line from London Charing Cross to Hastings via Tunbridge Wells, and was opened in
1851 by the South Eastern Railway. The resulting expansion brought the hamlets of
Sparrow's Green, Turners Green and Best Beech Hill into the town.
Wadhurst is situated
on the Kent-
The name Wadhurst (Wadeherst in early records) is Anglo-
In the 16th, 17th & 18th
centuries Wadhurst had a thriving iron industry. Two of the large Georgian buildings
in the High Street, Hill House and The Old Vicarage, were both ironmasters houses,
along with a number of other large houses on the outskirts of Wadhurst.
Wadhurst is
a small market town, and has kept a very good range of shops considering its size.
It has a traditional butcher, baker, ironmonger, hairdresser, bank, post office,
gift shop, several pubs and much more. Such a wide range of small traders and services
is almost unique in the villages in the locality. The population of the ward was
5,075 during the 2001 Census.
Wadhurst is a prosperous town and an important centre
for London commuters, although it is far enough from London not to feel completely
like a dormitory town. Wadhurst has a number of amenities, including several cafes.
It has active clubs and societies, and As with much of south-
Sussex
National, Lamberhurst and other golf courses, sailing on the Kent and Sussex coast
and at Bewl Water.
EDUCATION
Two primary schools
Secondary school and sixth-
Independent Schools
in Wadhurst
Bricklehurst Manor, Bardown Road, Wadhurst -
Sacred Heart School, Mayfield Lane, Wadhurst
-
Nearby Kent is renowned for the quality, choice and commitment to excellence of its
educational system in both the public and private sector. Noteworthy schools in the
area include Ashford, Benenden, Bethany, Cranbrook, Dulwich, Friars, Kings, Marlborough
House, St Edmunds, St Ronans, Sutton Valence and Underhill to name but a few.
Posted by Aleks at 2:52 AM 0 comments
Pluckley is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, United Kingdom.
It is located close to the North Downs, and is approximately 5 miles (8 km) west
of Ashford. One part of the village is called Pluckley Thorne. References to Pluckley
can be found in the Domesday Book, at which time it was a more significant settlement
than the now considerably larger town of Ashford.
The village is approximately 5 miles
(8 km) from the nearest junction of the M20 motorway, is served by Pluckley railway
station, about 1.25 miles (2 km) to the south and lies on the long distance walking
route, the Greensand Way and close to the Stour Valley Walk.
Pluckley is renowned
for its gothic style Dering windows and the association with 'The Darling Buds of
May'. Pluckley mainline station has trains going to Charing Cross, whilst Charing
station offers an alternative service to London Victoria.
Pluckley offers good local
amenities, including a post office/store, excellent butcher, primary school,
public
houses and a historic church.
Wider facilities are found in Ashford, which has an
excellent shopping centre and choice of schools
and recreational facilities.
The Kent
Education system is regarded by many as one of the best in the country, and there
is a wide selection of schools, both private and state, in the area.
Golf courses
include those at Headcorn, Biddenden and Tenterden and the beautiful countryside
surrounding
the property is a delight to ramblers and riders alike.
Pluckley has two particular
claims to fame: the ITV drama series, The Darling Buds of May, was filmed there;
and it is said to be the most haunted village in Britain. It is reputed to have twelve
(possibly thirteen or fourteen) ghosts.
These are:
The spectre of the highwayman speared
to a tree at Fright Corner;
A phantom coach and horses, apparently manifesting the
vicinity of Maltman's Hill;
The ghost of a Gypsy woman who burned to death in her
sleep;
The black ghost of a miller haunting the ruins of a windmill near "The Pinnocks";
The
hanging body of a schoolmaster in Dicky Buss's Lane;
A colonel who hanged himself
in Park Wood;
The screaming ghost of a man being smothered by a wall of clay at the
brickworks;
The Lady of Rose Court, who is said to have eaten poisoned berries in
despair over a love triangle;
The Phantom Monk of "Greystones", a house built in 1863.
There is a suggestion he may have been the unrequited love object of the Lady of
Rose Court;
The White Lady of Dering, a young woman apparently buried inside 7 coffins
and an oak sarcophagus who haunts the chuchyard of St. Nicholas's Church;
The Red
Lady, reputedly an earlier member of the same ancient Dering family who also haunts
St Nicholas'. The legend of the Red and White Ladies seem to overlap. A third ghost
has apparently also been reported in the same place.
The Screaming Woods, an area
of forest outside of town supposedly haunted by the ghosts of many who became lost
in the woods. It was given its name because you can supposedly still hear their screams
from inside the forest at night.
Three other buildings in the village are also apparently
haunte.
Sir Edward Dering, 1st Baronet is buried here. The Dering Manuscript the earliest
extant manuscript text of any Shakespearean play,was discovered at Surrenden Manor,
Pluckley, Kent. The manuscript provides a single-
EDUCATION
Pluckley Primary School
Homewood Secondary School and Sixth Form College,
Tenterden
Ashford School, Independent
The Norton Natchbull School, Boys Grammar, Ashford
Highworth
Grammar School for Girls, Ashford
Posted by Aleks at 2:46 AM 0 comments
Key Details...
Ashford: 6 milesFacilities: Primary School with Kindergarten attached, Small Supermarket
with Post Office, Pub, Doctors Surgery, Newsagents, Antiques Shop, Dance Studio,
Cycle Shop, Dentist, Hairdressers, Garage, Village Hall, Sports Field, Tennis Court,
Garden Centre, Mobile Library and Railway Station (Ashford/Hastings line).
Local Links…
Parish Council
Primary School
Hamstreet Surgery
Parish Church
1st Ruckinge & Hamstreet Scout Group
Hamstreet Woods Nature Reserve
Hamstreet village is twinned with Therouane village
in France. There is a supermarket, newsagents and a hairdressers as well as a garden
centre. There are many social activities in the village and most of which are held
in the Victory Hall and the friendly pub serves good, hot food. In addition to which
is a tea room in the village.
The village is located some six miles south of Ashford
on the A2070, the main road between Ashford and Hastings. The majority of the village
is in the parish of Orlestone, named after a much older hamlet located one mile north
of Hamstreet on the ridge of hills; however, part of the village falls within the
parish of Warehorne, giving it a population of approximately 2,000 and a loose claim
to having three pubs.
The parish church, dedicated to The Good Shephard, is now a
shared Anglican/Methodist building, and the parish churches of Orlestone, Snave (now
a redundant church), Ruckinge, Warehorne and Kenardington are all within the same
benefice. Parts of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Orlestone date back to
the 11th century. Until the coming of the railway in 1853, Hamstreet was just a hamlet
known as 'Ham' based around the weatherboard village centre. The village expanded
rapidly during the 20th century and had its moment of fame in 1991, when maps of
the Hamstreet at various stages in history were used on a series of postage stamps
to mark 200 years of the Ordnance Survey – this chance arose because the Hamstreet
area was the first to be mapped in this way. An episode of BBC TV's 'Countryfile'
was also devoted to the occasion. The village also featured in a mountaineering spoof
in Blue Peter to raise money for charity.
There is a station on the Hastings / Ashford
line, with direct services to Brighton. Hamstreet Woods are visited by many throughout
the year and offer numerous pleasant walks and a stretch of the Royal Military Canal
runs right through the parish making it very popular with anglers. Two large areas
of public woodland surround the village, namely Ham Street Woods and Orlestone Forest,
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Both are remnants of the ancient forest
that once covered the whole of the Weald of Kent. The Royal Military Canal, the UK's
third longest defensive structure, passes by half a mile to the south. Three long
distance footpaths also run through the parish: The Saxon Shore Way, Greensand Way
(which begins at the main crossroads and runs for 110 miles (177 km) to Haslemere,
Surrey) and The Royal Military Canal Path. The area is also popular with cyclists,
as Romney Marsh to the south is completely flat!Activities in the village include
Under Fives Club, Table Tennis Club, Football Club, Bowls Club, Play School, Sports
and Leisure Association and Short Mat Bowls Club.
EDUCATION
Hamstreet Primary School
Homewood Secondary School and Sixth Form College,
Tenterden
Ashford School, Independent
The Norton Natchbull School, Boys Grammar, Ashford
Highworth
Grammar School for Girls,
Ashford: 7 miles
Facilities: Primary School, two Pubs, Post Office, Doctors Surgery, Mobile Library, Village Hall, two Garages, Village Store, Model Shop, Butchers, Newsagents, Rare Breeds Centre, Windmill and Village Museum.
Local Attractions : Rare Breeds Centre & Country Farm Park
Self-
Woodchurch is a picturesque Kent village which is situated 7 miles from the historic
market town of Ashford and 5 miles from the Cinque Ports town of Tenterden. The village
is on the edge of the Weald of Kent, whilst the parish extends 6 miles (10 km) north
to south and 4 miles (6 km) east to west, one of Kent's largest. Within the village
are the settlements of Brattle and Townland Green. To the south-
The village became firmly established in the 13th
century with the erection of the large All Saints church made of Kentish Rag stone.
Although it was extensively restored in the 1840s, it still boasts a 13th century
chancel and a famous brass of the 14th century, depicting a floriated cross design.
It has an unusual four-
The village primary school is situated near the church and
was a National school. The first building was erected in 1844 and the school has
since been enlarged on three occasions, namely, in 1872, 1896 and most recently in
1998.
The Museum is housed in an 18th century oak-
The windmill that overlooks
the village from the north commands extensive views over the Walland marshes to the
English Channel coast. It is a fine example of a Kentish smock mill and was originally
one of a pair of windmills standing on this site, known locally as The Twins. This
impressive white smock windmill in the village has been fully restored and is opened
to the public on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer.
Woodchurch prides itself
in having many different clubs and organisations which include a Playgroup, Beavers,
Scouts, Venture Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, Darby and Joan Club, Tennis,
Football, Cricket, and Netball Clubs, Pantomime Society and many more. Woodchurch
is a large, social village and is proud to have won the 'Best Kept Village' competition
four times. There is a well maintained village green in the heart of the village
with a play area for children and each year on Guy Fawkes a torchlight procession
sets off from the green to the scouts field where they give a huge firework display.
The
South of England Rare Breeds Centre, one of 16 Rare Breeds Survival Trust approved
farm-
EDUCATION
Woodchurch C of E Primary School
Homewood Secondary School and Sixth Form
College, Tenterden
Ashford School, Independent
The Norton Natchbull School, Boys Grammar,
Ashford
Highworth Grammar School for Girls, Ashford
BENENDEN BIDDENDEN CRANBROOK NORTHIAM WADHURST PLUCKLEY BETHERSDEN WADHURST
HIGH HALDEN HAMSTREET APPLEDORE WOODCHURCH
More information on the local villages can be found here