Today promised to be another warm and dry day – maybe not as much sun but definitely no rain. Yay! Time to do some more country walks and see about getting a little more history in.
We headed north west to check out a seemingly lovely walk in Tonbridge. We headed down a marked footpath, as we did previously with less success, and this time it was just as we expected: an obvious trail with visible markers and lovely scenery. And a lovely ramble it was! For the next 90 minutes, we walked through fields and forests, along the River Medway and across locks and streams. We met other friendly dogs and Casey got her zoomies sorted running in a field with Dougal the Springer Spaniel. It was funny and heartwarming.
After our much more successful experience walking in the Kentish countryside, it was time to continue our Kent Country Pub tour. Today’s dog and GF friendly establishment: The Poacher and Partridge. This place has definitely embraced the gastro pub thing. A traditional pub with a large restaurant that includes a wood fired pizza oven plus a huge outdoor space with a separate bar. Very chic for the middle of Kent IMHO.
We had some local beverages – I finally found a Kent wine I can say I liked Chapel Down Rosé from the one recommended winery we weren’t able to visit! And the pizzas were incredible: Frank had something vaguely greek on the house sourdough crust. I had a white pizza with mozzarella, goat cheese, beets, and caramelised onions on a decent gluten free crust. Casey had the “Doggie Deli” plate: a dog bowl filled with sausage, ham, carrots, and peas. You would have thought she had died and gone to heaven!
Our bellys full, we needed to do a little more walking to burn off all the delicious calories so off we went to Hever Castle. As Tudor history folks are likely to know, this was the home of the Boleyn family for more than 70 years in the 15th and 16th centuries. Yes, THAT Boleyn family. In fact, it was a Hever castle that Henry proposed to Anne giving the Pope the finger and starting his own church. (Full disclosure: I am a member of the Anglican communion but I’m not saying what he did was right.)
Unfortunately, the Boleyn part of the castle was under restoration (grrrr) so I got to learn more about other history of the house. Like how Henry gave it to Anne of Cleves when he divorced her. Even more recent history of the house, it was bought but John Jacob Astor in the early 20th century. Yup, American money restored the residence and even got Astor a Barony and a Viscount title. All for a mere $10mill or so. Hever was also the site of another royal engagement: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon accepted the proposal of George VI at the estate. Yup, the current King’s granny got betrothed there. Pretty cool.
Although parts of the castle weren’t available, the immense and gorgeous gardens were. Holy landscaping Batman! This place is beautiful! We wandered everywhere we could on the grounds – including the Italian gardens which closed shortly afterwards for a wedding. (I can’t even imagine the bill for that one!) Casey was determined to catch one of the many ducks and was surprised, yet again, that they are able to leave the ground to avoid her reach.
Then it was time to head back to the cottage to pack and prepare for our departure tomorrow. We booked a table at the Rose and Crown again since it was a lovely place for a meal and it is a 4 minute walk from the cottage. While it was much more crowded and lively on a Friday night than was the case on Tuesday, we still had an excellent meal (salmon and honey ham in case you were wondering) and Casey got her fish treat. After a wonderful day, we were wonderfully sated and ready for a good night’s sleep.
Data for today:
- Distance for today’s ramble: 6.27 km
- Total steps taken: 20,101
- Number of Henry’s wives discussed at the castle: 6
- Best T-shirt slogan: Divorced,Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. (Finally some good branding!)
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