Page 103 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Great Britain

DRIVE 9: The Garden of England 101

PLAN YOUR DRIVE
Start/finish: Ashdown Forest to Battle.
Number of days: 3–4, allowing for
a half day’s walk at Rye.
Distance: Around 280 km (175 miles).
Road conditions: The roads are mostly
well maintained. Some lanes are narrow
and hedgerows can get wild, so be
careful not to scratch your paintwork.
Above Traditional oast houses at Sissinghurst, see p106 When to go: May to June is a good
time to visit, when apple and cherry
Maidstone
Maidstone blossom paints the area pink and
Mereworth
Mereworth Teston Teston Len Len 0 kilometres 8 white. July and August are often
West Farleigh
West West West Farleigh Leeds Leeds Lenham the warmest months but are also the
Peckham
Shipbourne Peckham
Shipbourne Loose Langley Langley Lenham 0 miles 8
YALDING
Ide Hill Ide Hill Sevenoaks YALDING Loose busiest. September is harvest time,
Sevenoaks
Coxheath
Weald Weald Hadlow Hadlow East Coxheath Sutton when the sea is still warm.
Hildenborough
Hildenborough East Linton Linton Sutton Valence Charing Charing
Peckham
Valence
Four Elms Peckham Opening times: Museums and
Chiddingstone
Westwell
Medway
Four Elms Chiddingstone Medway Westwell Wye
Causeway
Egerton
Tonbridge
Edenbridge Causeway Tonbridge Beltring Egerton Wye attractions are generally open
Little Chart
Edenbridge Chiddingstone Leigh Beltring Beult Beult Little Chart
PLUCKLEY
Kennington
Chiddingstone Leigh Paddock Wood PLUCKLEY Kennington 10am–5pm, but may close earlier (or
Hever
Hothfield
Headcorn
Lingfield Hever Bidborough Tudeley Tudeley Paddock Wood Marden Marden Headcorn Smarden Hothfield
PENSHURST Bidborough
Lingfield PENSHURST KENT Staplehurst Smarden Bell Ashford are closed altogether) Nov–Easter.
Bell
KENT
Matfield
Willesborough
Stowting
Southborough
Markbeech
Markbeech Southborough Matfield Brenchley Staplehurst Smarden Ashford Willesborough Stowting Shops are often open longer.
Brabourne
Frittenden
Cowden Speldhurst Pembury Brenchley Frittenden Smarden Great Great Brabourne Churches are usually open until dusk.
Cowden Speldhurst Pembury Horsmonden Bethersden Chart
Horsmonden
Bethersden Chart
Felbridge
Felbridge Royal SISSINGHURST Smeeth Smeeth Sellingde
GOUDHURST SISSINGHURST
Kingsnorth
Biddenden
East Grinstead Langton Royal Tunbridge Wells GOUDHURST Biddenden Kingsnorth Sellingde Stanford Main market days: Yalding: Farmers’
Green Tunbridge Wells
East Grinstead Langton Stanford
Shadoxhurst
Green High Shadoxhurst Aldington Market: every 3rd Sat; Hythe: Farmers’
Lamberhurst
Groombridge
Upper Groombridge Lamberhurst Finchcocks High Haldon Aldington Saltwood Market: 2nd & 4th Sat of month;
Haldon
Upper Finchcocks Cranbrook Saltwood
Hartfield
Hartfield
Blisington
Woodchurch
Scotney Castle
Forest Row Hartfield Frant Frant Scotney Castle Hartley Hartley Cranbrook Woodchurch Blisington Lympne Lympne Sandgate Rye: Wed morning.
Forest Row Hartfield
Sandgate
HYTHE
TENTERDEN
Royal Military Canal
BEWL WATER
ASHDOWN
ASHDOWN Coleman’s BEWL WATER Bedgebury Benenden TENTERDEN Hamstreet Royal Military Canal HYTHE
Bedgebury
FOREST Coleman’s
Burmarsh
FOREST Hatch Hatch Three Three Pinetum Pinetum Benenden Warehorne Hamstreet Newchurch Burmarsh Shopping: Look out for Winnie the
Flimwell
Wych Cross Wadhurst Leg Cross Flimwell Warehorne Newchurch
Rolvenden
Hawkhurst
Wych Cross Wadhurst Leg Cross Hawkhurst Rolvenden Small Small Romne y Pooh memorabilia in Ashdown Forest;
Crowborough
Crowborough Ticehurst Hythe Hythe Romne y teapots on Tea Pot Island, Yalding; and
Appledore
Rotherfield
Rotherfield Ticehurst Appledore Snargate Mar sh Dymchurch
Mar sh
BODIAM
Stonegate
Wittersham
Nutley Nutley Mayfield Stonegate Hurst BODIAM Newenden Wittersham Snargate St Mary St Mary Dymchurch pottery and antiques in Rye.
Newenden
CASTLE
Brenzett
St Mary’s Bay
in the Marsh
Fairwarp
GREAT
Etchingham Green
Fairwarp Mayfield Etchingham Hurst Green CASTLE GREAT Brenzett in the Marsh St Mary’s Bay
EAST SUSSEX
EAST SUSSEX DIXTER R o t h e r L e v e l s Fairfield Brookland New Romney Major festivals: Battle: Arts & Music
DIXTER
Fairfield
Brookland
New Romney
Burwash
Five Ashes Burwash Rother Rother Northiam R o t h e r L e v e l s Old Old Festival, Oct; Re-enactment of Battle
Romney
Littlestone on Sea
Five Ashes
Hadlow Ewhurst Ewhurst Northiam Peasnarsh Romney Littlestone on Sea
Hadlow Down Robertsbridge Beckley Peasnarsh of Hastings at Battle Abbey, Oct;
Robertsbridge
Staplecross
Greatstone on Sea
Down Staplecross Beckley Playden Playden W alland Greatstone on Sea Hythe: Venetian Fête, Aug 2019
W alland
Heathfield Brightling Cripp’s Corner RYE Mar sh
Heathfield Brightling Cripp’s Corner Udimore RYE Mar sh Lydd Lydd (every two years); Rye: Scallop Festival,
Dallington
Dallington Whatlington Boad Boad Udimore Brede Camber Camber Nuclear Power Feb/Mar; International Jazz Festival,
Whatlington
Oak
Oak
Sedlescombe Brede
Sedlescombe Winchelsea RYE RYE Nuclear Power Station DUNGENESS Aug; Arts Festival, Sep; Tenterden:
Station
HARBOUR
Winchelsea HARBOUR DUNGENESS Folk Festival, Sep/Oct.
BATTLE
Westfield
BATTLE Westfield
Pett English Channel
Pett
Catsfield
Catsfield Crowhurst English Channel
Fairlight
Crowhurst Fairlight
Cliff End
Cliff End DAY TRIP OPTIONS
Ore
Ore
Hastings
Hastings For a good family trip, visit the church at
Hythe and picnic on the beach before
riding the steam train along the coast.
Above Fisherman’s hut at Historians will enjoy visiting the abbey
Rye Harbour, see pp104–5 and battlefield at Battle, lunching at the
Great Dixter gardens and exploring
the fairytale castle at Bodiam. Another
day out might take in the ghosts of
Pluckley and the gardens at Sissinghurst
followed by the castle at Bodiam and a
lakeside stroll at Bewl Water. For full
details, see p107.
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