Bed and Breakfast Tunbridge Wells Kent UK

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THINGS TO DO

Brenchley, Tunbridge Wells, is a hilltop village in the Weald of Kent with a medieval church and many other old buildings dating from the 15th century. The Old Barn B&B is an excellent centre from which to explore the myriad attractions that Kent and the neighbouring county of Sussex have to offer - historic buildings, gardens, natural scenery, wildlife, museums, cycling, walking, shopping, antiques, steam trains, vineyards and unique Wealden villages, etc.

The Georgian spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells (6 miles), with its historic colonnaded Pantiles area housing the famous Chalybeate Spring, has been fashionable with royalty and the aristocracy since the 17th century. Here you can find a wide choice of restaurants, shopping and antiques and the town boasts three theatres.

Tonbridge (6 miles) with its Norman castle having a 13th century tower, and river crossing, has been a market town since medieval times.

Kent's historic County Town of Maidstone is 12 miles away and the Cathedral Cities of Canterbury, with its many shops, and Rochester are very accessible.

Properties in the vicinity owned by National Trust (10)
There is an abundance of properties and gardens owned by the National Trust including: Chartwell former home of Sir Winston Churchill, and Quebec House home of General James Wolfe both at Westerham, near Sevenoaks;
Knole in Sevenoaks, the largest private house in England dating from 1456, with its 1,000 acre deer park and home of the Sackville West family;
Emmetts Gardens at Ide Hill;
Ightham Mote, near Sevenoaks, the 14th century beautiful moated medieval manor house;
Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, the inspiration of Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson;
Bodiam Castle and Scotney Castle Garden at Lamberhurst;
Batemans, Burwash, the home of Rudyard Kipling; and Smallhythe Place, Tenterden, the home of actress Ellen Terry.

Other gardens of special interest
Yalding Organic Gardens created by the HDRA; Great Dixter created by Christopher Lloyd; Merriments Gardens and Nursery, Hurst Green; Pashley Manor Gardens, Wadhurst; Great Comp, Borough Green; Owl House, Lamberhurst; Groombridge Place Gardens and Bedgebury Pinetum.

In the immediate vicinity are Marle Place Gardens and Gallery in Brenchley; with Kent National Golf Club (an 18-hole championship course) next door, where you are welcome to play on a daily basis (see www.moatlands.com); the 13th century All Saints Church, Tudeley, with its famous modern stained glass windows by Marc Chagall; and the Hop Farm Country Park at Paddock Wood which depicts the story of the hop - used in beer making - as well as a pottery, animal farm, shire horse centre and special events throughout the year.

Within a very short drive are Finchcocks at Goudhurst, with its collection of historical keyboard instruments; Bayham Abbey; vineyards at Penshurst, Biddenden, Lamberhurst and Tenterden; steam trains at the Spa Valley Railway at Tunbridge Wells and the Kent and East Sussex Railway at Tenterden; and Penshurst Place and Hever Castle, both associated with Henry VIII.

The traditional wealden towns of Cranbrook, with its white weatherboarded houses, Tenterden, with its many antique shops, and Goudhurst are within easy reach.

There are plenty of footpaths (visit www.walkinginkent.co.uk) in the area and the Old Barn in Kent welcome walkers and cyclists alike. Don't forget to return to this website when you have visited Walking in Kent website.