Royalty, Springs & Rocks

Tunbridge Wells is one of my favourite towns and as I will be spending a lot of time away from it in the coming months I have been appreciating it even more. I have lived near Tunbridge Wells for 10 years and it has a rich history and is somewhere that I believe merges the old with the new and the relaxing with the vibrant incredibly well.  I love that it is within easy travelling distance of Ashdown Forest, London and the coast, including Brighton (“little London”).  It also seems fitting with the Diamond Jubilee to write about somewhere with a Royal connection (besides, it has been far too long since I talked about somewhere with shops).

The Pantiles

One of the many historic buildings in the Pantiles

“The Wells”, in the form of the Chalybeate Spring was discovered by a Nobleman, Dudley Lord North in 1606 thereby attracting people from London and elsewhere to the area for over 400 years.  It was believed to have healing powers.  The coffee houses, shops and accommodation started to appear and they were all joined by a covered colonnade walkway which later became known (and is still known) as the Pantiles.  It remains the old part of the town and still has cafes, boutiques, restaurants and bars.  It is one of my favourite areas, especially in the spring and summer as the tables and chairs spill out onto the cobbles and paving and they hold regular quirky and fabulous markets along with festivals and music events from the old bandstand.

During Georgian times, Tunbridge Wells retained its links with royalty and the aristocracy and the social scene was arranged by Richard Beau Nash "Master of Ceremonies" who split his time between Tunbridge Wells and Bath.  Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria) spent a lot of holidays in the town in the 1820s and 1830s and it was in Victorian times that rich businessmen began to live in the town as well as holiday there, with the town growing as a result.

The “Royal” prefix to the town was granted by King Edward VII to officially recognise the importance and popularity of it to royalty and the aristocracy.  I remember the celebrations for the 100 year anniversary of this event in 2009 – the town was alive with activity.  

The town centre

The former Opera House from 1902

For me, Tunbridge Wells maintains variety and charm.  The Pantiles is linked by the High Street (filled with more restaurants, bars, shops and cafes) to the more modern town centre which holds the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre (excellent choice of clothes and shoe shops) and nearby one of my favourite outdoor shops in the town lives within an old historic building with enormous pillars.  The former Opera House with beautiful green domes that opened in 1902 is now a pub, meaning a very different kind of singing sometimes emanates from it in the evenings!

2006 saw the 400 year anniversary of the discovery of the Chalybeate Spring and the launch of the Heritage Walking Trail that takes in various sites of historical interest, including its links with various famous people such as the novelists William Makepeace Thackeray and E.M. Forster who lived part of their lives here (in fact the home of Thackeray is now one of my favourite restaurants called, appropriately “Thackeray’s”, although the menu and wine prices mean this is for very special occasions only!)  It also takes in the place where Lord Robert Baden Powell (later founder of the Scout movement) had part of his early education.

It may not have mountains, but Tunbridge Wells abounds with unusual rock formations such as High Rocks and Wellington Rocks that are the result of movement on the faultline of the sandstone ridge.  There are also beautiful parks including a newly reconstructed one on the edge of the town called Dunorlan Park, which has a lake and boats to hire and views across the countryside.

Dunorlan Park

Tunbridge Wells is on the very edge of Kent so within a mile or two you travel into Sussex and both counties have pretty villages, all of which seem to be celebrating the Jubilee in earnest and I love village and community events like that.  I grew up in a village called Egerton (about 25 miles from Tunbridge Wells) and I still go back for the key village events (really looking forward to the fete in July this year).  The village of Goudhurst (see “Ancient Woodlands and the Hawkhurst Gang” for more on the history of that village) has even built a miniature Houses of Parliament on the village pond – how great is that?

Houses of Parliament on Goudhurst pond

So I love my local town of Tunbridge Wells and will be back often to visit it.  I would highly recommend it as somewhere that combines historical, modern, relaxed and vibrant cultures and architecture in one beautiful town in a beautiful part of the south east.  I often spend time using the cafes as my office so if you see someone in fabulous heels working away on a laptop in one of them, it could be me!  Both the town and the local villages throw a great party too so the Jubilee should be a great time.

Tilly in Ashdown Forest (close to Tunbridge Wells)

Hever: A Castle & A Labrador

A friendly duck in daffodils

Hever is a small and very pretty village in west Kent and of course is made famous by Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife who was beheaded for treason.  After the downfall of Anne Boleyn, her family were effectively ruined and the castle came into the hands of Henry VIII, who in turn gave it to Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, until her death in 1557.  Henry had rejected Anne of Cleves as a wife and divorced her but she was one of the lucky ones as she at least kept her head!  The castle fell into disrepair over the following centuries, particularly in the 1700’s when the Groombridge gang of smugglers used it to store their contraband (a different gang of smugglers from those featured in Ancient Woodlands and the Hawkhurst Gang).  Hever Castle was purchased by William Wardorf Astor in 1903, an American millionaire who became Viscount Astor of Hever.  He restored the castle and created the wonderful Italian gardens and maze.

Tilly the Black Labrador

St Peter's Church 14th Century, Hever

This walk had a difference as for the first time since I was a child I had a dog for company!  Tilly the black Labrador.  She is five years old with glossy black fur and deep brown soulful eyes that melt your heart every time you look at them.  We set off from the car-park near St Peter’s church in the centre of Hever and spring was definitely in the air!  The sun was shining and felt lovely and warm and the snowdrops and daffodils were out and looking beautiful.   The church is very pretty and the walk started through the churchyard to join the Eden Valley path (not to be confused with the Eden Valley in Cumbria!)  The sign near the church gates say it has been there for over 750 years, which would mean it was constructed in the 14^th century (although I am not sure how many years the sign has been there!)  It is also where Sir Thomas Bullen (a different spelling but Anne Boleyn’s Father and Elizabeth I’s grandfather) is buried.

Beautiful Kent Countryside

The walk starts in woodlands and on the edge of the grounds to Hever Castle but very quickly opens out into lovely green fields with views across the Kent countryside that on such a day were superb.  You can at various points catch glimpses of the large lake in the grounds of Hever Castle.  Tilly was in her element and loving the sights and smells, although unsure about the large horse neighing and cantering in the field next to us!  As we took a footpath near some cottages, we had a pleasant surprise.  We came across a menagerie of animals!  Some seriously cute pink and black pigs with crinkly faces, ducks, hens, sheep and what looked like llamas to me but I believe are alpacas.  This was very unexpected but lovely.  

We walked passed ponds and streams sparkling in the sunshine, crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils waking in the spring warmth, crossed bridges and lanes and loved every minute of it.  The views were beautiful and the sky was an azure blue that made the soft greens and yellows of the trees and fields striking.  It reminded me why Kent is called “The Garden of England”.  I know I love the rugged mountains of the Lake District but Kent is a really lovely county with plenty of its own charms and attractions where you can walk for miles and never tire of the rolling fields, woods and orchards.  

Ancient Woodlands

 Then I discovered that Tilly is an Olympian in training.  As we approached one of several stiles on the route, I went to lift the dog-friendly fence post so Tilly could walk through the hole but rather than wait for me to do that, she flung herself with two leaps over the stile!  One leap onto the highest step on the side we were on and another within a millisecond right over the fence and into the next field!  She then turned around and sat down wondering why I was taking so long and did not just leap over like her.  That dog has no fear!  It may not have been elegant but it was fast and effective.  She did this several times over the walk unless I managed to get to the stile first!

Stock Wood

The last part of the walk takes you through two woods called Stock Wood and Newtye Hurst.  As Tilly and I went through Stock Wood, I could hear what sounded like a chain saw and assumed there was tree-felling happening somewhere in the woods.  It got louder and louder and I decided that actually it must be a light aircraft.  However as we emerged from the woods into a field, above was an extraordinarily large remote-controlled aeroplane that was doing loops and swoops and spirals really high up in the sky.  It looked like great fun and the adults and children flying it were clearly enjoying themselves (although I imagine it was a little annoying if you lived nearby!)  

Henry VIII Pub

We were soon back in Hever village and  Tilly (who had walked about seven miles to my five as she had been running back and forward so much) looked tired and seemed glad to be back.  We decided a trip to the picturesque Henry VIII pub would be a fabulous way to end the walk and it was!  

A Mini Trevi Fountain at Hever!

The Tudor history in Hever is fascinating.  I visited the castle on a separate day from the walk (raining sadly) and I would absolutely recommend it.  You can see history unfolding as you walk around the castle and gardens.  The Boleyn family bought Hever Castle in the 15th century but it was constructed in the 13th century by permission of Edward I.  The Italian gardens are full of architecture and ornaments brought direct from Italy between 1904 and 1908.  The lake sweeping away from the gardens into the distance is beautiful.  The castle itself is surrounded by a moat and still has a drawbridge.  The rooms are filled with ornate wooden features and panels, some from the 15^th century and others from the 19^th century.  You can see the room where Henry VIII stayed several times and also Anne Boleyn’s room. There are portraits and winding spiral staircases, letters and a range of memorabilia.  When the Drawing Room was redesigned in 1905, inspiration was taken from the pannelling at Sizergh Castle in Cumbria so there is even a Lake District connection!

Hever Castle

Anne Boleyn herself was an ambitious woman who played a dangerous political game and whilst she ultimately lost that game, her daughter Elizabeth I went on to become (in my view) one of the most successful monarchs in England so perhaps Anne won her game indirectly after all?  I am so glad that the American Astor family restored Hever Castle as for England to have lost such a beautiful castle, so rich in history would have been a tragedy.  Since 1983 it has been owned by Broadland Properties Ltd, who continue to maintain its beauty and elegance.

Pretty Crocus in the Hever Grounds

Ancient Woodlands & The Hawkhurst Gang

A beautiful Robin in the snowy woodlands

The ancient woodlands of the Weald of Kent are beautiful.  I grew up in Kent and have spent most of my life living there or on the border with Sussex so have an enormous affection for the county and the Weald has wonderful walks in woods and views across the rolling countryside that capture the imagination at any time of year from the soft greens and yellows of spring and summer to the deep reds and browns of autumn and the crisp white frost and snow in winter.  There are also quintessentially English villages with thatched roofs, Tudor beams, castles and old churches that are steeped in history – not all of it pretty! 

The ancient woodlands in Kent

With the snow coming and going in recent weeks, the walks in the Weald have shown a variety of textures and moods that I think makes England a very special place to live.  Now I love climbing mountains as you know but in Kent, I love the changing scenery as you walk for miles on carpets of leaves and pine needles in woods and on grassy paths across undulating fields, through pretty villages with oast houses and windmills and through tiny hamlets next to streams.  I have spent a lot of time walking near a village called Goudhurst in recent weeks, not least because the history is fascinating!  

Goudhurst Church

The Culpeper Tomb

Goudhurst in Old English means “Battle Hill” and it commemorates a battle fought on this high ground in Saxon times (when I use the term “high” it is relative to the surrounding land not to the mountains of the Lake District!)  One of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen overlooks the village.  It has been there for a millennium and although its first recorded date is in the 1100’s, there is little doubt it existed before that.  It has been altered and restored throughout the centuries and in 1637 the tall spire was destroyed by lightning.  Inside the church there is a beautiful stained glass window and a tomb of a man and a woman.  This tomb is a memorial to two members of a famous local family, Sir Alexander and Dame Constance Culpeper of Bedgebury.  The tomb is carved in wood and brightly coloured with two dogs at their feet.  Sir Alexander Culpeper was interred in 1541.  The Culpeper family had some interesting moments in history including involvement in the battle against the Spanish Armada and Thomas Culpeper (Sir Alexander’s son) was famously the lover of Katherine Howard, the 5^th wife of Henry VIII.  Thomas was executed in 1541 and Katherine in 1542 for Treason.

Stained glass window in the church

There is a more sinister part of the history of Goudhurst however that remains in evidence today with bullet holes in the gravestones.  The year 1747 saw the “Battle of Goudhurst” – a battle between the infamous “Hawkhurst Gang” and the Goudhurst Militia, which the most popular history books do not give enough credit to in my view!  The Hawkhurst Gang was a criminal organisation involved in smuggling throughout south east England.  Legend has it the gang used a network of tunnels, old cellars and remote barns for their operations.  They dominated the area by terror and the use of guns for intimidation and operated freely in the area smuggling tea, coffee, brandy and rum.  They were reported to have captured soldiers and killed individuals and several people who took too great an interest in their activities mysteriously disappeared.  

Ancient Woodlands near Goudhurst

Now this may come as a surprise but in general, gangs of smugglers were supported in local areas at this time as they provided work that was well paid (an interesting economic twist!) but the Hawkhurst Gang’s murderous brutality had turned the local population against them.  It was the village of Goudhurst that decided to take a stand and under the leadership of George Sturt (a former soldier), the Goudhurst Band of Militia was formed.  One of the lead characters in the Hawkhurst Gang, Thomas Kingsmill was enraged at this act of defiance and the battle lines were drawn and a date of attack set.  On 21 April 1747, the Hawkhurst Gang attacked Goudhurst but the militia proved a force to be reckoned with and after several smugglers had been killed, the gang withdrew.  Over time, key gang members were arrested, indicted and executed and that was the end of the Hawkhurst Gang.  

The Star & Eagle Pub, Goudhurst High Street

The Kent motto is “Invicta” which means “unconquered” or “untamed”.  I think that word sums up the spirit of the people of Goudhurst in their 1747 battle remarkably well!

I love English history and combining long walks through ancient woodlands and countryside with fascinating insights into the past is a fabulous way to spend a few hours if you are in the area.  Of course, the local hostelries are also tempting and often serve beer from the local Shepherd Neame brewery at Faversham.  My two favourite pubs in Goudhurst are the Star and Eagle and more recently, the refurbished and revamped Goudhurst Inn.  Exercise, culture and a good pub – perfect!

A snowy Wealden woodland

Bewl Water & Rupert Bear

Low water levels at Bewl Water

The Kent/Sussex area has some beautiful landscapes and walks and one of the walks I enjoy the most is around Bewl Water (not to be confused with Bluewater the shopping centre, although I am partial to a long walk around there as well!)  Bewl Water is a reservoir on the Kent/Sussex border created between 1973 and 1978 by building a 900 metre long and 30 metre high dam.  The perimeter of the reservoir is 17 miles, making it the largest inland water area in the south east.  The official walk around Bewl Water however is less at 13 miles.  It has over recent years become an excellent centre for watersports, fishing, biking, conservation and what are termed “adrenaline activities”.... The mind boggles!  I confess however I did lead a team a few years ago to build a raft out of wood, empty plastic cans and rope that we then had to take out on Bewl Water to make sure it floated.  Only a few of us were brave enough to try it. I am relieved to say it did float, despite the best efforts of the rest of the team (who were not brave enough to get on it) trying to sink it from a motor boat!  Happy days!

Sailing boats near the Visitor Centre

The day of the walk was cold and a bit cloudy but dry and the views for the whole walk were excellent (the advantage sometimes of low-level walks).  I started from a small lane on a bridge over the Reservoir and headed off towards the visitor centre, about two miles away.  As you can see from the photos, the water levels were really low for the time of year, which does not bode well for the summer months.  The Reservoir is usually fed from the River Teise at Goudhurst and the River Medway at Yalding during winter months.  Despite being low however, there was still a lot of activity on the water with canoes and sailing boats and the memories of the raft I was on came flooding back!

Crossing the bridge over a cascade

The water tower and dam

The walk takes you over the dam, which is superb with the water tower right next to it, so you get a view of the main part of the Reservoir.  The overall shape of the reservoir is rather odd, particularly when it is low with lots of inlets.  As I went through the gate to get onto the dam, I noticed a sign on it that said “Bewl Water round the lake walk 13 miles”.  This was a shock to me....I had cycled the route back in the summer but it has been a while since I walked it and in my head, thought it was about 10 miles.  To find out it was 13 was a bit disheartening as the difference between 10 and 13 miles for me is tired legs!  But onwards towards the Visitor Centre I went.  There was not a lot of activity at the Centre itself at this time of year but there still seemed to be a lot of boats going on and off the water.

View from the dam

Path through the woods at the edge of Bewl Water

Once past the centre, the walk follows the ins and outs of the Reservoir for a few miles.  The trick here is to keep an eye out for cyclists as the route is shared between walkers/runners, horses and cyclists.  It seems to work well though.  This part of the walk is my favourite – there is nothing tricky about it, with clear paths, beautiful woods and extensive views across the Weald and the Reservoir and the gradients are easy.  The Weald of Kent and Sussex were partly the inspiration behind the Rupert the Bear stories and drawings by Mary Tourtel, who lived in Canterbury.  It is thought Nutwood (Rupert Bear's home) was set it the Sussex Weald.  The character was then continued by Alfred Bestall who created the famous annuals.

Rupert Bear & Badger

About a third of the walk is on the road and away from the Reservoir.  Whilst it seems a long way, it is all on very small country lanes with hardly any traffic and with some excellent views back towards the reservoir, including a flock of Canadian Geese at one point!  It also means you can make progress quickly on this part.  There are some lovely cottages and houses around and about and you really get to see a lot of oast houses, which are a unique part of the Kent and Sussex landscape.  

Canadian Geese from the road

When back towards Bewl Water, if there has been rain it can be quite muddy so take care!  Whilst I managed to stay upright, (with a few acrobatics) I did see someone else walking the other way who did not appear to be so fortunate and on occasion for me it was touch and go!  There are no bogs however, which is a relief to me otherwise I definitely would have been less fortunate.  

I have to say the final two miles were extremely tiring as I had kept up a fair pace but when the car came into sight, it was not a time to be optimistic as there was still another large inlet to negotiate and probably another mile to walk.  It felt rather like getting to what you think is the top of a mountain, only to find where you are there that the true top is another 100 feet climb away!  It is a challenging 13 miles, despite being mainly flat but the views are superb in that part of the county and it is well worth the effort.

I will write about Bluewater another time!

The final part of the walk