If you are staying in Hoath House or the Tudor Wing you are well placed to visit some fantastic countryside, as you would expect in the Garden of England. More surprisingly there is some great history to be discovered, some fantastic food and drink, and a chance to spot a hemphalump or even to Woozle watch.

Within walking distance of Hoath House are; Hever Castle, Chiddingstone Castle and Penshurst Place. Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Chiddingstone Castle is the old family seat of this gentleman, before the Downton Abbey moment, and Penshurst, the family home Lord De L’Isle, has great history as well as an adventure playground. We have a great selection of hostelries; lovely country pubs; gastro pubs for the foodies; historic inns and guest houses. Closest is the Rock Inn which has been very popular with all our guests. You can try, oysters, Larkins and to ring the bull, Last weekend a guest confessed he had spent almost as much time at the Rock as he had at the house!

The Bottle House, a gastro pub and the Kentish Horse more of an old-fashioned Kent Pub are both about a mile away. Then the Henry VIII or the Greyhound in Hever along with the Castle Inn in in Chiddingstone or the Leicester Arms or Spotted Dog in Penshurst are all walkable at about 2 miles.

If you love National Trust properties the next 9 are all within 20 minutes by car. Chiddingstone Village is owned by the National Trust and is one of the finest examples of a Tudor Village anywhere in England. Foremost amongst the local properties is Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s former home: Knole is in Sevenoaks and Quebec House in Westerham. Emmetts Garden and Ightham Mote as well as Standen House and Gardens are for those who love gardens as much as historic houses. The National Trust also owns land at Toys Hill and Limspfield Common where the views over Kent Sussex and Surrey are spectacular.

Last but not least on my local places to visit would be Ashdown Forest. Home of Winne the Pooh and his house at 100 acre wood. It is in reality, 500 acre wood, so the Hemphalumps and Woozles are really hard to find.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Gentleman of Chiddingstone