Back Roads Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

102 BACK ROADS GREAT BRITAIN

Where to Stay: inexpensive, under £80; moderate, £80–£150; expensive, over £150

Below left Attractive local stores and petrol

station, Penshurst Below right The fertile

Kent countryside near Yalding

3 Yalding

Kent; ME18 6JB

The village lies on the River Beult,

which joins the Medway at The

Lees, where the medieval

Twyford Bridge spans the

river. Nearby is the 500-

year-old, much flooded

Anchor pub, opposite

Tea Pot Island (see right)

and Twyford yacht basin. Once

a centre of hop-growing,

Yalding is an attractive village, with a

farmers’ market on the third Saturday

of each month. Visit Yalding Organic

Garden, south of the village, for

home-grown inspiration (www.

yaldingorganics.com).

ª Turn left on B2010, turn right and

follow signs for B2163, right on A274.

After Headorn take third left to Smarden

and on to Pluckley. Park on street.

WHERE TO STAY

AROUND PENSHURST

Whitepost Oast inexpensive

This oast house between Chiddingstone

and Penshurst has wonderful views over

the Weald and three ensuite rooms.

Chiddingstone Causeway, TN11 8JH (3

km/ 2 miles south on B2176); 01892 870

058; http://www.a1tourism.com/uk/whitepost

AROUND YALDING

Leavers Oast inexpensive

The rooms are in the roundels of this

handsome oast house in large grounds.

Stanford Lane, Hadlow, TN11 OJN (off

A26 east of Yalding); 01732 850 924;

http://www.leaversoast.co.uk

PLUCKLEY

Elvey Farm moderate

This medieval house and stable block is

a rural treat. The restaurant (open to

non-residents) serves Kentish cuisine.

Elvey Lane, TN27 OSU; 01233 840 442;

http://www.elveyfarm.co.uk

AROUND HYTHE

Sandgate Hotel inexpensive

Book a room with a sea view – only £10

extra – at this excellent seaside hotel.

8–9 Wellington Terrace, The Esplanade,

Sandgate, CT20 3DY; 01303 220 444;

http://www.sandgatehotel.com

VISITING ASHDOWN FOREST

Getting There

From East Grinstead take the A22 south.

After three roundabouts (10 km/6 miles)

turn left at traffic lights down Colemans

Hatch Rd. The Forest Centre is on the left.

Ashdown Forest Centre

Wych Cross, Forest Row, RH18 5JP;

01342 823 583;

http://www.ashdownforest.org

2 Penshurst

Kent; TN11 8DG

The stone bridge over the fledgling

Medway is a delightful approach to

this attractive village. Don’t miss

Penshurst Place (open Easter–end Oct)

• one of the grandest estates in the
  county. Dating from 1346, the pretty
  crenellated manor house contains
  the largest original medieval hall
  outside Westminster as well as some
  great state rooms and galleries. It
  also has beautiful walled gardens,
  a small toy museum and children’s
  playground. Stop off for a cream tea
  at the Fir Tree Tea Rooms, once part

of the estate. Visit St Mary’s church

in Speldhurst, just off the B2176, to

see windows by the 19th-century

Pre-Raphaelites William Morris and

Edward Burne-Jones. Try the

impressive George and Dragon for

a top-end pub lunch.

ª Take the B2176 east, turn left on the

A26. Keep right, turn right at the second

roundabout and left at the third before

turning off right onto B2017. Continue

to the A228 and turn left. Turn right onto

B2015, then take B2162 to Yalding.

1 Ashdown Forest

East Sussex; RH18 5JP

Probably most famous as the home

for the children’s character Winnie the

Pooh, Ashdown Forest is filled with

deer and sheep and provides walks,

views and picnic spots. The Ashdown

Forest Centre (open Sat & Sun; also

Mon–Fri pm in summer) helps visitors

get the most out of the heathland.

Pick up a map to the shop Winnie’s

creator AA Milne (1982–56) used to

visit – Pooh Corner (open daily) at

Hartfield (along Coleman’s Hatch Rd

to B2110, right, and then left on

B2026). Buy the rule book for

Poohsticks to play at Poohsticks

Bridge, a 40-minute walk away,

next to Cotchford Farm. This

is where AA Milne brought

up his son, Christopher

Robin (and also where

Rolling Stone Brian Jones

drowned in 1966).

ª From Hartfield, at the end of

the High St turn right on B2110

all the way to the A264. Turn left, then

first right down B2188 to Penshurst.

Pooh Corner shop

sign, Hartfield

4 Pluckley

Kent; TN27 OQS

This is apple country, and the hedges

along the lanes protect the orchards

from winds. Pluckley has two claims

to fame: as the most haunted village

in England, and as the setting for the

TV comedy The Darling Buds of May,

102