Turn left uphill from the car park, pass the pond and go over a busy crossroads. Just past the bus shelter turn left and follow the waymarked High Weald Landscape Trail to a gate. There are outstanding views over the Weald from here – the whole countryside seems to have been sprinkled with oast houses. It's the sort of view you usually only get after a steep climb. Head downhill, bearing right to a gate by a tree and continue downhill crossing two fields and passing through gates to join an enclosed path. Go through two gates by a pumping station, then cross a little bridge to reach a gate and the road.
Cross over to a stile and continue ahead over pasture towards a tennis court. Keep left of this to reach a stile and road. Turn right, then left in 100yds (90m), signed Trottenden Farm. In a few paces follow the drive right towards Fullers Barn and pass a pond to reach a stile. Continue ahead along a grassy track beside a fence to a stile, then cross pasture to a further stile. Follow the yellow arrows across fields and another stile to reach a fork of paths in a field. Turn right along the field-edge, cross a footbridge and go through the gap ahead on the edge of woodland. Walk uphill to another stile and follow the drive ahead to a road.
Turn right, and, at a corner turn left up a public bridleway (Swan Lane). Bear right at Swan Cottage, then keep right at the entrance to Swan Farm and walk down into a field. Keep left then, at a post by a hedge, turn right and go downhill. At the bottom cross some water and then veer left, walking uphill to enter an orchard.
Just before the farm outbuildings turn right along a track that runs by a hedge. Eventually pass the parkland of Ladham House on the left and then come to some concrete bollards. Continue up the metalled drive to join the road.
At the road turn right, and walk up to the B2084. Cross over and walk along the road immediately in front of you. At a junction keep to the right and continue to reach the main road. Turn right here and you can now see St Mary's Church. Follow the road and walk back into the village.
This is the sort of walk that you can do again and again. It's varied, lovely at any time of the year and offers great views from the start – for very little effort. Even better, it's unusually well signposted – so thumbs up to the sensible farmer (or farmers) who help to keep it so enjoyable. ... Goudhurst is a very pretty village, though sadly blighted by heavy traffic. It's one of the highest villages in Kent – hence those great views. The village is dominated by St Mary's Church, which has an eye-catching memorial to members of a prominent local family – the Culpepers. The family pop up all over Kent (Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard was a Culpeper) but the most famous member of all was Nicholas, the physician and author of The English Physician Enlarged, or The Herbal, which was published in 1653. At that time the working class was moving away from the countryside and into the rapidly growing industrialised towns and cities where there were more job opportunities. In these unfamiliar, urban environments they could no longer gather the traditional herbs they used to make their own medicines. People became increasingly reliant on herbalists and apothecaries – who frequently exploited them. Nicholas Culpeper (1616–54), who trained as a herbalist in London, was conscious of the gulf between the lifestyle of his wealthy family and the majority of the population. He tried to help by letting his poor customers have their herbal medicines at low prices; always tried to use cheaper, local herbs in his remedies, and would even tell people where they could go to gather the herbs themselves. He wrote The English Physician Enlarged, or The Herbal so as to make his remedies accessible to as many people as possible. Although some of his concoctions sound rather outlandish today, many of the herbs he recommends are still in use. One of his remedies was a 'decoction' of that distinctive Kentish plant hops, which he said: 'cleanses the blood, cures the venereal disease and all kinds of scabs'. Herbalists today say that hops are a mild sedative and contain a natural antibiotic. In 1341 the Archbishop of Canterbury decreed that the vicar of Goudhurst should receive an annual tithe which included 'pears, onions, and all other herbs sown in gardens…'. Hops were an important local crop even then and this started a fierce legal dispute over whether hops were grown in gardens or fields, with the vicar arguing that they were grown in gardens. Although the vicar lost his case, people in Kent still talk about hop gardens – rather than the hop fields that are found in the rest of England.
Kent is home to the White Cliffs of Dover, an English icon that marks the point where the Kent Downs AONB stretches from the Surrey Hills down to the sea. Visitors can explore historic parklands, including Knole Park and Sir Winston Churchill’s former home at Chartwell, or beautiful nature reserves, such as the coppiced woodlands of Denge Wood and Earley Wood and the ancient fine chalk woodland of Yockletts Bank.
Turn left uphill from the car park, pass the pond and go over a busy crossroads. Just past the bus shelter turn left and follow the waymarked High Weald Landscape Trail to a gate. There are outstanding views over the Weald from here – the whole countryside seems to have been sprinkled with oast houses. It's the sort of view you usually only get after a steep climb. Head downhill, bearing right to a gate by a tree and continue downhill crossing two fields and passing through gates to join an enclosed path. Go through two gates by a pumping station, then cross a little bridge to reach a gate and the road.
1 of 5
Cross over to a stile and continue ahead over pasture towards a tennis court. Keep left of this to reach a stile and road. Turn right, then left in 100yds (90m), signed Trottenden Farm. In a few paces follow the drive right towards Fullers Barn and pass a pond to reach a stile. Continue ahead along a grassy track beside a fence to a stile, then cross pasture to a further stile. Follow the yellow arrows across fields and another stile to reach a fork of paths in a field. Turn right along the field-edge, cross a footbridge and go through the gap ahead on the edge of woodland. Walk uphill to another stile and follow the drive ahead to a road.
2 of 5
Turn right, and, at a corner turn left up a public bridleway (Swan Lane). Bear right at Swan Cottage, then keep right at the entrance to Swan Farm and walk down into a field. Keep left then, at a post by a hedge, turn right and go downhill. At the bottom cross some water and then veer left, walking uphill to enter an orchard.
3 of 5
Just before the farm outbuildings turn right along a track that runs by a hedge. Eventually pass the parkland of Ladham House on the left and then come to some concrete bollards. Continue up the metalled drive to join the road.
4 of 5
At the road turn right, and walk up to the B2084. Cross over and walk along the road immediately in front of you. At a junction keep to the right and continue to reach the main road. Turn right here and you can now see St Mary's Church. Follow the road and walk back into the village.
This is the sort of walk that you can do again and again. It's varied, lovely at any time of the year and offers great views from the start – for very little effort. Even better, it's unusually well signposted – so thumbs up to the sensible farmer (or farmers) who help to keep it so enjoyable. ... Goudhurst is a very pretty village, though sadly blighted by heavy traffic. It's one of the highest villages in Kent – hence those great views. The village is dominated by St Mary's Church, which has an eye-catching memorial to members of a prominent local family – the Culpepers. The family pop up all over Kent (Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard was a Culpeper) but the most famous member of all was Nicholas, the physician and author of The English Physician Enlarged, or The Herbal, which was published in 1653. At that time the working class was moving away from the countryside and into the rapidly growing industrialised towns and cities where there were more job opportunities. In these unfamiliar, urban environments they could no longer gather the traditional herbs they used to make their own medicines. People became increasingly reliant on herbalists and apothecaries – who frequently exploited them. Nicholas Culpeper (1616–54), who trained as a herbalist in London, was conscious of the gulf between the lifestyle of his wealthy family and the majority of the population. He tried to help by letting his poor customers have their herbal medicines at low prices; always tried to use cheaper, local herbs in his remedies, and would even tell people where they could go to gather the herbs themselves. He wrote The English Physician Enlarged, or The Herbal so as to make his remedies accessible to as many people as possible. Although some of his concoctions sound rather outlandish today, many of the herbs he recommends are still in use. One of his remedies was a 'decoction' of that distinctive Kentish plant hops, which he said: 'cleanses the blood, cures the venereal disease and all kinds of scabs'. Herbalists today say that hops are a mild sedative and contain a natural antibiotic. In 1341 the Archbishop of Canterbury decreed that the vicar of Goudhurst should receive an annual tithe which included 'pears, onions, and all other herbs sown in gardens…'. Hops were an important local crop even then and this started a fierce legal dispute over whether hops were grown in gardens or fields, with the vicar arguing that they were grown in gardens. Although the vicar lost his case, people in Kent still talk about hop gardens – rather than the hop fields that are found in the rest of England.
Kent is home to the White Cliffs of Dover, an English icon that marks the point where the Kent Downs AONB stretches from the Surrey Hills down to the sea. Visitors can explore historic parklands, including Knole Park and Sir Winston Churchill’s former home at Chartwell, or beautiful nature reserves, such as the coppiced woodlands of Denge Wood and Earley Wood and the ancient fine chalk woodland of Yockletts Bank.
