We are surrounded by historic buildings and castles, such as Hever, Bodiam, Scotney, Battle Abbey, Bayham Abbey, Leeds, Hurstmonceux and we are in the same village as  the famous Pashley Manor Gardens.

To help you plan the places you would like to visit, and things you might like to see or do we have compiled a useful list below...

Castles & Historic Buildings

Bateman's (NT), Burwash
17thC house, home of Rudyard Kipling

Battle Abbey & Battlefield (EH), Battle
Grounds and ruins of the Benedictine abbey founded to commemorate the Battle of Hastings, 1066.  View of the battlefield. 

Bayham Abbey (EH), Lamberhurst
Impressive ruins.

Bodiam Castle (NT), Bodiam
Well preserved 14thC castle and moat.

Chartwell (NT), Westerham
Home of Winston Churchill

Chiddingstone Castle, Chiddingstone
Castle style house and parkland.

Dover Castle & Secret Wartime Tunnels, Dover
Standing high over the White Cliffs of Dover

Hever Castle & Gardens, Hever
13thC & 15thC castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

Ightham Mote (NT), Ightham
One of the best remaining examples of a medieval manor house.

Knole (NT), Sevenoaks
One of the largest houses in Britain, dating from 1456 and enlarged in 1603.  Set in the middle of a beautiful deer park.

Leeds Castle, Maidstone
Dating from the 9thC and built on 2 islands in a lake, a favourite home of medieval Queens.

Penshurst Place and Gardens, Tonbridge
One of England's great medieval manor houses.

Gardens

Bedgebury National Pinetum, Goudhurst
Bedgebury Pinetum has the finest collection of conifers in the world providing enjoyment to visitors who come to appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of this unique attraction, which nestles quietly among lakes and valleys in the Kent countryside.

Herstmonceux Castle Gardens, Herstmonceux
Herstmonceux is renowned for its magnificent moated castle, set in beautiful parkland and superb Elizabethan gardens.

Merriments Gardens, Hurst Green
Set in 4 acres of gently sloping Wealden farmland, a contemporary garden which fashions the colour and structure of plants to give the visitor an unforgettable experience

Pashley Manor Gardens, Ticehurst
A quintessentially English Garden surrounding a private Grade I listed timber-framed house, dating from 1550 and enlarged in 1720. The Gardens offer a sumptuous blend of romantic landscaping, imaginative plantings and fine old trees, fountains, springs and large ponds.

Owl House Gardens, Lamberhurst
Owl House Gardens surround a 16th century timber-framed wool smuggler's cottage (not open to the public). The romantic gardens, covering 16.5 acres, were created from a cabbage patch in 1952 by Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, who hoped that visitors would love and value the gardens as much as she had done.

Scotney Castle Garden (NT), Lamberhurst
he moated 14th century castle and landscape of Scotney together make this one of England's most romantic places. Created in the 1830s by Edward Hussey who had the imagination to transform the medieval Scotney Castle from derelict dwelling to quaint ruin, thus forming the focus of his picturesque landscape garden, which he called his pleasure gardens.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden (NT), Cranbrook
Sissinghurst Castle Garden is one of the world's most famous 20th century gardens.

Historic or Interesting Towns & Villages

Canterbury
Dover
Eastbourne
Goudhurst
Hastings
Rochester
Rye
Tenterden
Tunbridge Wells

Local Sports or Activities

Arena Pursuits
Corporate and group activivity centre, featuring grass karts, quad bikes, laser clay pigeon shooting, paintballing, 4x4 driving and team activities.

Bewl Water
Trout fishing, sailing, windsurfing, cycling.

Bedgebury Riding Centre
BHS approved riding centre set in 250 acres.

Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club
Featuring the recently opened Ian Woosnam course, which complements the original 18 hole course.

Other Attractions 

Bewl Water, Lamberhurst
Vistor centre, woodland adventure playground, passenger steamer, special events.  Trout fishing permits available.

Buckleys Yesterday's World, Battle
Step back in time and see shops and room setting from days gone by.

Chalybeate Spring, The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells
An historic spring, originally discovered in the 17thC, where the healing spa waters are still served by a costumed dipper.

Drusillas Park, Polegate
Zoo Park with a wide variety of animals in cleverly designed natural settings.

Finchcocks, Goudhurst
Georgian manor house and home to a remarkable collection of historic keyboard musical instruments.

The Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood
Well preserved whited cowled oast houses, Hop Story museum, shire horses, childrens zoo, exhibits and regular events.

Howletts Wild Animal Park, Canterbury
Mature parkland containing John Aspinall's animals, including tigers, gorillas, deer, big cats and elephants.

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Mansion & Gardens, Hythe
300 acre wild animal park where spacious paddocks contain herds of rare horses, deer, antelope, rhino, elephants, plus big cats and gorillas.

Underwater World, Hastings
A display of marine life with hundreds of sea creatures including sharks, rays, seahorses and lobsters.

Kent & East Sussex Railway, Tenterden
Take a steam train btween Tenterden and Northiam.

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, New Romney
The world's only main line in miniature.  It's steam locomotives are only 1/3 normal size, hauling 200 passengers at 25mph on the 14 miles of 15in gauge track across Romney Marsh.

Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge Wells
Steam railway running between Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge. 

Historic Dockyard, Chatham
Georgian dockyard, submarine and naval museum.