Drive through English Towns and Villages in Kent and East Sussex
Exploring Kent and East Sussex while on holiday in Kent. Click on the timings to the 'right' of each village or town in the list below to view the video at that point. Below is a comprehensive list of all the towns and villages we drove through during the week; most within a 10 miles radius of our holiday cottage in the village of Appledore, Kent, England.
In 2014 17% of the UK population were living in rural areas e.g. in small villages like the ones shown in this video.
The list names each village or town, states which County its in, its population (mostly derived from the 2011 Census), and its location on teh video in minutes and seconds (and towards the end, in hours too).
As a general rule (traditionally), one of the criteria in the UK for defining whether a settlement is a village or town is that a village has a church but no market; whereas a town has a 'town market'.
Villages and Towns we drove through during our Holiday in Kent:-
• Hamstreet (village), Kent (population 1,777)
• Kenardington (village), Kent (population 247) @ 1:46
• Appledore (village), Kent (population 749) @ 3:42
• Rye (town), East Sussex (population 4,773) @ 7:06
• East Guldeford (village), East Sussex (population 327) @ 9:56
• Camber (village), East Sussex (population 1,265) @ 10:40
• Lydd (town), Kent (population 6,567) @ 19:17
• New Romney (town), Kent (population 6996) @ 23:16
• Old Romney (village), Kent (population 215) @ 27:09
• Brenzett (village), Kent (population 379) @ 27:48
• Tenterden (town), Kent (population 7,735) @ 29:38
• Winchelsea (town), East Sussex (population 600) @ 35:03
• Winchelsea Beach (seaside village), East Sussex @ 38:07
• Woodchurch (village), Kent (population 1,903) @ 40:25
• Biddenden (village), Kent (population 2,574) @ 41:30
• Sissinghurst (village), Kent (population 1,068) @ 44:42
• Goudhurst (village), Kent (population 3,204) @ 48:24
• Horsmonden (village), Kent (population 1,620) @ 52:11
• Paddock Wood (town), Kent (population 8,253) @ 54:02
• Matfield (village), Kent @ 59:17
• Leybourne (village), Kent (population 3,218) @ 1:01:16
• Rye Harbour Village (village), East Sussex (population 500) @ 1:03:12
• Wittersham (village), Kent (population 1,112) @ 1:07:07
• Iden (village), East Sussex (population 456) @ 1:09:28
• Playden (village), East Sussex (population 340) @ 1:11:42
• Brenchley (village), Kent (population 2,863) @ 1:12:59
Wittersham Manor Barn | Wittersham
For more information please phone +44 (0)1892 510117 or visit:
Wittersham, Kent
In a serene setting nestling within the picturesque grounds of the owner's 16th Century manor house lies this luxurious barn conversion. Offering a careful blend of modern day comforts and old world charm with heavy oak beams, open stone fireplace and wonderful views from every window, across the glorious surrounding countryside.
Rich in history the charming village of Wittersham has links going back to the Danes. It is believed they occupied the area in AD 892 and incorporated in to the village sign is the image of a Danish longship. During the First World War, the village was used to moor airships, and during the Second World War it also housed a key listening post for downed pilots over the channel - the parents of one such pilot, Flying Officer Michael Fitt, RCAF donated the church clock in memory their son.
Exploring the delights of the area seems endless as Romney Marsh is one of the most magical regions in England. Drive down winding lanes and you'll discover unique little villages and secluded seaside towns. A nature lovers' paradise, the footpaths are a fantastic way to discover the wildlife and enjoy wonderful views of unspoilt countryside. The quiet flat country lanes are also an excellent location for gentle safe cycling, along with fishing in the Royal Military Canal, lovely sandy beaches at Camber and the miniature steam railway that chugs along the coast from Hythe to Dungeness. Your holiday memories will last a lifetime!
Traditionally furnished with deep comfy sofas, open fire, antiques, farmhouse style kitchen, large dining room with French doors to garden (perfect for convivial eating) and a wealth of beams, all go to make Wittersham Manor the ideal venue for a peaceful get-together or reunion or, somewhere just to get away from it all.
A galleried entrance hall offers access to ground floor shower room with w.c., en-suite double bedroom, dining room, sitting room, drawing room, ideal as a retreat, and dining room. There is a family bathroom on the mezzanine floor and one double and one twin bedroom on the first floor. The gardens are idyllic, surrounded by beautiful countryside in which you can relax, enjoy the views and really feel you have left the world behind.
Agent's Note: - Children under 7 years of age by arrangement with the owner.
Fuel for the open fire not included.
Video tour courtesy of
Tenterden Town in Kent, the jewel of the Weald . Our hidden paths
Tenterden is a town with a large conservation area in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the remnant forest The Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother. It was a member of the Cinque Ports Confederation. Its riverside today is not navigable to large vessels and its status as a wool manufacturing centre has been lost. Tenterden has several voluntary organisations, some of which are listed below, seven large or very old public houses within its area and has long distance walking and cycling routes within its boundaries.
The town's name is derived from the Old English Tenet Waraden, meaning a den or forest clearing in the forest which belonged to the men of Thanet.
History
The first record of dwellings in Tenterden can be found in a charter which mentions that it, as 'Heronden', began to grow from the 14th century around the strong local wool industry. Unlike other such centres in the Weald it had the advantage of access to the sea. Much of what is now Romney Marsh was under water, and ships docked at nearby Smallhythe. Timber from the Wealden forests was used to construct ships, and in 1449 Tenterden was incorporated into the Confederation of Cinque Ports as a limb of Rye. Ships built in the town were then used to help Rye fulfil its quota for the Crown.
A school was in existence here in 1521; later (in 1666) it was referred to as a grammar school. Today Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre, a large secondary school catering for the Weald and south of Ashford Borough is in Tenterden.
In 1903, Tenterden Town railway station was opened. It closed in 1954, but half of it reopened in 1974 as the Kent and East Sussex Railway. The route starts at Tenterden Town Station and finishes at Bodiam station, near Bodiam Castle. The main line track is being extended to Robertsbridge
Churches and chapels
There are two parish churches, as well as a number of other chapels and religious meeting spaces:
St Mildred's (Anglican) is in the main part of the town. The church dates from the 12th century, and was progressively enlarged until 1461, when the distinctive tower was constructed. It was one of the churches in the 1588 system of warning beacons.
It was a major surveying point in the Anglo-French Survey (1784–1790) to calculate the precise distance between the Paris Observatory and the Royal Greenwich Observatory, overseen by General William Roy.
St Michael and All Angels (Anglican). The suburb now called St Michael's was known as Boresisle until Victorian times, when a church dedicated to St Michael was built to serve this community. The church was consecrated in 1863, but construction of the steeple took a further 12 years.
St. John the Baptist (Anglican).
St. Mary's Church (Anglican).
St. Andrew's Catholic Church.
Trinity Baptist Church.
Zion Baptist Church.
Jireh Chapel: Strict Baptist church.
The Methodist Church.
The Unitarian Chapel, originally called the Old Meeting House, was built c. 1695. A plaque on the wall records that Dr Benjamin Franklin worshipped here in 1783, where he was to hear Joseph Priestley preach.
The Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.stings) in East SuPublic houses
Its large and/or old pubs are generally owned by Kentish breweries and are:
The Woolpack, next to the Town Hall,
The White Lion, the High Street
The Vine, the High Street
The William Caxton, the High Street,
The Crown, Ashford Road in St. Michaels
ssex.
Tenterden folk festival
Wittersham Road . History of the station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway
Again , this original station site was largely cleared by British Railways but for the reopening in 1978 the railway provided a station platform using coping stones from Heathfield station in Sussex. The platform footpath is flanked by railings retrieved from Cranbrook, another station on a Stephens' railway, and lamp standards from Ashurst and Cowden. The Station nameboard also originated from Cranbrook. The signal box is a Saxby and Farmer type 5 box from Deal Junction, Dover built about 1882 and transported here for the opening of the rebuilt station. The yard here is somewhat extended from its old role as a busy agricultural goods yard and is currently used as the Permanent Way Headquarters for the Railway and as a relatively vandal free storage site for rolling stock in need of renovation.
The station building is set at right angles to the line and closely resembles the original but came from the Cambrian Railways at Borth in West Wales where it had been since the 1890's. Opposite this building across the station yard, where stock coming to and from the railway is loaded, is a relic of World War II. By the picnic site the small Blockhouse was built as an ammunition store for one of a pair of 'super heavy' 9.2 rail-mounted guns that were based on the railway from February 1941 to 8th August 1944. They had a range of some 20 miles and would have been used to fire on the beaches edging Romney Marsh in the event of invasion.
A Walk through Tenterden in 1980
A walk through Tenterden in 1980, thanks to Ron Dennison who took all of the photos one day in ~1980, video production by Sue Ferguson Tenterden - The Jewel of the Weald
Election Day Hastings 1992
This video features views of Hastings town centre before it was pedestrianised and the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre built. We start at St Andrew's Bridge at the top of Queen's Road, and we go past the Liberal Centre and various hoardings. We see the now-demolished Queen's Parade, and Polly O'Keefe, the flower seller, all now long gone..In Roberston Street we see the now-demolished corner with the greengrocer's shop. Look out for the Hastings bus in 1992 livery. The video ends at George Rose in Havelock Road. We hope you appreciate all the irony and 'fin du siecle' stuff. Enjoy!
Tenterden High Street showcase - photos Lewis Brockway
Tenterden High Street showcase, photographer: Lewis J Brockway, video: Sue Ferguson Tenterden - The Jewel of the Weald
Ightham Mote Medieval Moated Manor House & Gardens.
Ightham Mote (pronounced item moat) is a medieval moated manor house close to the village of Ightham, near Sevenoaks in Kent.
Ightham Mote and its gardens are owned by the National Trust and open to the public. The house is a Grade I listed building, and parts of it are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Originally dating to around 1320, the building's importance lies in the fact that successive owners effected relatively few changes to the main structure, after the completion of the quadrangle with a new chapel in the 16th century. Nikolaus Pevsner called it the most complete small medieval manor house in the country, and it remains an example that shows how such houses would have looked in the Middle Ages. Unlike most courtyard houses of its type, which have had a range demolished, so that the house looks outward.
Filmed on a Canon Legria HF G25 (Vixia HF G20)
Requiem for Hastings College of Further Education
It is a bright spring morning in early March 2014, and the Hastings College Archery Road campus is shortly to be demolished.
In this short video, we take one last look...
The boarded up Victorian buildings in the video are a part of Burton's St Leonards. They were originally known as Uplands School, and were subsequently called the Old Building when the site was converted into a College of Further Education.
The name of the College was changed to Hastings College of Arts and Technology in 1982. An entirely new block, known as Susssex Coast College, was constructed as a replacement for the Archery Road buildings on the site of the goods yard at Hastings Station in 2009.
Sussex Coast College, takes over as Hastings College on Station Plaza, but it is different institution from the old Hastings College of Further Education, now gone forever.
Little Colnbrook | Penshurst, Kent
Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent
If you fancy a relaxing break or a memorable family holiday in the beautiful Kent countryside, Little Colnbrook is likely to provide everything you are looking for!
Located in an idyllic spot and just a few minutes away down a quiet back lane from the quintessential English village of Penshurst, boasting one of the country's oldest ancestral homes, Penhurst Place, which has stood alongside the church with its famous Beckett Window for over six hundred years, Here in the village one can still indulge in afternoon tea, watch cricket played on one of the earliest English pitches or enjoy a locally produced meal at The Leicester Arms - considered to be one of the most picturesque in Kent.
You will never be short of things to do whilst staying at the cottage. Surrounded by countryside, latticed with walks from outside your door, yet within easy reach of glorious gardens, fairytale castles, miniature railways, animal parks, vineyards, golf courses and the stunning South Coast. Visit Hastings, where the traditional pier, seaside amusements, boating lake and crazy golf course remain as popular as ever and why not buy fresh fish off the boats to take back and enjoy an al fresco supper. The bright lights of London's West End are only an hour away from nearby Hildenborough station as are the ferry ports and the Channel Tunnel, should you fancy a Continental excursion.
The property is tastefully decorated in a mix of traditional and contemporary style with carefully chosen accessories to create a welcoming atmosphere. Entrance to Little Colnbrook is from the delightful front cottage garden into the rustic dining room which leads through to the kitchen. The sitting room with log burner is perfect for everyone to relax in after a day discovering the beauty of the area and the compact study off provides a quiet corner. Upstairs the master bedroom gives access to a twin bedroom making this an ideal family suite; there is a further double bedroom and bathroom on this floor. Outside, the flower and shrub filled rear courtyard patio overlooking unspoilt countryside, is a great place for a family barbeque or just to sit, possibly with a glass of wine, and enjoy the panoramic view.
Agent's Note: The twin bedroom is accessed via the main bedroom
Video tour by