150405 Driving Tour

8/3/2019 150405 Driving Tour

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Maidstone Visitor Information CentreTown Hall, High Street,

Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1TFTel: 01622 602169

email: [email protected]

www.tour-maidstone.comIllustrated with details from Graham Clarke’s

etching “All in Good time” (first state) Graham Clarke © 2001

Around HistoricMaidstoneA country driving tourfrom Leeds Castle

www.tour-maidstone.com

8/3/2019 150405 Driving Tour


The countryside surrounding Maidstone is full offascinating places to visit – picturesque villages,

museums, gardens, antique shops, medievalchurches and stately homes. Follow this 30-milecircular driving tour through Maidstone’scountryside, starting at Leeds Castle, and you’llfind much to see along the route. Try to allowtime to stop and walk around some of thevillages, and to sample their hospitality.

To find your way we recommend you use a detailed road mapof the area. Some of the lanes, particularly near BoughtonMonchelsea church and around Otham are quite narrow, socare is needed.

If your time is limited, you may choose to follow just part ofthe suggested route--options are shown on our illustrativemap at the back of this leaflet.

From Leeds Castle head towards Lenham along the A20.

Pass through Harrietsham, taking note of the views of theKent Downs to your left. This chalk ridge is an Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty which is great for walking.

After 4.7 miles take the first turning signposted Lenham off to the right.

Park (free) in the charming village square which has beenused as a market place for centuries since it was granted a

Market Charter by King John in 1215. Medieval houses andshops line the square, including Lurcock’s Delicatessen sellinglocal produce, two pubs, the Lime Tree restaurant and Pippa’sTea Rooms, the perfect spot for a traditional English creamtea. The Dog & Bear Pub was an important coaching inn -above the doorway are the arms of Queen Anne who isreputed to have slept here.

Around HistoricMaidstoneA country driving tour fromLeeds Castle

Around Historic MaidstoneA country driving tour from Leeds Castle

Lenham was known to be occupied in Roman times, and thegrave of three Saxon warriors was found in the Square in

1946. Across their bones lay the remains of a sword, twodaggers and the boss of a Saxon shield. The Saxon Warriorpharmacy on the corner of the square marks the site wherethe warriors had lain undisturbed since the sixth century.

St Mary’s Church, with its fine Kentish tower and oneremaining tithe barn, is of Norman origin but was largelyrebuilt after being destroyed by fire about the year 1297.

The village is rich with footpaths and several long distancewalks cross the parish - the North Downs Way, the GreensandWay, the Stour Valley Walk and the Len Valley Walk, the lattertwo recognising that Lenham is the source of both the Stourand the Len Rivers.

The large white cross in the chalk downs justabove Lenham, created in 1922 andvisible for miles around, is a WWImemorial, and serves as a constantreminder of the sacrifices made.

Leave the village via the High Street, in the direction signposted for Headcorn.

A short distance along on the right areHonywood Almshouses and Honywood House, built in the 17thcentury, the latter as a home for the governor of the charitywho administered the almshouses. The first floor is jettiedwith oriel windows. Intricately carved bargeboards on thegables add to the attractiveness of the building.

Follow Headcorn Road for a total of 6.7 miles from Lenham.

You will pass through Platts Heath,cross the M20 and head down LivertonHill to Grafty Green, past the Kings Headand the unique Who’d A Thought It puband restaurant. Grafty Garden Centresells just about anything you couldneed for your garden or pond and is agood source of Kentish produce to takehome as gifts.

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Carry on through beautiful countryside typical of theagricultural heritage of the Garden of England, until you reach

Headcorn. Turn left at the A274 crossroads to explore thisancient Wealden village full of marvellous examples of 14thand 15th century hall houses and timbered buildings. Notableamongst these are Shakespeare House and the Chequers inthe High Street near the Church. Interspersed with medievalbuildings are modern shops which blend in surprisingly well.

It is worth parking in the free car park, behind Sainsbury’s, andtaking time to browse in this bustling village centre. You can

buy virtually anything here including antiques, a wide variety offood, hardware, flowers, clothing, crafts and furniture.

A stroll along Church Walk, lined with medieval cottages, leadsyou to the large 14th century church of St Peter & St Paul, builtof local Bethersden marble. Beyond the church is a magnificentWealden hall house, little changed in over 600 years.

Headcorn has three traditional pubs, ethnic restaurants, alocal butcher and bakery, and the Village Tea Rooms with

home-made cakes. Plenty of choice if you fancy something toeat and drink.

One mile south of the villageoff the A274 is Lashenden AirWarfare Museum at Headcorn

Aerodrome. Run by volunteersand normally open Sundays only,the museum aims to preserve theaviation heritage of Kent, with

special emphasis on WWII. Exhibitsrange from a 1911 Farman biplane propeller through to a

VI flying bomb and items from the Falklands and Gulf wars.For details ring 01622 890226/206783.

If you have extra time, you might extend your tour with a visit to Tenterden , a lovely market town withmany antique shops, which lies about 10 miles

southeast of Headcorn via the A274. Smarden is a particularly beautiful and typically Kentish villagealong this detour.

Our tour continues from the crossroads where you entered Headcorn. Turn into Moat Road signposted to Staplehurst

and follow this road for 3.9 miles, taking the Staplehurst turning at every junction.

This part of the drive takes you through a fertile river valleypast many beautiful Tudor houses and old barns and acrossthe River Beult. In 1865 Charles Dickens was involved in aserious railway accident here, where the main London linecrosses the river, and he alludes to this in a postscript to OurMutual Friend.

On arrival at the A229 Staplehurst crossroads, turn left into the High Street.

Staplehurst is a small market town which owes its earlywealth to the woollen industry in the 14th and 15th centuries.The Martyrs’ Memorial commemorates the death ofProtestants burned at the stake here during the persecutionsby Queen Mary.

The parish church of All Saints is in

early English and later styles,decorated with a perpendiculartower. The south door isrenowned for its earlyironwork. The parish registerof births and marriagesdates from 1538, one of theearliest in the country.

Keen gardeners will want to visit Iden Croft Herb Gardens,

home of the national mint, origanum and nepeta collections,where you will find every herb you’ve ever heard of, and a fewmore. There is a pretty 15th century walled garden, a nursery,shop and refreshments for the thirsty! The Gardens arelocated half a mile south of the crossroads, off FrittendenRoad on the left as you leave the village.

Another detour can be taken at this point to visit thesmall market town of Cranbrook with its windmill and antique shops, located about 5 miles south of Staplehurst on the A229, or the National Trust’s famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden nearby.


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Our tour continues in the direction of Maidstone on the A229, the old Roman road from Rochester to Hastings. Follow this road for

3.6 miles from the Staplehurst crossroads (also known as Cuckold’s Corner.) You will pass the Highgrove plant and nursery centre, where a range of garden plants, furniture and equipment are displayed to help you bring your garden to life. You may have time to stop at the Stile Bridge Inn, a quality restaurant. Soon after, take a narrow road to your right called Stilebridge Lane.Stay on this lane until you come to a crossroads, when you take the road facing you called Church Hill.

Climb this hill until you arrive at St Peter’s Church,Boughton

Monchelsea, which lies on a ridge overlooking the Weald ofKent. You can park in the church car park a little further up thehill on your right, and walk through the churchyard to admirethe view. The medieval lychgate, with a crown-post roof, isclaimed to be the oldest in England. The Graham ClarkeMillennium window is a stained glass window withsynchronised lights and music, which was designed by thewell-known artist as a new interpretation of the Nativity. It is amarvellous experience. Graham Clarke’s studio nearby may be

visited by appointment, phone 01622 743938.Just above the church is Boughton Monchelsea Place, aragstone manor house, mainly built in the 16th and early 19thcentury. The house is privately occupied, though open forspecial functions and group tours, phone 01622 743120.

At the top of Church Hill turn right along Heath Road, the B2163, signposted for Leeds.

Pass the Cock Inn, a cosy traditional English pub well known

for its food and award-winning cask ales.

Continue 2.5 miles to a crossroads with the Plough Inn opposite, and turn right on the A274 to Sutton Valence.

As you enter the village on the left is Sutton Valence School,founded in 1576 by William Lambe (1495-1580), a wealthy London clothworker who was born in the village. Shortly after,turn left off the main road into the village centre.

Pass the Kings Head, the Queens Head and the Clothworkers Arms pubs. It is worth parking where you can in this area sothat you can walk round the village and see the many things ofinterest. There are several medieval cottages, the oldest beingHeaven Cottage built in 1364, situated just north of the school.

Belringham was the home of John Willes, 1777-1852, whofirst introduced round-arm bowling in cricket and whosetombstone you can see in St Mary’s churchyard.

Follow the brown castellated signs and you will find theremains of Sutton Valence Castle, a small square Norman keep,with eight-foot thick ragstone walls, which was built to monitorthe important route across the Weald from Rye to Maidstone.From here you get marvellous views over the Weald.

The Green, on Lower Road, was the site of a medievalcattle fair.

Return along the A274, the main road on which you entered the village. At the Plough Inn you may turn right to complete your tour at Leeds Castle, just beyond Leeds village on the B2173.The road dips and twists through the village passing pretty cottages, timber-framed houses and oasts, and the ancient Church of Saint Nicholas before reaching the Castle gates.

An alternative somewhat longer route will take you toStoneacre, a gem of a restored half-timbered Tudor housewith a delightful garden in Otham, which is open onWednesday and Saturday afternoons only during the springand summer. For details phone 01622 862157.

To reach Otham from Sutton Valence, stay on the A274 in the direction of Maidstone for a total of 2 miles. Soon after the Crown & Horseshoes pub in Langley, take a right hand turn signposted to Otham. Passing Rumwoods rose nursery, follow the signs to Otham via Honey Lane and Simmonds Lane.Caution – narrow lanes!


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B&Bs along the route:

Barbara Beveridge, Homestay, 14 Chippendayle Drive,

Harrietsham ME17 1AD Tel: 01622 858698

Mrs C Barr, East Lenham Farm,Lenham ME17 2DP Tel: 01622 858686

Mrs Diane Leat,Bramley Knowle Farm,Eastwood Road Ulcombe ME17 1ET Tel: 01622 858878

Miss M A Ray,Curtis Farm,Waterman Quarter,Headcorn TN27 9JJ Tel: 01622 890393

Mrs Rosanne Thick, Four Oaks, Four Oaks Road,Headcorn TN27 9PB Tel: 01622 891224

Mrs Nola Batten,White Cottage, Headcorn Road,Staplehurst TN12 ODU Tel: (01580) 892554

Mrs D J Knight, Hideaway, Heath Road,Boughton Monchelsea ME17 4JD Tel: 01622 747453

Mrs Sue Townsend, The Granary,Lower Farm Road,Boughton Monchelsea ME17 4DD Tel: 01622 743532

Mrs Sue Spain, White House Farm, Green Lane,Chart Sutton ME17 3ES Tel: 01622 842490

Stephanie Clout, Sparks Oast Farm, Forsham Lane,Sutton Valence ME17 3EW Tel: 01622 842213

Mr & Mrs Meredith, Orchard House, Sutton Road,Langley ME17 3LZ Tel: 01622 862694

Mrs M Clifford, Langley Oast,Langley Park ME17 3NQ Tel: 01622 863523

Mrs Carol Buse, The Hazels, 13 Yeoman Way,Bearsted ME15 8PQ Tel: 01622 737943

Anna Jones, Cherwell, 88 Ashford Road,Bearsted ME14 4LT Tel: 01622 738278

Pat Wiesbauer, West Forge, Back Street,Leeds ME17 1TF Tel: 01622 861428

Mrs Penny Young, Further Fields, Caring Lane,Leeds ME17 1TJ Tel: 01622 861288

Otham enjoys an elevated position with wonderful viewsacross the valley towards the Kent Downs. It is famous for its

nine Tudor hall houses including Stoneacre. Although itspopulation is only about 400, Otham has two pubs and alovely restored 14th century church. The village sign on theGreen is a unique example of the blacksmith’s craft.

As you leave Otham descending the narrow road down the hill you cross the Len Valley Walk and then the River Len, alongside an old watermill. Soon you reach the main A20, turning right to return to Leeds Castle, about one mile to the east.


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S h

o r t

R o u t e

Hollingbourne

Harrietsham

Lenham

Platt’s Heath

Grafty Green

Headcorn

Ulcombe

Langley

Leeds

Sutton Valence

Chart Sutton

Bearsted

Staplehurst

IDEN CROFT HERBS

To Cranbrook To Smarden and Tenterden

Marden

Stilebridge

Boughton Monchelsea

LEEDS

CASTLE

Jct 8

Jct 7

Jct 6

MAIDSTONE

A229

A229

A249

A229

A229

A20

A20A20A274

A274

M20

M20

M20

Otham

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150405 Driving Tour

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