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Kent Advent Calendar – Day 6 – Wing Walking

08/19/202112/06/2019 by jennyb

For day 6 of our #KentAdventCalendar we invite you to take to the skies for a bird’s eye view of the glorious Kent countryside — not from the comfort of the cockpit or cabin, but alfresco, strapped to the wing of a 1942 Boeing Stearman.

Our holiday renters sometimes see biplanes buzzing across the summer sky above Barnfield House….and hear their distinctive drone. Headcorn Aerodrome is just 11 miles away, and it’s from there that the Wing Walk Company promises a jaw-dropping, adrenaline-pumping aerial perspective on Kent you’re not likely to forget in a hurry.

The wing walking experience

Chief pilot Richard Pickin, his son Michael, two more pilots and three ground crew form the highly experienced and thoroughly professional team at the Wing Walk Company – described as the modern-day equivalent of the Barnstorming Pioneers of the 1920s and 30s who performed aerial stunts in rural towns as part of a flying circus. As a wing walker with them, you’ll experience the thrill of flight unfettered by cabin walls. After a briefing and practice, you’re securely harnessed to the top wing, ready for take-off. Then it’s 10 minutes of breath-taking, wind-whipping exhilaration hurtling through the air at speeds up to 110mph, climbing as high as 700ft, and zooming past admiring friends and family gazing skyward as little as 100ft below. At the end of your flight, walk away with proof of your daring: a Wing Walk Experience certificate and a recording of your flight taken from on-board HD cameras.

If you have ever hankered to stand on the wing of a biplane, are between 18 and 75, under 85kg and in good health, now’s a good time to pre-book your 2020 flight with them; check their special winter-booking deal here.

Kent Advent Calendar – Day 5 – Castle Farm Lavender

08/19/202112/05/2019 by jennyb

For day 5 of #KentAdventCalendar we’re celebrating a farm that has changed the colour palette of Kent. Every year in late June, vast swathes of the North Downs burst into a haze of purple as the spectacular lavender fields of Castle Farm begin to flower. This corrugated carpet of lavender undulating across the Kent countryside is breath-taking – a reward for all the senses.

During the short season – usually until the end of July – The Hop Shop at Castle Farm runs public and private tours. This is a chance to go behind the scenes at the UK’s largest lavender farm, learn why lavender is grown, how it is harvested and the oil extracted, and what it’s used for… while immersed in billowing rows of perfumed blooms. On certain summer evenings you can book a BYO pop-up sunset picnic right in the lavender fields – but be quick off the mark, as tickets for these outrageously popular events are only announced a few days in advance and sell out quickly.

While the lavender season is short, the Hop Shop itself is open all year round, selling seasonal produce from the family farm. With Christmas around the corner, now is a great time to visit and pick up some decorative hop bines and wreathes for the home, as well as special gifts for all the family: edible treats, lavender candles and essential oils, and their own Natural Sleep range – Sleepy Scent, Sleepy Balm, Sleepy Tea and Sleep Pillow. These are also available to purchase online.

The Hop Shop at Castle Farm is just north of Sevenoaks near the pretty village of Shoreham, a 40-minute drive from Barnfield House. Find out more here.

Photo credit: The Hop Farm at Castle Farm

Kent Advent Calendar – Day 4 – Dungeness

08/19/202112/04/2019 by jennyb

Dungeness is our choice for day 4 of the #KentAdventCalendar. We were watching the tide recede beyond the shadow of the nuclear power station there one crisp November day when I turned round to notice the tip of the lighthouse peeking over the shelving shingles. What quiet drama!

But then Dungeness can feel like a dystopian film set, it is so otherworldly – and like nowhere else in the country let alone the county of Kent. As it happens, it is one of the largest shingle landscapes in the world, offering one of the most bio-diverse habitats you can find in England.

Fishing hut and boat on shingle beach at Dungeness — Image by LoggaWiggler from Pixabay

Dungeness is well worth the 50-minute 27-mile drive from Barnfield House, whether you plan to visit for an hour or a day. Wander along the beach, past fishermen’s huts, beached fishing boats and a scattering of houses, some created from old railway carriages dragged across the shingle a century ago. Down a pint at the Pilot Inn. Visit film director Derek Jarman’s extraordinary shingle garden at Prospect Cottage. Then head inland to Dungeness Nature Reserve for the two-mile circular trail, stopping off at a few hides for a spot of birdwatching at this migration hotspot and birdlife haven.

For more information, visit the Dungeness National Nature Reserve website and RSPB.

Kent Advent Calendar – Day 3

08/19/202112/03/2019 by jennyb

The Walled Nursery is our choice for day 3 of our #KentAdventCalendar. This one of those rare places that casts its magic come rain or shine, no matter how often you visit. It is set within a Victorian walled kitchen garden – one of the very few left intact in the UK – which once served a grand country house (now a private school) on the Tongswood Estate. The 19^th Century Victorian glasshouses – 13 of them, including a Melon House, a Cucumber House, a Peach Case, a Fernery and a Vinery – were literally crumbling when passionate horticulturists Monty and Emma took on the nursery in 2010. Undeterred, the passionate couple poured their energy into the enormous task of restoring them, reviving the nursery, adding new services, and creating a “must visit” destination for green-fingered locals as well as gardening tourists.

Today you can wander in and out of the greenhouses, selecting from herbaceous perennials, bedding plants, herbs, fruit trees, house plants and succulents. Afterwards, take a break at the Vinery Café where you can enjoy tea and a slice of home-made cake, or a delicious lunch from a menu that changes daily to reflect the seasons. Decorated with heritage garden tools, the cafe occupies the original Victorian vine house, heated in winter by a glowing wood-burning stove, and is . Nest door is the gift shop, with a lovely selection of items, among them Walled Nursery tea towels, mugs and greetings cards– we defy you to leave without finding something to take home!

Just two miles from the family holiday rental Barnfield House, the Walled Nursery conveniently lies between Kent’s two world-famous gardens, Sissinghurst Castle Garden and Great Dixter (and no surprises that Emma has worked at both). For more information, visit their website.

Kent Advent Calendar – Day 2 – Blighty’s

08/19/202112/02/2019 by jennyb

For day 2 of our #KentAdventCalendar, we’ve chosen Blighty’s, a quintessentially British gift shop in the historic Wealden village of Cranbrook just four miles from Barnfield House. Camilla Cogger, who manages this fabulous independent family-run gift shop, loves spotting and supporting talented artists, designers and craftspeople, and makes a point of only sourcing products designed and made in Britain. A fabulous place to pick up a gift, it is overflowing with gorgeous Christmas-themed items right now, from scented advent candles to 3D advent calendars to ceramic star Christmas tree decorations.

Camilla has recently launched the own-brand Blighty’s Collection, starting with stunning scented candles hand-made close by in Tenterden, and a beautiful ceramic heart featuring Cranbrook’s famous Union Mill, hand-made in Gloucestershire by Broadlands Pottery – super gifts for our holiday renters to purchase as a souvenir of their stay! Blighty’s – an informal term for Britain coined early in the 19^th Century – is also a ‘Just a Card’ superhero, supporting a campaign encouraging people to shop local and independent. And if you can’t shop local, you can always shop online . at https://blightys.uk/

Kent Advent Calendar – Day 1

08/19/202112/01/2019 by jennyb

There is so much to experience in Kent that we decided to celebrate our corner of the world with a Kent Advent Calendar. Every day in the run-up to Christmas Day, we’ll be sharing with you photos of some of our favourite places, people and products in Kent and across the border in East Sussex — village pubs, woodland walks, ancient castles, famous gardens, indie boutiques and artisanal fare.

For the first day of our #KentAdventCalendar we’ve chosen world-famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden — the quintessential English garden less than seven miles from Barnfield House. Wonder if poet and writer Vita Sackville-West could have imagined that her life’s exuberant creation would become arguably England’s most beautiful garden as well as the top attraction in the Weald of Kent?

This year Sissinghurst Castle Garden, which lies less than seven miles from our family holiday rental, will open during winter for the first time. This gives visitors the chance to view the much-loved garden through a different lens, and appreciate the classic structure and layout created by Vita’s husband Harold Nicolson. What better way to experience the Garden of Kent’s colourful changing seasons than at this National Trust treasure!

Remember, remember the 27th November

11/05/202111/22/2019 by jennyb

People from all over the world come to England to bask in our heritage and culture. Some of England’s traditions are so normalised that we forget the deep history behind them. Not so November 5^th.

Remember remember the 5^th of November

Gunpowder treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder treason be ever forgot

The popular rhyme reminds us of the origin of this long-standing tradition: the foiled plot to blow up King James 1 and Parliament on 5^th November 1605. Every year on the anniversary of the failed attempt, people gather in public parks and private gardens to watch fireworks light up the sky, above towering bonfires topped by effigies of Guy Fawkes – the penny-for-a-Guy whose lot was to be the only conspirator whose name is still widely remembered 400 years later.

fireworks light the sky above Hawkhurst Kent — *Fireworks light up the autumn sky above Hawkhurst*

Sussex Bonfire Societies

The Sussex Bonfire Societies take a different approach to dates. The 5^th of November is just one of a series of events spread over a three-month period from early September to the end of November. Each event is so much more than a fireworks display, but a spectacular evening with bonfire societies all coming together from Wealden villages and towns across the counties of Sussex and Kent.

Hawkhurst Gang Bonfire Society

Hawkhurst Gang Bonfire Society traditionally closes the season, which this year takes place Saturday 27th November. This fun-filled evening kicks off in the early evening at the Royal Oak pub in Hawkhurst where all the visiting bonfire societies meet with the home team – many dressed in traditional attire. At 7pm they make their way in a joyful torchlight procession up Highgate Hill accompanied by marching bands. It’s an extraordinary sight; even rain doesn’t dampen enthusiasm.

Torchlight procession in Hawkhurst — *The torchlight procession blazes its way up Highgate Hill*

Hog roast and hotdogs

At the King George V playing field on the Moor, treats await – burgers, hot dogs and a hog roast slowly turning on the open fire. Kids tuck in to traditional toffee apples and hot chocolate while adults enjoy a pint or a steaming mug of mulled wine, silhouetted against the bonfire blaze. When the fireworks display starts, bursts of colour illuminate the crisp autumnal sky and the air rings with whistles, crackles and bangs, mixed with the oohs and aaahhhhs of the appreciative crowd.

Guests staying at the self-catering holiday rental Barnfield House get a glimpse of the fireworks without even leaving home. But there’s nothing like joining in this fabulously family-friendly event , the culmination of months of hard graft by the small band of volunteers in the Hawkhurst Gang Bonfire Society (named after the infamous 18^th Century Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers that will be the focus of another blog post).

a bench and fireworks in the distance — *Fireworks from the deck at Barnfield House*

For further information, visit Hawkhurst Gang Bonfire Society’s website.

The British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition at Bodiam Castle

08/19/202111/12/2019 by jennyb

Bodiam Castle in East Sussex never fails to surprise. Monty Python fans might remember glimpsing this perfectly moated medieval marvel in the film Monty Python & the Holy Grail, where it was the exterior of Swamp Castle. Moving from films to stills, this pint-size castle is currently hosting the 2019 British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition.

Bodiam Castle is of the first venues on the national tour of 2019 winners. The crenelated walls, soaring towers and surrounding moat provide a stunning backdrop to a spectacular series of photos that capture British wildlife and landscapes in all their power and glory.

wildlife photos exhibited within the ancient walls of Bodiam Castle — *Top photo, Paul Sawer’s category winner, ‘Seasonal Blue Tit shot in Suffolk*

It was an overcast day when we visited, and the National Trust volunteers were getting up to speed with the diverse locations of the exhibition. This included the first floor of the West Tower which we understand was opened to the public for the first time especially for this exhibition. It was rather extraordinary climbing up the narrow, steeply spiralling stone stairs and stepping into a small circular tower room to see the most astonishing photographs of British wildlife.

Photos of a plover and a snake exhibited at Bodium castle — *Top photo, Nicholas Court’s highly commended ‘Golden Plover Moor shot in Derbyshire. Jack Perk’s highly commended Grass Snake in Garden Pond, photographed in Nottinghamshire.*

The work of both amateur and professional photographers is displayed in the north east, north west and west towers. Somehow these rather magnificent photos of Britain’s bucolic landscape and abundant wildlife sit well against a backdrop of the castle’s ancient blocks of stone – story-tellers themselves across the centuries.

Photo of a bluebell wood displayed within Bodiam castle — *Pauline Godwin’s highly commended Carpet of Bluebells at Badbury Clump in Oxfordshire*

A bee, barn owl and blenny - photos exhibited at Bodiam castle — (Left) Andy Rouse’s highly commended Barn Owlets Fledging from Nest, photographed in Lincolnshire. (Centre) Daniel Trim’s highly commended Sinister Cargo. (Right) Dan Bolt’s highly commended Dahlia Splash shot in the seas of South Devon, and Kirsty Andrews’ highly commended Golden Boy, a characterful Yarrell’s blenny shot in the Scottish Borders.

The details captured by the photographers were extraordinary. Daniel Trim’s Sinister Cargo shows a European Beewolf – “tenacious little wasps” – carrying a paralysed honeybee to its burrow, where it will become the unwitting host for the wasp’s egg… and ultimately dinner for the newly hatched larva. And I just love the expression on Golden Boy, Kirsty Andrews’ fine portrait of a blenny.

Photo of a dipper eating a bug — *Highly commended, Breakfast Bug by Peter Bartholomew – a dipper tucks into a juicy bug in the Cairngorms.*

There’s food for thought too. For example Breakfast Bug, Peter Bartholomew’s photo of a dipper perched on a plastic bottle draped in what looks like fishing net, shows how nature adapts to its changing surroundings. “Over several weeks I observed that the dipper had adopted various pieces of plastic waste as perching spots in preference to the usual stones and branches.”

We visited Bodiam Castle this time mainly for the exhibition. But of course Britain’s most photogenic castle provides multiple opportunities to shoot stunning photos, whether you use a camera or your phone. (The photos accompanying this article were all taken on a Huawei P20 Pro smartphone). So after visiting the exhibition rooms in the three towers, do climb further up the spiral stairs to the top of the towers to the reward of fantastic countryside views.

Bodiam Castle portcullis, tower stairs, and external view — *Enjoy a leisurely tour of Bodiam Castle*

This inspiring BWPA exhibition is a reminder of the riches that nature gives us right on our doorsteps. Indeed the castle grounds are home to a variety of wildlife within its wetlands, wooded areas, trees, and grasslands. It is also one of the most important bat roosts in the south east of England.

Bodiam Castle is just 5 miles from the five-bedroom holiday rental Barnfield House, which is the perfect base for families interested in exploring the attractions of Kent and East Sussex.

The exhibition is on until Sunday 5 January 2020 (closed 24 & 25 December).

More information here.

Tigers at Bateman’s – A Children’s Classic Tours the National Trust

08/19/202110/24/2019 by jennyb

When they were little, among my children’s cherished books was Judith Kerr’s Mog picture book series. Mog the Forgetful Cat remains a favourite in our library of children’s books at Barnfield House – inscribed by my late mother for my daughter in the late 80s. Little did she know that her Christmas gift would be bringing pleasure to a new generation decades later, visiting grannies chose the same book to read to their own young grand-children during family holidays at our Kent holiday rental.

A children’s favourite comes to Bateman’s

Judith Kerr is probably best known for another children’s classic, ‘A Tiger Came To Tea’. which is currently touring National Trust properties nationwide in a 50th Anniversary Exhibition created by Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books. When I heard that the National Trust’s roving exhibition had rolled into Bateman’s a 15-minute drive away, curiosity got the better of me and I just had to visit.

We’re lucky enough to have a very fine selection of National Trust historic houses, castles and gardens in the High Weald, offering wonderful days out to entertain all the family. Bateman’s, Rudyard Kipling’s family home in Burwash, East Sussex is a favourite. The character of the place has been so skilfully preserved, as though the author of the Just So stories had just stepped out for a bracing country walk.

The tiger who came for tea exhibition at Batemans — *Entering the Hall at Bateman’s*

It seems fitting that this much loved tiger’s tale is being honoured in the home of the author of Jungle Book, the 125 year old children’s classic that features the fictional Bengal tiger Sher Khan. And happily, my visit coincided with the school half term so the 17th Century house and gardens echoed with the sound of young children – there no doubt because their parents felt the same pull as myself.

“I first told this story to my small daughter long ago”, Judith says of the much loved story that has sold well over five million copies since its publication in 1968, and has been translated into 11 languages. “She was rather critical of my other stories but used to say, ‘Talk the tiger!’”

Judith Kerr's original illustration from her Tiger who came for Tea children's book — *Judith Kerr’s original illustrations and facsimiles on display at Bateman’s*

Tigers roam the home of the Jungle Book author

A trail of small stuffed tigers lurking in practically every room leads to Sophie’s 1960s-style room from the story, recreated in Kipling’s son John’s bedroom. Here is an opportunity to get up close and personal to Judith’s beautiful illustrations for The Tiger Who Came to Tea displayed on the walls, while toddlers curl up on their mothers’ laps on the ironwork bed and listen to a recording of the book.

From there, the back stairs leads to the kitchen where I encountered an enchanting scene: a few little ones serving afternoon tea to a huge tiger sat at a table. Resting on easels by the Aga are more facsimiles and sketches – including, to my delight, one of Mog. Kids are sure to be well entertained here; in addition to the interactive play kitchen itself, there’s also dressing up box overflowing with striped tiger onesie, and a craft table with crayons and activities.

Tiger activities in the Bateman's kitchen — *Serving the tiger tea in the Bateman’s kitchen*

Next, I slipped into the dining room where, surrounded by gleaming 18th Century silver leaf English leather wall hangings depicting birds and foliage, I watched a documentary outlining Judith’s extraordinary life and her experiences of escaping Nazi Germany, being a refugee in France and Switzerland, and then settling into English life and becoming an artist and storyteller. (Judith passed away in May 2019 at the age of 95, only a week after she won the prestigious Illustrator of the Year title at the British Book Awards 2019.)

The tiger theme continues throughout Batemans – in the trail of clues through the grounds, in the Mulberry Tearoom where stripy vegetables grown on the estate are served in honour of the tiger, and in the gift shop where tigers decorate everything from tote bags to jigsaws.

Tiger merchandise in the Batemans shop — *Exhibition souvenirs at the NT shop*

So all you parents captivated by this famous tale – or with children to entertain over the half term and weekends – do catch this exhibition while you have the chance. It’s on at Bateman’s until Sunday 3rd November. And if you do miss it, there’s another chance to see it at Knole in Sevenoaks where the exhibition opens on the 9th November.

Bateman’s
Bateman’s Lane
Burwash
East Sussex TN19 7DS

Open every day, 10am-5pm
Admission: £5.75 for children, £11.50 for adults, £28.75 for a family of 4.
Under 5s and National Trust members are free
‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ trail £2.50 per trail with a prize at the end

Photo credits @jennybigio @barnfieldhousekent

National Apple Festival – a family day out in Kent

08/19/202110/16/2019 by jennyb

The 36 apple trees at our Kent holiday rental have yielded a bumper crop this year. It is fascinating to think that each harvested crispy Cox, cooker and crab apple links the eater in an unbroken chain back to the time of Henry VIII.

The orchard bears fruit at Barnfield House

A brief history of apples in Kent

Apples have made their appearance at various stages in the history of England, initially during the Roman occupation and then after the Normal Conquest of 1066. The first record of apple growing in Kent appears in a map of Canterbury dating from 1165, which shows an orchard within the grounds of the Benedictine Christchurch Abbey. But the county’s pre-eminence as England’s leading apple grower really started some 400 years later, when Henry VIII’s fruiterer Richard Harris planted the first pippins in Teynham in 1533. Fast forward 350 years and, by the close of the 19^th Century, over 25,000 acres of Kent were devoted to apple orchards. By then Charles Dickens, Kent’s most famous literary resident, had proclaimed in Pickwick Papers “Kent, sir – everyone knows Kent – apples, cherries, hops and women”.

Today, though the acreage is nowhere near the Victorian heydays, Kent remains England’s premier apple growing region. Given its apple heritage, it is perhaps not surprising that the county is also home to the UK’s National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm – in an appropriate nod to history, close to the very site where Richard Harris planted the first ‘King’s orchards’ in 1533.

The National Fruit Collection

The National Fruit Collection houses an astonishing 2,200 varieties, some represented by just one or two trees. This is the largest collection in the world and includes varieties from almost every county in Britain as well as from across the globe. Far from being closed to the public, the orchards are open seven days a week throughout the open season, which runs from April until the end of October. So you have the chance to visit from the time of heavenly spring blossoms to the heady fruit harvest. Choose a guided tour where you walk in the company of a resident expert who will share knowledge, answer questions, and pick some fruit for you to taste (in addition to apples, you may also see pears, quinces, plums and cherries. If you can do without the chance to taste some apples, opt for a self-guided walk or, if you prefer a more leisurely look, join the trailer tractor tour.

Brogdale National Apple Festival – fun for all the family

Visits throughout the season bring their own unique rewards, but in October the orchards are particularly spectacular, laden with colourful heritage fruit. And if you time your visit to coincide with the annual National Apple Festival, you’ll reap dividends. This year the festival takes place on the 19^th and 20^th October, and it promises to be a fabulous fun-packed weekend for all the family. Get set for a breath-taking display of apples in the Apple Barn where you can try-before-you-buy rare and heritage varieties and select your favourites to take home. Take a guided tour on foot, by tractor trailer, or aboard the Faversham Miniature Railway that wends its way through the heart of the orchards. Learn about the history of apples. Listen to horticultural talks on such topics as Kent wildflowers and bee-keeping. Meet the scientists from Reading University who are conducting climate change trials in the orchards. Watch cookery and apple-pressing demonstrations. Participate in festival games and competitions like the longest apple peel competition or apple eating challenge. Browse stalls brimming with local crafts and produce. Relax – or dance – to the rhythms of local bands while enjoying local cider and a large serving of Brogdale apple pie.

There’s lots for younger members of the family too: face painting, a bouncy pirate ship, Punch & Judy, and kids’ apple crafts such as ‘make a bobbing apple boat’ and ‘carve a spooky Halloween apple head’. Plus there’s Bramble the pig and friends to meet in the animal corner, snakes and lizards to learn about in the reptile area, and dazzling falconry displays.

Bramley or Beauty of Kent?

One activity of particular interest to us at Barnfield House is fruit identification. While this service is offered online throughout the year, the festival gives visitors the opportunity to meet resident Pomologist Joan Morgan, who will help identify apple trees from a fruit sample or a photo of the tree. At last this is the chance for us to identify some of the varieties growing in our garden!

Brogdale Collections

Home of the National Fruit Collection and set in over 150 acres of farmland, Brogdale Collections is a charity working to provided access to and education about the National Fruit Collection. The charity offers a range of opportunities for the public to use the collections as an educational resource including daily guided tours (April – November), Key Stage 1 & 2 education days, fruit days and festivals.

The Brogdale National Apple Festival takes place from 10am till 5pm on Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th October 2019.

Daily tickets are available online. Prices are £5 for children (15 and under), £9 for adults, £8 for students and 60+, and £23 for families (2 adults and 2 children). Book now for tickets discounted by 10% (available until 18^th October 2019. Tickets will be available on the gate during the festival weekend. For more information, visit brogdalecollections.org

Brogdale Collections
Brogdale Farm
Brogdale Road
FavershamKent
ME13 8XZ

All photos (except the captioned Barnfield House orchard photo) credited to the Brogdale Collections

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