diamond geezer

 Monday, May 12, 2014

Beyond London (2): Sevenoaks (part 2)
Here's the second half of my account of a grand day out in an administrative district adjacent to Greater London. Sevenoaks is a large local authority, in area if not population, twenty miles from top to bottom. Yesterday I reported on two interesting places to the north, and today I'm way down south. [14 Sevenoaks-y photos]

Somewhere random: An hour in Edenbridge
9.46am The Uckfield train rolls into platform 2 at Edenbridge Town, and not many people get off. It's either impressive or very fortunate that a town of only 8000 souls has two unconnected railway stations, but today everyone seems to be elsewhere. Outside, past the shuttered Station Kiosk, a large fallen branch requires me step into the street, but there's no danger of anything running me down.
9.50am The High Street features a sequence of white-painted cottage-type buildings, all most impressive until you spot one's a bookies and the next is a Costa. A couple of mobility scooters pass by, one with two Union Jacks on the handlebars. The bloke in the newsagents is unusually courteous and friendly, or maybe that's normal for everywhere except London.
9.54am A crowd, large for Edenbridge, has gathered outside the Eden Valley Museum. Some are in period costume, not necessarily chronologically synchronised, while the bearded bloke in the gold chains has the air of the town's civic overlord. In a side street by the Citizens Advice Bureau, a brass band has formed up into marching formation. I have six minutes before they begin.
9.57am At the foot of the High Street is an old stone bridge over the River Eden, not currently in flood (although it caused a scare earlier in the year). The sound of trumpets draws my eye up the hill to where the band have kicked off prematurely and are already parading past Lloyds Bank.
9.59am I rush back, past a half-timbered sandwich shop and the delightfully medieval Ye Old Crown. I arrive at the museum just in time for the band's dismissal, after barely one tune, as the appreciative crowd starts to file into the museum's courtyard.



10.03am Today is the first day of a commemorative WW1 exhibition entitled 'Til The Boys Come Home, so the museum are putting on a celebratory day of related events. This has been a publicity masterstroke, as getting on for 3% of the population have turned up and the entrance to the courtyard is rammed.
10.05am Some pretend soldiers have dressed up for the day and are standing to attention in khaki. The officer class then retreat and do bugger all while three privates perform drill exercises with bayonets by stomping round the cobbles.
10.13am After slightly too many eyes rights and wheel lefts the display ends, and the leader of the town council starts to speak. His microphone isn't what it should be, but we get the gist, which is that the museum's putting on a damned fine show and we should all hang around to enjoy it.
10.14am A sizeable proportion of the crowd drift away, but most stay and await events. The officer class are now sipping tea, before disappearing into the hall which later will be serving period lunches (including a Bully Beef Ploughmans with Mrs Beeton's English Chutney).
10.20am This was perhaps not the best day to visit Eden Valley Museum because the interior of a 14th century farmhouse is not optimised for large crowds. Nevertheless there is much to see regarding Edenbridge's long history and that of the surrounding valley, including some particularly nasty floods that afflicted the town in 1968. The upstairs room with the WW1 exhibition is of course the busiest, but on this occasion I have to leave those already present to their perusal.
10.35am As the brass band kicks off again beneath a protective awning, it's time to move on. I'm scarpering early, but I hope enough of a home crowd linger to watch the Gas Mask Drill and to meet a representative of the Belgian Tourist Board.
10.38am Back up the High Street, the queue at the family butchers is now quite long. Meanwhile at Cafe-Au-Net the proprietor stares out of the front door in case anyone needs milkshakes, internet or their laptop fixing, but no such luck.
10.44am Back at the station I pick up a leaflet for the walk I'm about to do next - it's impressively stocked - and then head back under the tracks to await my train. I'm all alone on the platforms, far from the madding crowd, until the 10.46 turns up and six cellists pile off. It's been just another hour in Edenbridge.
by train: Edenbridge, Edenbridge Town

Somewhere pretty: Hever to Chiddingstone
The Eden is a tributary of the Medway, and the Eden Valley Walk follows both downstream for a total of fifteen miles. I thought I'd tackle a three mile stretch, although by the time I'd finished I'd done seven, thanks to mud, cows, closed gates and lack of stations. But the villages along the way were gorgeous, plus there were a couple of castles to throw in along the way for good measure. The first of these is Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, which is awkwardly located for anyone arriving by train. Hever station is a mile from the village, a remote outpost accessible only down a narrow, but rather charming lane. At the first T-junction came the sound of loud bleating as two flocks of sheep rushed to greet the latest human intervention, and duly lined up for my photograph of the day.



At this point I took the footpath to Hever, passing between low hanging cow parsley that soon had my trousers damp. The walk's leaflet had warned that this stretch could be very muddy, and soon I was stepping gingerly across what I thought was the worst of it. Afraid not. Before long I was clinging onto the rail to manoeuvre myself past squelchy brown pools, occasionally almost losing my walking boot beneath the surface. I think I nearly reached the end of the path, but at one point the going degenerated to unavoidable wading, at which point I was forced to retreat. Thankfully the mud had almost dried off by the time I finally yomped into the village of Hever via circuitous lanes, but if you're ever planning on turning up at the castle in pristine footwear, be warned.

Hever's tiny, but does boast a primary school, a pub, a coach park and a village hall. A 'bumper' plant sale was underway in the latter, where locals were emerging with trays of perennials as I passed. I didn't have time to venture inside the castle, especially not when it costs a whopping £15.50 for the privilege, although for that you get the extensive grounds and a couple of mazes thrown in too. Instead I poked my head inside the 14th century church, where the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I's grandfather has pride of place in a side chapel. And then I was off through the woods, the castle screened totally out of sight, and only a single glimpse of its great lake beyond the jousting grounds.

Not a soul appeared for the next two miles, although I did have a close encounter with a llama at Lockskinners Farm. It left its comrades to wander over to the fence with what was either an inquisitive or an irate stare, and I didn't hang around to confirm which. Up in Moor Wood was the day's sole carpet of bluebells, perhaps a little late in the season but perfectly illuminated by a gap in the clouds and more than a little magical. Equally impressive were the rocks on the descent to Hill Hoath, forcing the path between a gully lined by gnarled overhanging roots. The landscape opened out somewhat afterwards, with green and pastoral views towards Sussex, and the flag of castle number two fluttering across the wheatfields.



Chiddingstone is often described as one of the prettiest villages in England, especially by the National Trust who bought up the entire village in 1939. It has only one street, with the parish church on one side and a run of Tudor buildings along the other. One's the pub, another's the village shop which is magnificently half-timbered, and with a bijou tearoom tucked away round the back. The effect is impressive, though perhaps a little brief, and somewhat diminished by the run of 21st century vehicles lined up outside. Take the dead end footpath up the road to find the Chiding Stone, a knobbly lump of sandstone after which the village is named. But it needs to be a day between Sunday and Wednesday if you plan to access the 17th century impressionistic castle, other than for a nice walk in the gardens.

The Eden Valley Walk then heads off to the village of Penshurst, and yet another impressively stately home - Penshurst Place. But I didn't have time for that either, instead intent on reaching Penshurst station in time for the next hourly train. That was easier said than done, there being relatively few roads in this part of Kent, and therefore requiring a half hour "shortcut" across the fields. The most direct path ran through a field packed with cattle, which I avoided by following what might not have been a right of way until I reached something that definitely was. I eventually panted onto the Penshurst platform with barely two minutes to spare, after a splendid but somewhat unconventional hike through oast house country.
by train: Hever, Penshurst

Somewhere else: Other places I've visited previously in Sevenoaks district
» Chartwell (Churchill's home)
» Emmetts Garden (bluebell heaven)
» Lullingstone (Roman villa and world garden)
» The Otford Solar System (a vast scale model)


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv