Wealden Times | WT176 | October 2016 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

PRICELESS 

OCTOBER 2016 

Wealden Times 

The lifestyle magazine for the Weald 

KITCHEN AND BATHROOM SUPPLEMENT inside 

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes

76/78 High Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1YB 

Tel. 01892 534018 | Fax. 01892 510536 

Email. info@gcollinsandsons.com | www.gcollinsandsons.com

Designers and and makers of of handmade kitchens 

The The difference is is in in the the detail

Please call call for for a a brochure or or visit visit our our showrooms 

Unit Unit 9, 9, Chart Chart Farm, Farm, Seal Seal Chart Chart 

Sevenoaks, Kent Kent TN15 0ES 0ES 

Tel: Tel: 01732 762682 

81 81 Calverley Road Road 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent Kent TN1 TN1 2UY 2UY 

Tel: Tel: 01892 520730 

www.rencraft.co.uk

Recently appointed as as a a UK distributor of of Thermo Treated 

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*Price *Price shown shown includes delivery, cabinet cabinet furniture, appliances, worktops and and VAT VAT

5 High Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3EB 

01580 715144 

Email: cranbrook@kingsfords.net www.kingsfords-solicitors.com 

We offer an excellent, swift and friendly service. 

Conveyancing - Wills & Estates - Commercial Law - 

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Wills from £215.00+VAT / Mirror Wills from £295.00+VAT 

Lasting Power Of Attorney (LPA's) from £195.00+VAT 

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We will always try and match any quotation 

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Regulated by the Solicitors regulation Authority 621466 

KingsfordSolicitorsWT172.indd 1 10/05/2016 11:20 

wealdentimes.co.uk 

8 

SkinnersKentAcademyWT176.indd 1 26/09/2016 15:19

Contents 

October 2016 

54 

151 

Supplement 8 

22 

35 

54 

85 

87 

100 

SHED AHEAD 

John Graham-Hart 

salutes the hidey-hut 

OCTOBER NOTEBOOK 

Interesting things to 

do this month 

PRIDE, NO PREJUDICE 

A Georgian stately home 

gets a chic contemporary 

makeover - and a new purpose 

GET THE LOOK 

Give your house the 

Goodnestone treatment 

SWEET DREAMS 

A plumpelicious bedstead makes 

your bedroom into a luxury zone 

WINTER WARMER 

Treats to look forward to at 

this year’s Wealden Times 

Midwinter Fair 

126 

128 

143 

147 

149 

151 

KITCHEN & BATHROOM 

SUPPLEMENT 

32 pages of inspiration 

for your home 

WHERE ENDS MEET 

Cosy autumn menswear 

for outdoor pursuits 

BALMY HIGH 

Josephine Fairley 

moisturises madly 

WEALDEN BEAUTY 

Susannah Hewett of Eggs to 

Apples shares her regime 

HEALTH 

Expert information for Breast 

Cancer Awareness month 

THE STAFF OF LIFE 

A sourdough masterclass 

with baker Emmanuel 

Hadjiandreou 

162 

166 

169 

175 

177 

183 

184 

FROM A TINY ACORN... 

Sue Whigham celebrates 

the mighty oak 

THE GREEN GODDESS 

Penny Kemp on upcycling 

LATERAL THINKING 

Alternative education options 

assessed by Sue Elkin 

GRAMMAR LESSONS 

Sue Elkin revises the key points 

for choosing a school 

WHAT’S ON IN OCTOBER 

Apples, art and Halloween fun 

COMPETITION 

Win a knife set worth £225 

from Flint & Flame 

FABLES FROM THE FARM 

For Jane Howard autumn 

is a new beginning 

102 

LOVE SHACK 

John Graham-Hart is smitten by 

a beach house with the X factor 

159 

SQUASH UP! 

Jo Arnell gets misty in 

her pumpkin patch 

Published by JPS Media Ltd, Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent. TN17 3HF. Tel: 01580 714705 Fax: 01580 715983. 

Email info@wealdentimes.co.uk wealdentimes.co.uk copyright JPS Media Ltd 2016©. 

The views of the advertisers and contributors are not necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd. 

9 wealdentimes.co.uk

Sandhurst 

A family farmhouse on the edge of the village with impressive equestrian facilities 

7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 5 reception rooms. Swimming pool, tennis court. Substantial 

outbuildings, stable yard, all-weather sand school, paddock. Triple garage with annexe above. 

EPC rating C. In all about 25.72 acres. 

Guide price £1,850,000 

KnightFrank.co.uk/TNW150281 

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com 

KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells 

01892 310700 

@KF_TWells 

KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price £975,000 

Cranbrook 

An attractive twin roundel oast house within walking distance of the town centre 

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached double garage, off-road parking, 

immaculate gardens and grounds. EPC rating D. In all about 0.4 acres. 

Our understanding of the ever-changing 

market enables us to price your 

property accurately. 

Every day our properties are viewed 

521 times through our award-winning 

website, so you can rely on Knight 

Frank to get you moving. 

Call us today on 01892 310700 to 

arrange your free market valuation. 

*Figure correct as at 5th September 2016 


Rolvenden 

An attractive Grade II Listed oast house with wonderful views 

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Triple open bay garage with office / study 

above. Gardens and grounds. In all about 0.56 acres. 

@KF_TWells 

KnightFrank.co.uk 

Development Opportunity 


Smarden 

Attractive Grade II Listed former school house 

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Situated in the 

heart of the village. Walled garden with lawned area. Garage. 

Offers in excess of £995,000 

Wadhurst 

Plot with full planning permission to create an impressive country 

house 

Created for modern family living, designs provide for a unique 

home of up to 9,000 sq ft with a luxurious leisure complex, cinema 

and games room. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In all about 

11 acres. Brochure with full details available. *CGI

Hastings Old Town, East Sussex - £1,395,000 

Grade II listed Regency Italianate villa with attached 3 

bedroom cottage. Kitchen, dining room, drawing room, 

tower room, lower ground floor with utility room and wine 

store. 3 double bedrooms and 4th bedroom/sitting room. 

Garage and secure off road parking. Large walled garden. 

Brookland, Kent - £925,000 

Lovely Grade II listed farmhouse on little used country lane. 

Sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility/ 

cloakroom, 4 bedrooms, attic room. Single garage with 

office above. Parking. Garden and orchard of 1.25 acres. 

Beckley, East Sussex - £750,000 

Spacious house in rural position. Kitchen, utility, sitting 

room, dining room, living room, conservatory, 3 first floor 

bedrooms, study/bedroom 4, office/bedroom 5. Triple 

garage with workshop. Swimming pool. Gardens & grounds 

of 1.5 acres. Further land available. EPC E. 

Rye, East Sussex - £499,950 

Attached house in mews development in central location 

in Conservation Area. Living room, dining room, kitchen/ 

breakfast room, main bedroom with en-suite and 2 further 

bedrooms. Lovely courtyard garden. Allocated parking 

space. EPC D 

Wittersham, Kent - £475,000 

Lovely 3 bedroom village house. Grade II listed with sitting 

room, dining room, home office/gym, kitchen/breakfast 

room, utility. Master bedroom with en-suite and 2 further 

bedrooms. Garden. Off road parking. 

Brookland, Kent - £395,000 

Deceptive attached period cottage with generous living 

accommodation on edge of village with rural views. 23 ft 

sitting room, open plan kitchen/dining room, utility, study, 

3 bedrooms. Rear garden. Single garage. Additional parking. 

EPC F 

RYE OFFICE 01797 227338 

MAYFAIR OFFICE 0870 112 7099 

phillipsandstubbs.co.uk

The Property Ombudsman 

Sissinghurst Excess £1,100,000 

An enchanting Grade II listed farmhouse with an excellent range of 

outbuildings and land in a secluded setting• CSCA • No Onward Chain 

• 3 Reception Rooms • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • 4 Bedrooms • Bathroom 

• Substantial Outbuildings • About 7 acres in all 

Biddenden Excess £925,000 

A recently completed country house in a delightful secluded setting 

overlooking its own land • CSCA • 2 Reception Rooms • Kitchen/Diner 

• 4 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms • Double Garage • Open Bay Garage • Stables 

• Outbuilding • In all over 6 acres • EPC B 

Biddenden Excess £895,000 

A spacious and well presented oast conversion with leisure complex amid 

beautiful landscaped grounds with far reaching views • CSCA • 3 Reception 

Rooms • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • 4 Bedrooms • 3 Bath/Shower Rooms 

• Cart Lodge • Circa 2.3 acres in all • EPC E 

Bethersden Excess £600,000 

An individual village house providing 2,864 sq ft of stylish and flexible 

accommodation • No Onward Chain • 2 Reception Rooms • Kitchen/ 

Breakfast Room • Master Bedroom with En Suite & Dressing Room 

• Bedroom 2 • Shower Room • Double Garage • 0.6 acres of Gardens • EPC C 

Hawkhurst Excess £550,000 Cranbrook Guide Price £525,000 

An expansive duplex apartment set in a prestigious development on the A delightful attached barn and oast conversion with lovely south facing 

popular Moor area of the village • CSCA • 2 Reception Rooms • Kitchen gardens in a convenient semi rural setting • CSCA • 2 Reception Rooms 

• 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Double Garage • Private Terrace • Shared • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • 3 Bedrooms • Family Bathroom • Garage 

Grounds of about 6 acres • EPC C 

• Pretty Gardens • EPC E 

coming 26 January 2015

SALES / LETTINGS / MANAGEMENT 

VISIT US AT HUNTERS.COM 

HERE TO GET you THERE 

SALES / LETTINGS / MANAGEMENT 

VISIT US AT HUNTERS.COM 

HERE TO GET you THERE 

High Halden £750,000 - £800,000 

Stunning 16th Century Grade II listed country house set in its own 

private grounds • Seven Bedrooms • Extensive Gardens • Paddock and 

Natural Pond • No Onward Chain • EPC Exempt 

Ashford £950,000 

Imposing detached home set in a desirable location • Four Double 

Bedrooms • Fantastic Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Heated Swimming Pool 

• Triple Bay Garage • Detached Games Room • Two Ensuites • EPC C 

Alkham £950,000 

Imposing detached country home set in approximately 3 acres of 

grounds with stunning views over rolling countryside • Six Bedrooms • 

Heated Swimming Pool • Tennis Court • Wooded Grounds • EPC D 

Brookland £625,000 

Detached family home with countryside views set in a quiet country lane 

• Five Bedrooms • Three Bathrooms/Ensuites • Double Garage • EPC TBC 

Over 150 independently owned branches across the UK. 

Smarden £1,150,000 

Delightful Grade II Listed Oast House set in approximately 1.45 acres 

• Six Bedrooms • Study • Flexible Accommodation • Three Bathrooms/Shower Rooms • EPC Exempt 

ASHFORD 01233 613613 

HYTHE 01303 261557 

Over 150 independently owned branches across the UK. 

TENTERDEN 01580 763278 

FOLKESTONE 01303 210335

‘Our Focus ‘Our Determines Focus Determines Your Reality’ Your Reality’ 

harpers and hurlingham 

COLLIeRS GReen £1,295,000 

Grade II Farmhouse with Converted Barn · Two 

reception rooms · Kitchen dining room · Four bedrooms 

(one ensuite) · Detached two bedroom barn · Gardens 

and paddock · CSCA · EPC: n/a 

Sought after Rural Location 

RURAL BRIGHTLInG £1,200,000 

Grade II Listed Thatched Barn · Three reception rooms 

· Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility room · Five bedrooms 

(two ensuite) · Grounds approx. 1.3 acres · Detached one 

bedroom annexe · Garaging · EPC: n/a 

Stunning Far Reaching Views 

RURAL Benenden £1,195,000 

Detached Property with Acreage · Three receptions 

· Kitchen/breakfast room · Five bedrooms (two ensuite) 

· Detached building with planning permission · Approx 

5 acres (including woodland) · CSCA · EPC: E 

Tranquil Rural Location 

BOUGHTOn MOnCHeLSeA £1,175,000 

Unique Converted Barn/Oast · Three reception rooms 

· Conservatory · Kitchen/breakfast room · Five 

bedrooms (two ensuite) · Parklike gardens with 

outbuilding · Double garage · EPC: E 

Peaceful Country Lane Location 

Harpers&Hurlingham 

The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook 

01580 715400 

www.harpersandhurlingham.com 

London offiCe: KenSingTon 020 7938 2311 

Lettings Team 

Sales Team 

Chez Charlie Janey Jane Cathy Jane Sarah Debbie Catherine Caroline Dianne Helen

CHH_ADVERT_181x133mm.pdf 1 19/01/2016 15:39 

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CountryHouseDevelopmentsWT168.indd 2 20/01/2016 11:27 

L i lle s de n Hou s e 

h aw k h u r s t, k e n t 

VIEWINGS BY APPOINTMENT 

SANDHILL 

HOMES 

sandhillhomes.co.uk 

LILLESDEN HOUSE, HASTINGS ROAD, HAWKHURST, KENT TN18 4QG 

A future full of promise, in a setting from the past 

Discover a range of charming & beautifully restored luxury apartments, surrounded by 28 acres of mature parkland 

• Individually designed 2 and 3 bedroom apartments • Designer fitted kitchens with a range of high performance appliances 

• Contemporary bathroom suites • Electrically operated security gates with entry phone system 

• Private allocated parking • 10 year Premier guarantee 

NEW APARTMENTS RELEASED | GUIDE PRICES FROM £375,000 

To book an appointment please contact 01892 507005 or email tunbridgewellsrds@savills.com 

savills.co.uk 


16 

SavillsWT176.indd 1 09/09/2016 11:26

www.hobbsparker.co.uk 

01580 766766 

Nr Rye • Kent Guide £1,500,000 

A well appointed Edwardian country house with delightful garden room 

extension and far reaching southerly views over Rye Bay and the Fairlight 

Hills. In all just under 3 acres. EPC Rating F 

Sellindge • Kent Guide £1,450,000 

Exceptional and beautifully appointed Victorian country house with earlier 

Georgian influence, fabulous 35’ orangery extension, fine undulating rural 

views over its own land. In all about 4 acres (1.62 ha). EPC Rating E 

High Halden • Kent Guide £845,000 

A beautifully presented Kentish oast house between Woodchurch and High 

Halden combining original character and contemporary décor. 

EPC Rating E 

Mersham • Kent Guide £799,500 

A substantial part of a period former Rectory. 4 bedrooms (2 en-suite), 

3 receptions plus large kitchen. Lovely walled garden. 

EPC Rating NA 

Rolvenden Layne • Kent Guide £875,000 

A wonderfully presented 4 bedroom house on a quiet lane with well 

maintained gardens backing onto fields, open plan reception area, superb 

master suite. EPC Rating D 

Challock • Kent Guide £845,000 

A charming period farm house and separate cottage annexe surrounded 

by about 1.1 acres of well kept gardens and grounds including outbuildings 

(approx. 2,500 sq. ft.) EPC Rating NA 

Hobbs Parker Estate Agents 

Ashford: 01233 225371 | Tenterden: 01580 766766

The Coachworks 

Appreciate 

the Difference 

“The size of the apartment and the 

option of care facilities if required in 

the longer term were important. The 

purchase was outstanding value for 

money and it has fulfilled all my 

expectations.” Bob Jones, Apartment 14 

Come along and view one of the 

most spacious retirement schemes 

in the area and enjoy a FREE meal 

at The Bell Inn, an award-winning 

pub located within a short walk * 

Elegant independent living, exclusively for the over 65’s 

THE COACHWORKS, HIGH STREET, TICEHURST, EAST SUSSEX TN5 7EX 

• Spacious 2 bedroom apartments • Concierge & night porter 

• Existing pets allowed • Welcoming community *subject to scheme rules 

T: 01892 507005 | E: tunbridgewellsrds@savills.com | www.savills.co.uk 

60% 

already sold 

Prices from 

£305,000 

Managing Agents 

Selling Agents 

SavillsWT176B.indd 1 09/09/2016 13:00 


18 

SJDprojectsWT176.indd 1 07/09/2016 09:41

Advertisement 

Solving the property puzzle 

Wealden Times learn from leading property expert Mandy Bissell of Garrington about how buyers and 

sellers are successfully overcoming the challenge of moving home in the local property market 

Historically, moving home seemed quite 

straightforward; place your current home 

on the market for sale and find a buyer 

whilst spending time sifting through the 

abundant choice of alternative homes for 

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Fast forward to today’s market and 

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Mandy, how do you help clients move 

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“Garrington has for the last 20 years 

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“Clarity, knowledge and 

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Can you give us an example of how this 

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Residential Sales 

01580 242700 

wealdproperty.net 

FAIRLIGHT, near Rye 

POA 

A HANDSOME AND BEAUTIFULLY SITUATED SEVEN BEDROOM, GRADE II LISTED PERIOD 

FARMHOUSE. The property sits amid delightful gardens and land of approximately 17 acres 

commanding unparalleled views from all rooms and includes a separate three bedroom Oast 

conversion and high specification equestrian facilities. 

HAWKHURST £1,295,000 

A UNIQUE AND ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT FIVE BEDROOM BESPOKE BUILT, 

CONTEMPORARY DETACHED HOME SET IN A DESIRABLE VILLAGE LOCATION, sitting in 

approximately 0.7 acres of mature gardens with delightful far reaching rural views being within 

the sought-after Cranbrook School Catchment Area. 

GOUDHURST £820,000 

AN EXTREMELY RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A BUILDING PLOT OF APPROXIMATELY 

2.1 ACRES WITH THE FINEST VIEWS IN THE COUNTY, which importantly includes hard won 

approved planning consent to build an architecturally significant 5 bedroom detached Eco 

House designed by Sir Terry Farrell. CSCA. 

GOUDHURST £835,000 

AN IMPRESSIVE AND BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED 5/6 BEDROOM OAST CONVERSION. 

Situated in the sought after village of Goudhurst, being within the Cranbrook School 

Catchment Area. Comprising in total approx. 2957 square feet and includes a magnificent 

library in a roundel and feature Inglenook fireplace in the sitting room. 

RURAL WITTERSHAM £740,000 

AN EXCEPTIONALLY PRETTY FOUR BEDROOM GRADE II LISTED OAST HOUSE, 

BEAUTIFULLY CONVERTED AND SET AMID ENCHANTING MATURE GARDENS in an idyllic 

rural location at the end of a private lane. 

BROOKLAND, near Rye OIEO £695,000 

2 LOTS: LOT 1 - OIEO £695,000 – AN ATTRACTIVE, DETACHED FIVE BEDROOM GRADE II 

PERIOD COUNTRY HOUSE in set in approximately 1 acre of attractive garden and orchard, 

adjacent garage and stabling offering conversion potential. LOT 2 - PRICE ON APPLICATION - 

1 further acre (approximately) with large barn ripe for conversion (conditionally sold with Lot 1). 

2 Windmill Oast, Windmill Farm, 

Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4PF

HOUSE OF THE MONTH by John Graham-Hart 

1. 

Get ahead, Get a shed 

John Graham-Hart celebrates the small wooden hut 

which holds such a special place in the British heart 

As 11,000 athletes from more than 200 nations battled for glory beneath 

the appreciative gaze of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer this summer, 

another equally intense contest was reaching its climax under the 

beady and critical eyes of an army of gnomes at the bottom of suburban gardens 

all over the UK. 

Cuprinol’s annual Shed of the Year competition had attracted a record-breaking 

2,800 entries and the most magnificent 32 had made it onto the shortlist. 

Themes ranged from nuclear bunkers to Viking boltholes, duck hotels to 

Hobbit hideouts, crocodile homes to Hans Solo’s Millennium Falcon. The 

excitement of sheddies throughout the country was making the Brazilian home 

football crowds look positively apathetic. 

The shed is a peculiarly and pleasingly British obsession. It began as a little 

workshop where a man might tie flies or tinker with small unidentifiable pieces of 

metal which he would one day unveil in triumph as a single, larger, unidentifiable 

piece of metal. It was in short, somewhere to which he could escape for an hour 

or two and slip his mind comfortably and comfortingly into neutral. 

Sheds varied in size and shape but tended to share this essential 

purposelessness. Today, however, they have evolved into valuable additional 

family spaces - offices, summerhouses, gyms, studios, playhouses or, of course, 

just somewhere downright weird. 

There are regulations governing sheds and their placement but, generally, 

planning permission isn’t required so you can build pretty well what you want. 

However, whatever its guise, a shed rarely adds significant value to the 

sale price of a house but it can be an attractive extra – which means all these 

properties come with a useful little freebee… 

1. Hurst Mill Cottage 

Where? Hurst Mill Cottage is 

beautifully situated well back off a rural 

country road near Hothfield Common 

a couple of miles from Pluckley (Google 

Maps TN25 4LT). 

What? A lovely Grade II listed cottage 

dating from the 17th century, the property 

is awash with period features from Dering 

casement windows with stone mullions 

to exposed timbers and beams and brick 

flooring. Reception rooms include a triple 

aspect drawing room with direct access 

to the garden, a sitting room with woodburning 

stove and a large third room that 

could be used as an annexe. 

On the first floor are two bedrooms and a 

family bathroom and a separate staircase 

leads to a further bedroom – with access 

to a decked terrace - and bathroom. The 

landscaped gardens which lie to three sides 

of the house are a major feature of the 

property and encompass paved pathways, 

lawns underplanted with spring bulbs, a 

variety of mature trees including impressive 

willows, an old mill pond, a summerhouse 

and a studio with power and light. 

How much? Hurst Mill Cottage is on 

the market at £850,000 and is with Savills 

in Cranbrook. Call 01580 720161 or visit 

savills.co.uk 


22

2. 

3. 

4. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

2. Fairfield 

Where? Fairfield is located on the edge 

of the attractive and historic Wealden 

village of Sissinghurst (Google Maps 

TN17 2AR). 

What? An attractive contemporary 

property surrounded by well over an 

acre of beautiful grounds, Fairfield is a 

light, spacious and versatile family home. 

Downstairs accommodation includes 

living room with dual aspect picture 

windows overlooking the garden, dual 

aspect dining room, study, kitchen/ 

breakfast room with French windows to 

the garden patio, two bedrooms and a 

shower room. 

Upstairs is a master bedroom, two further 

bedrooms, playroom and bathroom. 

Outside the gardens are mainly laid to 

lawn but with a lovely range of mature 

shrubs along with various trees and 

mature plants, flowerbeds and landscaped 

kitchen garden. There are three patio 

areas, two greenhouses and a Scandinavian 

garden lodge fitted with a central barbecue 

and chimney, table top and seating. 

How much? Fairfield has an asking 

price of £799,995 and is on the market 

with Peter Buswell in Hawkhurst. Call 

01580 755565 or visit 

peterbuswell.co.uk 

3. West Lodge 

Where? West Lodge is in a semi-rural 

setting on the edge of the village of East 

Farleigh a couple of miles from Maidstone 

(Google Maps ME15 0HA). 

What? An attractive single-storey 

ragstone property that was originally 

one of two gatehouses that served the 

nearby manor house, the property has 

been renovated and extended by its 

current owners who have converted a 

former tandem garage into a detached 

single storey studio. In the main house, 

accommodation includes a large drawing 

room that is open–plan to the kitchen/ 

breakfast room, three bedrooms – one 

with an en suite shower room – and 

family room/fourth bedroom. 

Outside, a large paved patio with ornate 

cast balustrade overlooks the courtyard 

and studio building. The gardens - 

primarily laid to lawn and edged by 

mature trees – encompass a modern 

wooden chalet with power and light and 

a large wooden deck provides superb 

views over the adjacent orchards and 

countryside. 

How much? West Lodge is on the 

market at £850,000 and is with Fine & 

Country in West Malling. Call 01732 

222272 or visit fineandcountry.com 

4. West Cross 

Where? No 3 West Cross is set on the 

west side of High Street in the historic 

Cinque Ports town of Tenterden (Google 

Maps TN30 6JR). 

What? The property is an impressive 

Grade II listed Georgian town house 

believed to date back to 1730 with 

later additions. The property has been 

sympathetically restored over the years and 

is now an attractive family home with all 

the conveniences of modern living. The 

ground floor comprises drawing room, 

dining room and a bright south-facing 

kitchen/breakfast room. 

On the first floor are two double bedrooms 

and a family bathroom and, on the second, 

there is a master bedroom and further 

guest bedroom with en suite bathroom. 

There is also a large basement utility room 

which leads through to a games room. To 

the rear of the property is a lovely southfacing 

courtyard garden which has been 

thoughtfully landscaped with a pretty 

summerhouse and potting shed. 

How much? No 3 West Cross has a 

guide price range of £525,000 - £550,000 

and is with Fine & Country in Tenterden. 

Call 01580 766388 or visit 

fineandcountry.com 


Letting your property 

it’s as easy as abc 

Set up and underwritten by Ashford Borough Council, we have been 

creating and supporting tenancies in the private sector for many 

years. 

We can offer you: 

• Guaranteed income 

• Variable length of contracts to suit you 

• Out of hours service for tenants 

• Full management of your property by experienced 

professionals 

www.ashford.gov.uk/abclettings • abclettings@ashford.gov.uk • 01233 330869 / 330378 

Wealden HP.indd 2 02/06/2016 15:13:03 

AhsfordBoroughCouncilWT173.indd 1 07/06/2016 17:17 

Whole Of Market Mortgage Advice 

In The Weald Of Kent 

We understand that everyone is different and that’s why our qualified and 

We understand that everyone is different and that’s why our qualified and 

competent mortgage advisers will advise and recommend mortgages 

competent mortgage advisers will advise and recommend mortgages 

that will suit your individual needs. 

that will suit your individual needs. 

Rob 

Stewart Rob 

Tenterden Stewart 

Office Tenterden 

Office 

Duncan 

Thornton Duncan 

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Hart Sam 

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102 High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HT 

102 High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HT 

07483 

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158073 

158073 

www.stewartfinancial.co.uk 

www.stewartfinancial.co.uk 


Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. 

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. 

We do not charge for our advice, however there will be an administration fee ranging 

We do not charge for our advice, however there will be an administration fee ranging 

from £250-£499 payable on the completion of your mortgage. 

from £250-£499 payable on the completion of your mortgage. 

24 

StewartFinancialWT174.indd 1 05/07/2016 16:09

BUSS MURTON advertorial 

Long established law firm Buss Murton 

is to offer a fixed fee service 

“ 

Effective dispute resolution requires 

a clearly defined strategy, proactive 

management and tactical skill in order 

to deliver what clients want quickly and cost 

effectively. It is not enough to simply advise 

on the law.” 

Justine Soutter, the new Head of Buss Murton’s 

Litigation department explains. 

Justine Soutter 

is Head of 

the Litigation 

Department in 

Tunbridge Wells. She 

handles everything 

from straightforward 

contract disputes to 

complex High Court 

litigation. 

She has particular 

expertise in 

Property Litigation 

including advising 

clients on anything 

from high value disputes with commercial landlords 

and tenants to agricultural property disputes and 

obtaining possession from squatters. 

Justine Soutter 

Justine worked in the City for several years before 

joining Buss Murton and delivers the service that 

clients would expect from a City firm of solicitors 

but at competitive Tunbridge Wells prices. 

Justine says: “Litigation can be expensive. For clients 

that have more straightforward problems, the firm 

is now offering a fixed fee service for debt recovery 

and possession of properties on Assured Shorthold 

Tenancies. This will provide a solution for those 

who need these services but for whom it is not cost 

effective to instruct solicitors on hourly rates.” 

Newly recruited 

Litigation Assistant 

Kamile Maskoliuniene 

has considerable 

experience in these 

areas and will be 

able to assist clients 

who are owed debts 

or who need to get 

their properties 

back from difficult 

tenants. 

Kamile Maskoliuniene 

If you have a dispute that you would like to 

discuss, please contact Justine Soutter at 

jsoutter@bussmurton.co.uk or call her on 

01892 510 222 www.bussmurton.co.uk 

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THE THE GREAT GREAT £928,000 £948,000 STOCK STOCK DISPOSAL SELL-OUT SALE SALE 

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Everything Everything is reduced, is reduced, Sofas, Sofas, Chairs, Chairs, Dining Dining Room Room Tables Tables and Chairs, and Chairs, 

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Furniture. 

The The Great Great £928,000 £948,000 £928,000 Stock Stock Disposal Sell-Out! Disposal Sale Sale 

opens opens to to the the to the public public on on Friday on Friday 7th 4th October 4th April April at at 10am at 10am 

THE THE FURNISHING STORE STORE 

Gordon Busbridge Ltd Ltd 

THE THE NAME NAME TO TRUST TO TRUST SINCE SINCE 1911 1911 

NATHAN 

SUMMER 2016 OFFER 

289-297 289-297 London London Road, Road, St Leonards St Leonards On Sea, On Sea, TN37 TN37 6NG 

6NG 

Tel: 01424 Tel: 01424 420368 420368 www.busbridges.co.uk 

BUY A TABLE AND SIX CHAIRS 

AND RECIEVE ANY SIDEBOARD 

HALF PRICE!!

CRAFTSMANSHIP 

It’s simply ingrained into everything we do. We aim to create the highest quality handmade 

English Oak Furniture through time-honoured woodworking techniques. 

Using traditional tools such as tenon saws, mallets and chisels, each piece of handmade furniture by Country Ways Oak 

is constructed with sturdy pegged mortice and tenon joints to deliver strength and durability. Our traditional methods result in 

furniture with timeless appeal, conveying enduring elegance and uniting form and function. 

OUR WORKSHOPS CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE IS NOW OPEN 

Workshop & Showrooms 

Little Swailes Green Farm, Battle Road 

CRIPPS CORNER, East Sussex TN32 5QU 

www.countrywaysoak.co.uk 

01580 830077

Shutters from Blind Design 

For the ultimate in timeless elegance look no further 

than Blind Design’s shutters range 

Blind Design’s shutters are handcrafted to order from the fi nest materials and made-to-measure for a precise fi t. 

Equally suited to contemporary or traditional decor, shutters provide a light and airy environment alongside privacy 

and security – features which will add value and elegance to your room. 

Call Freephone 

0800 988 1071 

For Your Free Home Visit 

www.blind-design.co.uk 

Unit 6, Harvington Business Park, Brampton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 9AF 

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 2pm • Telephone 01323 509 661 • Freephone 0800 988 1071

Living Will / 

advanced decision 

special offer 

Living wills often known as advanced directives/decisions give 

you the ability while fit and healthy to decide how you wish to 

be treated and what treatment you want to refuse should you 

become seriously ill in the future. 

Everything from ensuring you always have your nails painted 

to not wishing to be resuscitated under certain conditions can 

be decided upon - well in advance - taking away the anguish of 

such decisions from your closest family and loved ones. 

Single living 

Will just 

£29.99 + vat 

(£35.99) 

Living Wills are best implemented alongside Lasting Power of 

Attorney grants (LPAs) giving your nearest and dearest the Power 

to speak on your behalf together with the words to say. 

With our unregistered LPAs currently reduced from £399 + vat 

(488.80) to just £99 + vat (£118.80) now is the ideal time to get 

prepared for the next unknown chapter in your life. 

BRIGHTON: 01273 911142 

CRANBROOK: 01580 388584 

EASTBOURNE: 01323 301383 

EAST GRINSTEAD: 01342 459034 

HASTINGS: 01424 316167 

HAYWARDS HEATH: 01444 617078 

HEATHFIELD: 01435 408515 

Call us on: 

HORSHAM: 01403 541244 

MAIDSTONE: 01622 296525 

RYE: 01797 214212 

SEVENOAKS: 01732 605411 

TONBRIDGE: 01732 605411 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS: 01892 278171 

UCKFIELD: 01825 508113 

Pair of living 

Wills just 

£49.99 + vat 

(£59.99) 

Thy will be done - giving you the Will 

to live with complete peace of mind 

www.thywill.co.uk

Women’s health – New technology 

helping to beat Breast Cancer 

We do 

breast health 

checks… 

Our One Stop Breast Clinic now offers 

3D mammograms helping to detect 

Breast Cancer with greater accuracy 

If you are over 40 with no 

symptoms, you can 

self-refer for a 

3D mammogram* 

We are currently the only private hospital 

in Kent to offer the latest advances in 

digital mammography; 3D Digital Breast 

Tomosynthesis. 

Patients seen in our One Stop Breast Clinic 

will have the option of 3D mammography. 

The benefits speak for themselves: 

• Improves breast cancer detection by 

approximately 25% 

• Smaller cancers can be identified more easily 

• Particularly benefits those with dense breasts, 

especially younger women 

• Fewer patient recalls 

Early detection is key. Make Spire 

Tunbridge Wells your hospital of choice. 

What our patients say… 

I found the whole experience whilst 

having the scan to be very quick indeed 

and more importantly I was made to 

feel very comfortable by the staff’ 

TWells patient 

I just wanted to say how lovely the staff in 

x-ray department were yesterday when I 

went for a mammogram.Everyone was so 

friendly and professional 

Local GP Practice Manager 

To book an appointment in the One Stop Breast 

clinic call our Customer Services Executive on 

01892 741150 

www.spiretunbridgewells.com 

* Patients can self-refer for 3D mammograms if they are 

experiencing no symptoms and do not have any family history. 

Fordcombe Road, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0RD

WEEKLY BOARDING 

FROM SEPTEMBER 2017 

HAPPINESS FIRST 

ACHIEVEMENT FIRST 

INDIVIDUALITY FIRST 

FRIENDS FIRST 

ENRICHMENT FIRST 

PROGRESS FIRST 

ALWAYS FIRST 

HEATHFIELD SCHOOL, ASCOT 

Boarding and Day for Girls 11-18 

VISIT US FIRST 

OPEN DAYS 

SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER 2016 

SATURDAY 4 MARCH 2017 

SATURDAY 20 MAY 2017 

10am - 12 noon 

PLEASE EMAIL: 

registrar@heathfieldschool.net 

TO BOOK A PLACE OR TO 

ARRANGE A PRIVATE TOUR 

heathfieldschool.net

City centre celebration... 

Canterbury Festival has announced this year’s super sized line-up, with 

events spanning three weeks from Saturday 15 October, and each day 

providing something different and exciting. The English Chamber 

Orchestra Ensemble will perform music spanning centuries, Australian 

circus troop Circa are guaranteed to wow audiences and various talks 

will take place to please wine lovers, keen gardeners and historians, with 

speakers including Oz Clarke and Monty Don. With over 200 events 

taking place within every available spot of city space, there truly is 

something for everyone. To find out more and to discover where it’s all 

happening visit canterburyfestival.co.uk 

October 

notebook 

Exhibitions & events 

near you this month... 

Dance & dazzle... 

Join the party at Assembly Hall on Sunday 30 

October, as Magic Of Motown celebrates its 

10th birthday. Having embarked on a sensational 

nationwide tour, this theatrical treat will be wowing 

audiences in Tunbridge Wells, with musical brilliance, 

glittering costumes and dazzling dance moves. 

Legends such as the Supremes, Jackson 5, Stevie 

Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and many more 

will be featuring in this stunning production. Book 

now by phoning 01892 530613. 

Creative coaching... 

This October, West Dean College are offering a 

series of short creative courses to give participants 

the opportunity to learn traditional and 

contemporary handcrafts. Explore outside oil 

painting and investigate autumnal landscapes. 

Choose from a diverse range of woodworking 

and furniture making courses, develop your 

gardening skills, pick up a camera and learn about 

composition, build on a sewing project or try your 

hand at blacksmithing and metal work. Prices and 

dates vary, so find out more at westdean.org.uk 

More than words... 

Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October will 

be a celebration of reading and writing at Cranbrook 

Literature Festival. Join Julian Clary, Sarah Raven, 

Vanessa Nicolson, Luke Wright and Gyles Brandreth 

and Benet Brandreth for performance poetry, creative 

writing workshops, art, illustration and plenty of 

stories. For tickets and further information visit 

cranbrookliteraturefestival.com 

Stroke of genius... 

Kent Painters Group will be hosting their 26th 

annual art exhibition and sale at Sevenoaks School, 

over the weekend of Friday 28 - Sunday 30 October, 

to raise money for local mental health and learning 

disability charities. Entry is free all weekend, and 

there’s an exclusive ‘meet the artists’ opportunity on 

Friday evening. There are 60 acclaimed artists and 

sculptors exhibiting this year and selling their works. 

For more information visit kentpaintersgroup.co.uk 

Freeimages.com/JarekZbozien 

An apple a day... 

After an amazing Apple Festival in 2015, the team 

at Brogdale Farm in Faversham are planning another 

great weekend on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 

October. The Red Sails restaurant will be providing 

cooking demonstrations and you can enjoy craft 

and produce stalls, talks, orchard walks and plenty 

of family festival fun. To find out more visit 

applefestivalkent.co.uk 

Pretty ordinary... 

Jerwood Gallery are offering a rare opportunity for 

visitors to enjoy starting on Saturday 15 October. 

Stanley Spencer - A Panorama of Life, gives art 

lovers the chance to see works rarely viewed outside 

Stanley’s home town in Berkshire. The paintings 

celebrate the everyday and document life as it was in 

the first half of the last century. They capture and are 

a beautiful demonstration of ordinary life and work. 

Find out more jerwoodgallery.org 


SANTA SPECIALS 

OUR POPULAR SANTA SPECIALS ARE BACK! 

Christmas at the Spa Valley Railway 

starts at Eridge station where visitors 

are met with the smell of hot chestnuts 

and a roaring coal fire in the festively 

decorated waiting room. Whilst you are 

waiting to board your Santa special 

train why not visit our award winning 

Bar Car "Kate" and sample our hot 

or cold drinks together with either a 

snack or light lunch. 

• Saturday 3rd December 

• Sunday 4th December 

• Saturday 10th December 




• Thursday 22nd December 

• Friday 23rd December 


ALL ABOARD FOR A DAY OUT 

WITH THOMAS! 

Meet Thomas the Tank Engine 

and his friends, who are waiting 

to meet you at Spa Valley Railway. 

• Experience a ride behind a real steam engine 

• Shake hands with The Fat Controller 

• Take part in Thomas themed activities in the 

Imagination Station 

DAY OUT WITH THOMAS 

at - Tunbridge Wells 

October 1st, 2nd, 8th & 9th 2016 

HALLOWEEN 2016 

SPOOKY SURPRISES AT THE SPA! 

Fright night express - 

Saturday 29th October! 

Join us as we take a ride into the unknown, 

with our Ghost Trains running into the 

darkness on Saturday 29th October! 

Enter into our fancy dress competition as part of the fun! 

We want to see lots of little witches, ghosts & ghouls, 

so don your best costume and join us for a frightfully 

thrilling ride, the best dressed will win a prize.

Come along and find out how you can prevent your home 

having to be sold if you go into care. 

FREE seminar with FREE lunch for 25 people being conducted 

at: 

ROFFEY MILLENNIUM HALL, 

CRAWLEY ROAD, HORSHAM RH12 4DT 

on: 

THURSDAY 3 RD NOVEMBER 2016 

Arrive 12.45pm for coffee and registration 

Seminar 1pm - 1.45pm 

Lunch served from 1.45pm 

Draw at 2.30pm 

Book your place in advance and receive your Golden Ticket. 

During lunch we will draw one lucky winner who will get their 

unregistered Lasting power of Attorney grants for Health and Welfare 

and Property and Financial Affairs (as a single person or a couple) 

arranged for them completely free of charge*. 

*Only those individuals that have not previously had an appointment or consultation with us at their home or at one of 

our shops are eligible to enter our raffle and attendees may only enter our raffle once at one of our seminars. 

Call us now on 01403 541244 

to reserve your place 

www.thywill.co.uk 

Numbers strictly limited to 25

Fosse Generic Postcard Rev 7/9/16 5:01 pm Page 1 

Fosse Bank is a small independent school in a stunning building set in 26 acres 

of beautiful grounds. Fosse Bank is for children aged 2-11 years who enjoy an 

extensive curriculum and the individual care that being in a small class allows. 

Forthcoming Open Days 

Saturday 15th October 

Monday 10th October - Friday 14th October - Open Week 

Fosse Bank School, Mountains, Noble Tree Road, Hildenborough TN11 8ND 

www.fossebankschool.co.uk • Tel: 01732 834212 • E-mail: admissions@fossebankschool.co.uk 

Due to retirement CLOSING DOWN SALE 

ALL ITEMS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED 

FosseBankSchoolWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 14:53 

96 High Street, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6JB. Tel. 01580 763 155 

www.whitesjewellers.co.uk info@whitesjewellers.co.uk 


38 

WhitesJewellersWT176.indd 1 15/09/2016 14:35

BAGHAM BARN ANTIQUES 

Canterbury Road, Chilham, Near Canterbury, Kent CT4 8DU 01227 732522 

With a fresh look for Autumn, Bagham Barn has welcomed in 

a variety of new dealers and valued services to inspire your 

home decorating, gift ideas and personal well-being 

For homes, we off er unusual items from antique fi ne 

furniture to specially selected twentieth century pieces. 

Need help with weddings? The barn features 

award-winning designer dresses from The 

Bridal Boutique and a large range of personal 

gift ideas for special family occasions. 

For a designer fi nish to your traditional or modern 

beautiful home, Bagham off ers the expertise to 

provide individual collections that are aff ordable, 

high quality and unique to the individual. 

Wide choice of study, home and office furniture 

15+ years established 

Professional advice guaranteed 

Large free car park 

Excellent tea shop 

The largest and most well respected Antique Centre in 

Kent transforms your gift shopping and buying of fi ne 

furniture into a stress free and relaxing experience 

Opening hours: 10am - 5pm 

Tuesday through to Sunday 

www.baghambarnantiques.com

My back pain was so bad 

I thought I was going to 

spend my retirement as 

a disabled person… 

Non-invasive disc treatment ends 

Julie’s battle with sciatica 

Three years ago, Julie Phillips from Woking cycled 500 miles 

across the Rift Valley in Kenya for charity. At that point, 

her lower back pain was just about manageable but as the 

months rolled on, the pain worsened and she became more 

and more immobile. 

64 year old Julie explains: “I’ve always been an active person; 

I was a keen horse-rider for over 30 years and love cycling. 

About five years ago I started getting lower back pain and 

discovered I had lordosis, an inward curve of the lower back.” 

Julie’s pain gradually got worse as she approached her 

retirement. “The pain was like a burning belt around my lower 

back, worse on the left side. It was so severe I could only 

stand or walk for a couple of minutes without needing to rest. 

At 64, I really believed I was going to spend my retirement 

as a disabled person…it was devastating to me after being 

so healthy and active all of my life. My GP prescribed me 

painkillers which I took daily but still the pain was crippling.” 

Julie tried various manual treatments over the years without 

success. “I had physiotherapy sessions and was given exercises 

to do but they didn’t have any lasting effect. I also went for 

injections in my facet joints but the relief only lasted for about 

three weeks and the injections were incredibly painful. I was 

then given stronger painkillers but these made me giddy; I had 

palpitations and loss of memory. 

At this point I needed to have an operation on my ankle which 

resulted in ten weeks in a wheelchair which did help my leg 

pain but as soon as I was out of the chair, the pain came back 

with a vengeance. 

IDD Therapy has changed Julie’s life 

I felt very despondent 

during this period and I 

really didn’t know which 

way to turn. Things 

looked so gloomy that 

my daughter bought me 

a puppy because she 

thought I was going to be 

housebound for the rest 

of my life.” 

Things finally took a turnabout when Julie decided to take 

matters into her own hands; she researched non-invasive 

treatments for sciatica and found a targeted spinal disc 

treatment called IDD Therapy. 

“I made enquiries about the treatment and discovered that 

IDD Therapy is particularly successful for patients with sciatica. 

I knew I would be moving to Devon in a matter of weeks 

so I wanted to start treatment as soon as possible. I rang 

James Pickering at Wealden Osteopaths and Spine Centre in 

Goudhurst and after an initial assessment at the clinic, he felt 

sure that IDD Therapy could help me.” 

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

Intervertebral Differential Dynamics (IDD) Therapy is a 

non-invasive targeted disc treatment which gently draws 

apart specific spinal segments where discs are damaged or 

herniated (bulging). This relieves pain by taking pressure off 

targeted discs and any trapped nerves and helps to relieve 

muscle spasm. 

“James explained that my condition was severe and would 

need a series of IDD treatments: in fact, I felt huge relief after 

just two. With every session the pain eased and I was able to 

walk a few steps more. By session number six I was feeling 

almost no pain.” 

“I went for a four mile dog-walk with my 

grandchildren… when we got home, the 

kids and the dog were pooped!” 

“I finished my treatment programme a few weeks ago and I’m 

feeling like a new person; I’ve got no pain whatsoever now and 

I’m completely active again. The other day I went for a four mile 

dog-walk with my grandchildren; when we got home, the kids 

and the dog were pooped! I’m so relieved to have found James 

and IDD Therapy… I’ve truly been given a new lease of life.” 

Wealden Osteopaths & Spine Centre is part of an international 

network of over 1000 IDD Therapy Disc Specialists. The 

treatment was developed in the US in the late 1990s and has 

been adopted by clinicians in the UK following the exceptional 

outcomes: practitioners report a significant improvement in 

70-90% of patients. 

Clinic Director James Pickering says: “Julie’s condition 

was really quite complex and her sciatica was extremely 

debilitating. I’m so pleased we could help her with IDD Therapy. 

She’s made a very swift improvement with the programme and 

got her life completely back to normal. IDD Therapy is hugely 

important to us; it allows us to treat ‘difficult’ back pain patients 

non-invasively.” 

To find out about IDD Therapy and other treatments offered 

at Wealden Osteopaths & Spine Centre call: 01580 212833 or 

visit www.wealdenosteopaths.co.uk

The ultimate green spa for your garments has arrived in the Weald! 

The new dry-cleaning is wet cleaning. 

EcoFresh is faster, cheaper, friendlier and thanks to 

Lagoon , is kinder to the environment with 

cleaner, fresher, softer and brighter results too! 

Experience our swift, ecological dry-cleaning 

services this summer at refreshingly low prices 

• Ladies long or short evening dress – just £10.00 

• Ladies summer jacket or school blazer – only £5.00 

• Men and women’s two-piece suit – from £10.00 

• Curtains – amazing value at £2.50 per lb 

• Collection and delivery available subject to viable arrangement. 

• Ironing, repairs and alterations quoted separately. Summer offers expire 31st Oct 2016 

EcoFresh is revolutionising the way household and commercial services are provided. 

Enjoy the time, money and environment you will save when you off-load all your 

laundry, dry-cleaning, ironing and repairs to Ecofresh. 

01892 833529 

95 Commercial Road, Paddock Wood 

Tonbridge, Kent TN12 6DS 

ecofreshlaundry.co.uk 

/LoveEcoFresh 

@LoveEcoFresh 

© 

FRESH 

LAUNDRY 

b y L a u n d e r C a r e • K E N T 

LaunderCareWT175.indd 1 04/08/2016 11:38 

VISIT OUR NEW STORE IN SEVENOAKS - 

5000 SQ FT OF BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE AND GIFTS OVER 3 FLOORS! 

W W W. L O N D O N R O A D F U R N I T U R E . C O . U K 

W W W. FA R N I N G H A M O A K . C O . U K 

FARNINGHAM SHOWROOM 

TEL 01959 533433 - LONDON ROAD, HALSTEAD, SEVENOAKS, KENT TN14 7AA 

FARNINGHAM OAK BRANCH - TEL 01322 863230 - HIGH STREET, FARNINGHAM, KENT DA4 0DG 

41 wealdentimes.co.uk 

FarninghamPineOakWT176.indd 1 21/09/2016 09:41

Design & Planning 

Restoration 

New Build 

Barn Conversions 

Extensions 

Joinery 

www.coxrestorations.co.uk 

For a free consultation please contact: 01233 714950 

www.coxrestorations.co.uk 

Established 1986


Jacksons Fencing 

news, topical treats 

and more... 

Make an entrance 

Above: one of the beautiful small garden gates we made especially for the Feel Good Front Gardens at the RHS Hampton Court show this summer 

Gates are there for a very good reason - simply put, a gate helps 

to keep the baddies out, and keep the goodies safely in. With the 

darker evenings on the way, you might be considering tightening up 

your security, whether that’s in a rural or urban setting. Wherever 

your property is, one of the first things will be to look at your 

perimeter, normally that’s the fencing. 

Fencing style and height need consideration and will mainly be 

dictated by your location and situation. This is a meaty subject and 

there are masses of choices on our website, so if you are starting 

from scratch or replacing fencing, you can gain valuable advice and 

info right there. We even have a handy fence calculator app to help 

you work out everything you need for your project. 

That’s all good, but I’m sure it won’t have escaped you that 

somewhere in your scheme you are going to need a gate, after all a 

fence is marvellous and useful thing, but pretty inconvenient without 

a gate. Whether it’s to allow you to put out the wheelie bins, let you 

in and out, keep your dog, children safely in the enclosure, a gate is 

an absolute necessity. 

You may not even be in the market for a new fence, if this is so, 

please ignore the last few paragraphs. However as a fence anorak, 

can I at least make a suggestion? 

Please make sure your gate, or gates are in a good state of repair. It 

is vital. I have mentioned in these pages before how illogical it is to 

have the perimeter of your property fenced to keep unwanted visitors 

out, but then to leave the gate unlocked. We are often told that 

Win a Jacksons Log Store... 

To enter the free prize draw and be in with a chance to win a Jacksons 

Log Store, just log on to your dedicated page, address below and follow 

the easy instructions on how to enter. The draw closes 30.11.16. 

To enter go to: www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/ashfordlocal 

For info on any of Jacksons products or brochures, please call 

0800 408 4754 to talk to your local Jacksons Fencing Centre. 

thieves are opportunists, always on the lookout, they may try a few 

gates – if your gate stays shut, then they will move on to the next 

one, it’s as simple as that. Of course, if your gate is a bit rickety, then 

no amount of locking is really going to stop someone coming 

through, which is another good reason to make sure that it is a good 

sturdy gate and not a pushover! 

So let’s hear it for gates, they can save you a lot of grief, and if by 

chance you need a new one, we have a special offer running through 

September and October - half price delivery on all gates in our Good 

Fencing Guide range. And like all our timber products they have the 

25 year Jakcure guarantee too. Full details and T&Cs can be found on 

your dedicated web page: 

www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/ashfordlocal 

louise@jacksons-fencing.co.uk 

Above top: Jacksons entrance gates. Most of Jacksons garden panels 

have a matching gate like the stylish Venetian shown above.

BRAMBLETYE 

Leading Co-Educational Pre-Prep and Prep School for Children aged 2½ to 13 

th 

15 October 2016 

Open Day 

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please contact 

registrar@brambletye.com 

Brambletye, Lewes Road, Sussex, RH19 3PD www.brambletye.co.uk +44 (0) 1342 321004 

Introducing a Weekly London 

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Special Offers 

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Get in control 

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Harvey Water 

The average two person home uses 276 litres of water per day, vital to the maintenance of 

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The effect it has can be determined by the area 

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A water softener will banish these problems. Softened 

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100 Years of Education, 1000 Years of History 

Battle Abbey School 

Sixth Form Open Evening 

Thursday 13th October 2016, 

6.30pm - 8.00pm 

Please contact the school for further information. 

Tel: 01424 772385 email: registrar@battleabbeyschool.com, 

Battle Abbey School, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AD. 

www.battleabbeyschool.com 

Recent University Destinations for Year 13 Leavers include: 

Cambridge, Oxford, Exeter, Imperial, Warwick, 

Southampton, Bath, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Royal 

Holloway, Kings College London and Nottingham. 

2016 A Levels 

67% of all grades were at A* – B 

85% of all grades were at A* – C 

10% of all grades were A* 

98% pass rate 

Battle Abbey School 1912 - 2012 

Battle Abbey School Times top 200! 

As announced in The Times on 27th August Battle Abbey School comes in at 153 in the UK for 

coeducational A Level results. This is based on the percent of A and A* grades achieved. 

Outside Brighton only one other Eastbourne school ranked higher in East Sussex. 

MADNESS 

The Los Palmas 6 

pay tribute to the Nutty Boys 

BattleAbbeySchoolWT176.indd 1 20/09/2016 14:13 

Saturday 12th November @ 7.45pm 

Tickets: £15 Adults £14 Concessions £10 Students 

Box Office: 01580 711856 

www.queenshalltheatre.co.uk 

Waterloo Road, Cranbrook TN17 3JD 


50 

QueensHallTheatreWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 14:32

FREWEN 

COLLEGE 

The Dyslexia Specialists 

Since 1910 

Picture by Adrian Peacock 

Editor’s 

Letter 

I’m firmly of the mindset which sees autumn as a fresh 

start. All those exciting associations with shiny new pencil 

cases stir my blood every year. This one more than ever 

as I’m moving house, first into a temporary rental, as my new 

home is currently a bomb site with no kitchen or bathroom. 

So what perfect timing to be putting together a Kitchen 

and Bathroom supplement for the magazine (page 126) 

giving me licence to spend several weeks immersing myself 

in the latest trends in these two key areas of the home. 

Also inspiring my new decorative scheme are this month’s 

two houses. Stately Georgian pile Goodnestone Park (page 

54) has been updated with a perfect balance of period style 

and contemporary chic which I can only aspire to, by design 

duo Marcus Crane and Francesca Rowan-Plowden. 

I’ve also found loads of brilliant ideas to borrow 

and great sources of lovely things to buy from our 

other house this month (page 102). This is a very 

different prospect – a classic beach house – but in a 

lovely link up it was also designed by Francesca. 

I hope you find as much inspiration reading this 

month’s Wealden Times as we have putting it together. 

Prep 

School 

Senior 

• • 

School 

Sixth 

Form 

A unique Day & Boarding school for girls and boys 

aged 7-19 with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia & Dyscalculia 

Come and see how Frewen College 

can help your child at our 

OPEN MORNING 

on Saturday 12 November 9.30 - 12 noon 

Wealden Times Team 

Editor ....................................................................................... Maggie Alderson 

Fashion & Beauty Editor ...............................................................Helen Barton 

Design .........................................................................................Powerful Pierre 

Design Team ..............................................................................Anthony Boxall 

Rob Cursons 

Phoebe Gilbert 

Tanya Goldsmith 

Managing Director ........................................................................ Julie Simpson 

Commercial Director ............................................................... Colin Wilkinson 

Sales Team ................................................................................ Hayley Biddulph 

Sarah Norwood 

Becky Smith 

Lisa Smith 

Distribution .................................................................................Emma Murphy 

Wealden Times Events Team 

Sales Director ..................................................................................... Joy Adams 

Events Marketing & Operations Manager ..................................Fiona Saunders 

“Pupils’ rates of personal, social and 

academic progress are strong and, 

at times, exceptional.” 

Ofsted 2016 

To register, please call Annabel on: 

01797 252494 or email:office@frewencollege.co.uk 

Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6NL 

www.frewencollege.co.uk 


FrewenCollegeWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 11:31

FREE 

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†We may record or monitor our calls. 

Bupa dental services are provided by Bupa Dental Services Limited. Registered office: Bupa House, 15-19 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2BA. Registered No. 00479557. 

BPR 01425

where to find your copy… 

Call 01580 714705 to find your nearest distributor of 

Wealden Times or to have your free copy delivered for 

12 months for just £22 postage 

Distribution of Wealden Times 

published in Cranbrook for the Weald 

Eras 

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of stylE 

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Tunbridge 

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You can get your copy at most railway stations, newsagents 

and all Waitrose stores throughout the Weald. The 

following are our major distribution points and you can 

also visit wealdentimes.co.uk for a complete listing 

Ashford 

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ErasOfStyleWT175.indd 1 09/08/2016 16:13


54

Pride without 

prejudice 

Words: John Graham-Hart Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Helen Barton 

The beautiful Georgian house, 

Goodnestone Park, which may have inspired 

Jane Austen’s most famous novel and is 

still owned by the original family, has been 

remodelled with superb contemporary 

chic and reborn with a new purpose 


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BackfromBlackWT176.indd 1 13/09/2016 12:31 

GOODNESTONE 

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56 

MulberryCottagesWT176.indd 1 26/09/2016 09:56

Previous page: The coffee table in the library was made from 

an old leather gym vaulting horse. The painting above the 

fireplace is by Paula MacArthur from a collection at McCully 

& Crane Art in Rye Above: The drawing room walls are clad in 

de Gournay silk. The painting over the mantlepiece is of Jane 

Austen’s favourite niece Fanny Bridges. The sofas are from sofa. 

com Below: The outer hall at the house entrance. The marble 

fireplace was added in the Victorian era. The ginger jar was 

found at Ardingly 

Unlike our closest European neighbours, we’ve 

never really been much good at chopping heads 

off our aristocrats. We had a brief shot at it in 

the mid-1600s and even bagged a king, but our heart 

simply wasn’t in it. We only lasted a decade or so without a 

monarch before inviting his son back from exile. Monarchy 

and its supporting aristocracy were here to stay. 

The real threat to our titled class would not come until three 

hundred years later and not from the axeman but the taxman. 

Before the 19th century, the British aristocracy enjoyed a life 

relatively free from taxation. Staff were plentiful and cheap 

and estates provided a good income. But during the 19th 

century this began to change, the sums no longer added up 

and throughout the country once great houses began to be 

demolished by their increasingly impoverished owners. 

The pace of destruction increased rapidly after the 

war and by 1955 Britain was losing a major country 

house every five days. It wasn’t until 1968 that legislation 

requiring local authority permission to tear down 

a historic building put a break on the carnage. 

 


No stately home would be without a library and Goodnestone is, of course, no exception. 

Leather armchairs, shelves groaning with worthy leather-bound tomes – including rare 

Jane Austen early editions – and on the walls, more ancestors. 

 


58

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KibblewhiteWT167.indd 2 27/11/2015 12:46

Wealden Times Ads 1-4 (August 2016)_D&S 1/4 page 12/08/2016 10:58 Page 3 

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1 15/03/2016 16:22 


60 

AutenticoWT166.indd 1 10/11/2015 11:05

But perhaps the most important factor in saving the 

British country house was a change in public opinion– the 

nation finally woke up to the fact that these structures 

were not merely the playthings of the rich and privileged 

but an irreplaceable part of a shared national heritage. 

This awareness increased as more and more owners 

opened their homes to the public – and make no mistake, 

these were their homes and this was a key element of their 

attraction for visitors. These buildings were not museums. 

The walls on which the portraits hung were not those of 

galleries. The grounds were not municipal parks. These were 

not museums, galleries or parks. They were stately homes. 

Strangely enough the idea of opening their homes to total 

strangers has also proved attractive to many owners. Those 

I have spoken to over the years have all enjoyed inviting the 

public in. They are understandably proud of these beautiful 

buildings and also, of their ancestry and ancestors. 

And so it is with Julian, the 22nd Lord FitzWalter, 

who succeeded in 2004 to one of the most ancient 

of England’s baronies. The 1st Baron FitzWalter was 

Left: The shaker-style units and island in the kitchen were 

custom-built and painted in Pigeon by Farrow & Ball by the 

builders- BW May. The copper pans were from Ardingly. Below: 

The breakfast room is a couple of steps up and through bronze 

and glass doors designed by Marcus and Francesca. The panes 

match exactly the panes in the Georgian sash windows 


Above: Light pours into the breakfast room through two floorto-ceiling 

windows. The oval table was designed by Marcus and 

Francesca and made to order by the project’s main contractors, 

BW May. The stone surround was custom made based on a 

fireplace in the cellar, with the FitzWalter coat of arms added. 

The painting over it is by Luke Hannam from McCully & Crane 

Art, Rye. Marcus found the wonderful collection of leaf pressings 

in the attic. Right: Between the dining room and the drawing 

room is the Oval Hall, the original entrance of the house with 

exquisite painted panels in the Georgian neo-classical style 

the leader of the baronial opposition to King John, one 

of the twenty-five sureties of Magna Carta in 1215, and 

finally slipped into legend as the father of Maid Marian. 

The stunning gardens of Julian’s much-loved family 

seat, Goodnestone Park, have long been open to the 

public but now the main house, too, will welcome 

visitors – and not merely the kind who will wander 

about, appreciate and leave. Julian’s visitors will be able 

to rent the entire house and stay as long as they wish. 

“My mother was the last of the family to live here and 

she really only used three or four rooms. In winter it was 

a pretty chilly business running down unheated passages 

between them,” he says. “When she died, the house was in 

need of extensive renovation and it was also clear that, in 

today’s world, it was going to have to pay its own way.” 

Built in 1704 by Julian’s ancestor, Sir Brook 

Bridges, Goodnestone is a truly lovely Palladian 

country house enjoying that uniquely Georgian 

 


62

Rectory Interiors 

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1 22/09/2016 09:48 

ThomasHaywood 

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ThomasHaywoodSolicitorsWT175.indd 1 11/08/2016 14:56

West End House 

Art Gallery 

HOMEPOWER 

DON’T WAIT FOR A POWER CUT 

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Exhibition & demonstrations of original printmaking 

1st October to 14th November 2016 

Open Thursday to Monday 10am-5pm 

Please visit our website for demonstration timetable 

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01233 770261 • www.west-end-house-gallery.co.uk 

We are main dealers for a great range of 

Generators with 11 years’ experience. 

Homepower installs the system 

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WestEndHouseGalleryWT176.indd 1 16/09/2016 HomepowerLtdWT164.indd 11:46 

1 14/09/2015 11:14 

THE LEADING AUCTIONEERS IN THE SOUTH EAST 

• Regular selected sales including Fine Art, 

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• Valuations for Insurance 

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Marcel Dyf (1899-1985), 

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64 

4130 Gorringes (WT) (Oct 2016) 130x185.indd 1 06/09/2016 13:52 

GorringesWT176.indd 1 07/09/2016 09:44

“Right from the start Lord FitzWalter was very specific about what he 

wanted. He wanted it to be a home that would represent and reflect the 

family, five-star standard, but never to feel commercial” says Francesca 

 


combination of welcome, warmth and elegance. 

Jane Austen was a regular visitor and wrote of the ‘great 

pleasure’ the house and grounds gave her. Her brother, 

Edward, married Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Brook’s 

grandson, in the local parish church in1791 and there seems 

little doubt that Jane gathered considerable material during her 

many visits for Pride and Prejudice, which she began in 1796. 

Julian’s plans were to renovate and update the house 

to a standard where he would be able to offer it as a 

venue both for corporate events and five-star private 

country house lets. However, this was not going to be 

an overnight transformation. This was a project that was 

going to take a great deal of time, considerable thought, 

an equal amount of creativity and not a little love. 

“We didn’t want merely to recreate a Georgian interior,” 

says Justin. “We wanted a contemporary interior which would 

showcase sympathetically the family’s art and heirlooms. 

We were looking for a welcoming, informal elegance.” 

Previous page: Julian’s mother’s piano sits at the bottom of the 

glorious main staircase, which is lined with ancestral portraits. 

Lord and Lady FitzWalter found the magnificent chandelier 

with multi-coloured drops in a ‘shed’ in Essex Left: The portrait 

and clock are family pieces. The armchair is covered in Ashwell 

Sea Storm, by GP & J Baker Below: The largest of the twelve 

bedrooms, the FitzWalter Suite is decorated with Colefax and 

Fowler white rose paper. The built-in wardrobes are hidden 

behind wallpapered doors. Light pours in from three fullheight 

windows with glorious views over the grounds. Francesca 

designed the corona over the bed in Colefax and Fowler silk

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68 

EnsorInteriorDesignWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 14:21

Above: The cushions on the bed in Effie’s Room are covered in a GP & J Baker fabric. The painting was found at an antiques fair 

Above all, the designers would have one guiding principle: at 

the end of what was going to be a very long day, Goodnestone 

must still be a stately home – the FitzWalter family home. 

The designers Julian chose were Francesca Rowan- 

Plowden and Marcus Crane. Asked to pitch separately, they 

decided to join forces and submit a single presentation. 

“Had I been given the project, I would have involved 

Marcus and vice versa so we decided to pitch together,” 

says Francesca. “We knew we would bring complementary 

talents to the project. Marcus’s strengths are in sourcing 

interesting pieces, mine are in fabrics/textiles. 

“Right from the start Julian was very specific about 

what he wanted,” she says. “He wanted it to be a home 

that would represent and reflect the family. He wanted 

it to be five-star standard but never to feel commercial. 

He had a very clear vision and it was great to be able 

to work toward such a clearly defined goal.” 

Also invaluable would be the continuing support and input 

from Julian and his wife, Sally. “We would meet regularly to 

talk through ideas, go through fabrics and wallpapers and 

look at colours. We’d also go together to Ardingly, often 

not looking for a specific piece but finding something and 

thinking ‘that’s perfect for the library’ or ‘that would go well 

under that picture in the Lady FitzWalter suite.’ It wasn’t a 

project where you could just decide what you needed, order 

it and move on. It was a project that grew organically.” 

The project, start to finish, would take two-and-a-half years. 

Taking an early 18th century house and positioning it 

firmly in the 21st century was never going to be simple 

but, surprisingly, it involved very little in the way of 

the knocking down of walls and where it has had to be 

done it has had the full blessing of English Heritage. 

The only major remodelling downstairs was the knocking 

through of the kitchen into an adjoining extension that 

had served as an office. This has provided a spacious, 

elegant and state-of-the-art kitchen capable of serving the 

24 guests the house is now designed to accommodate. 

The shaker-style units and island were custom-built. 

The breakfast room is a couple of steps up and through 

bronze and glass doors designed by Marcus. The panes match 

exactly the panes in the Georgian sash windows. This is a 

glorious, bright room, the light pouring in through floorto-ceiling 

windows – the perfect place to start any day. 

The oval table was made to order by the project’s main 

contractors, BW May, and the chimney piece was found 

in the cellar and given a new FitzWalter coat of arms. 

On the walls is a wonderful collection of leaf pressings that 

Marcus found long-forgotten in the attic, framed and gave 

the pride of place they deserved. They are complemented by 

the contemporary abstract by Luke Hannam which hangs 


over the fireplace – a juxtaposition of old and new which 

continues throughout the house, never inappropriate and 

always gently contributing to the air of elegant informality. 

Even the rooms such as the ‘formal’ dining room are 

anything but. Here the superb dining table was commissioned 

by Julian and Sally and made by Alastair Murray. The 

star of this show must, however, be the stunning, bespoke 

hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper. Hanging there in 

all its delicate serenity, one wouldn’t know that it was the 

one item in the whole project that was a major drama. 

When the old wallpaper was stripped from the walls, 

the man from de Gournay, he say no. “He said there 

was no way that they could hang £30,000-worth of 

de Gournay paper on walls in that condition,” says 

Francesca. “This gave us a serious problem because 

the new plaster would take months to dry. Luckily, we 

discovered Stevensons of Norwich and they provided a 

special fast-drying treatment that solved our problems.” 

Between the dining room and the drawing room is the 

Oval Hall, the lovely main entrance hall until the Victorians 

decided to switch the building around by building a classical 

portico at the back and making that the main entrance. The 

Oval Hall still has its original painted panels - one showing 

honourable WWII battle scars, from the time the building was 

requisitioned and Canadian officers used the room for darts. 

In the drawing room is more de Gournay, this time grey 

silk to complement the ornate grey marble chimney-piece. 

This room is an excellent example of how Julian, Sally 

and their designers have so successfully brought together 

family heirlooms, Ardingly finds and new pieces. 

On the walls is a pleasing selection of friendly 

ancestors including, over the fireplace, Jane Austen’s 

favourite niece Fanny Bridges, said to be the 

inspiration for Mansfield Park’s Fanny Price. 

 

Clockwise from top right: The Pink Room is papered with 

Lewis & Wood, Indienne. The wall sconces, portrait, green glass 

lamp and console table are all Ardingly finds. The portrait is of 

Jane Austen’s favourite niece, Fanny bridges. The Staffordshire 

figures are family owned 


70

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72

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74 

GreenleafLightingWT175.indd 1 18/08/2016 15:45

Above: The walls of Henry’s Room are painted in Hague Blue by 

Farrow & Ball. The sunburst mirror is from Barnstar, Rye 

Left: The teal tiles are from Topps Tiles 

Family treasures include two lovely bow-fronted walnut 

chests of drawers, a delicate travelling chest and a beautiful tall 

yew cabinet. Two of Julian’s mother’s chairs sit comfortably 

telling tales of yesteryear to two new recruits from sofa.com. 

No stately home would be without a library and 

Goodnestone is, of course, no exception. Leather 

armchairs, shelves groaning with worthy leatherbound 

tomes – including rare Jane Austen early 

editions – and on the walls, more ancestors. 

But what’s this the sofa’s have gathered around with 

such interest? Certainly not something you’d find in an 

18th century library. At first it looks like a giant poof – 

and so indeed it is but it’s made from an old leather gym 

vaulting horse. And above the fireplace, mixing it with the 

forebears, a big contemporary abstract by Paula MacArthur 

from a collection at McCully & Crane Art in Rye. 

And so on via Julian’s mother’s piano up the glorious 

main staircase and past perhaps the most impressive 

ancestral portraits to the first floor and the remaining 


Above left: Francesca and Marcus found the pictures in 

the stairway in the attic. The 1920s chair, with its original 

upholstery, was found at Ardingly Above right: The chaise 

longue in George’s Room is covered in turquoise velvet by 

Clarke & Clarke and the sheepskin on the floor next to it is 

from Hunter Jones, Rye Right: The headboard in Robert’s 

Room is William Morris by Sanderson. The end table is a 

family piece and the Victorian mirror is from Ardingly 

reception room – the Jane Austen Drawing Room. 

Above the original Georgian chimneypiece is Margaretta, 

wife of the builder of Goodnestone and here too is a 

picture of Julian’s father. On another wall there is a 1715 

painting of the house’s original vast formal gardens. 

Before the refurbishment, the house had 15 bedrooms 

but only three bathrooms which must have made for 

something of a traffic jam in the mornings. After a little 

clever wall finessing, it now has 12 double bedrooms, all 

but one of them with their own elegant bathrooms. 

The largest and most beautiful is the FitzWalter 

Suite, which was Julian’s mother’s bedroom, now with 

a canopied bed and delicate new Colefax & Fowler 

white rose paper. Light pours in from three full-height 

windows with glorious views over the grounds. 

There are simply too many superb bedrooms to do 

justice to here but suffice to say that the principal ones 

are named and subtly themed after the five brothers 

 


76

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78 

HeatDesignWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 15:59

The principal bedrooms are named and themed after the five 

brothers of the family and favourite retainers 

 


Previous page, above: The chairs in the Games Room were upholstered by Richard Harris in Jane Churchill velvet. The cabinet 

to the left is a family piece. The brass stags on the chimneypiece are from Cinque Ports Antiques in Rye. The white table lamps are 

from Woodcocks of Tenterden. The portrait was found in the attic. The mirror was found at Ardingly Previous page, below: The 

bedside lamp in Francis’s Room is from Oka. The painting over the bed is from Ardingly Above: The leather club chair and the 

dahlia painting in Francis’s bedroom were both found at Ardingly. The chest of drawers is a family piece. The plaid curtain fabric is by 

Colefax and Fowler 

of the family and favourite retainers. Julian’s Room 

displays his favourite plum and mushroom tones. 

George’s Room reflects his passion for horticulture and 

his standing as CEO of the National Gardens Scheme. 

Henry’s has an equestrian theme reflecting his 

role as a luminary in the world of horse racing and 

breeding. William is a potter and his room sports 

blue and white Japanese porcelain. Francis’ love of 

the country translates into plaids and tweeds. 

All of which is a further reflection of Julian’s determination, 

from the very beginning, that the reborn Goodnestone 

should be a celebration of his family both past and 

present. So has he achieved his goal? Is he happy with the 

result of two-and-a-half years of careful thought, detailed 

planning and sheer hard work that Sally, Francesca, 

Marcus and he have put into this challenging project? 

Well, were he the kind of man who would jump onto a 

table, punch the air and whoop at the top of his voice, he 

might well do just this. But over the centuries his family have 

found that aristocrats who indulge in this sort of behaviour 

tend to have their heads separate from their shoulders. So 

instead he just smiles quietly and professes himself ‘delighted’. 

In my book ‘delighted’ is just fine. ‘Delighted’ will do 

very nicely. 

 


80

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Marcus Crane marcuscrane.rpc@gmail.com 

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88

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Baby linen flat bed sheet 

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The Vintage 

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Rose gold alarm 

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Decorator’s Notebook 

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Blossom rose 

tealights, £5.95 

Prezzybox 

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Quatrefoil side table, £195 

The French Bedroom Co. 

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Dusky pink beehive 

throw, £58, The British 

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Soft pink linen 

robe, £125, Natural 

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Copper desk lamp 

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Patterned Moroccan 

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Ivory sheepskin rug, £55 

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90

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Linen pillowcase 

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Pure Morris cushion collection, 

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92 

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Come and discover beautiful bed linen this autumn at Fenwick. 

Your bedroom is your sanctuary at the end of a stressful day and there 

is nothing better than relaxing in a beautifully made bed. Let us help 

you to create the perfect ambience that reflects your personality. 

Whether you prefer a muted colour palette or stunning vivacious print 

designs in seasonal shades, we have it covered. Plus, our collections have 

beautiful co-ordinating knitted throws and soft cushions to make the look 

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Preparing for a good night’s sleep requires some attention to detail. 

As autumn sets in and the nights become colder, you may be thinking 

of investing in a warmer duvet. At Fenwick we have a wide selection of 

duvets, hypo-allergenic, synthetic or with luxury goose and feather down 

fillings, to suit your needs and budget. You also need to think carefully 

about the pillow that you are using to ensure you have the optimum neck 

and spine alignment. New for autumn you will find TEMPUR. The TEMPUR 

Ergonomic pillow collection features ergonomic design and TEMPUR 

Technology that contours to the shape of your body. 

Let us give you a taster; introducing Elizabeth Scarlett, NEW for autumn 

and NEW designs from Clarissa Hulse and Designers Guild; plus 

sumptuous duvets from Brinkhaus, renowned worldwide for their superior 

quality and innovative designs and the Tempur pillow collection. 

Then come in store and see what else is NEW in the Linens department 

for autumn 2016. 

AUTUMN 

ST YLE EDIT 

LINENS 

ELIZABETH SCARLETT 

Elizabeth Scarlett is a luxury homeware brand, created by London based 

designer Elizabeth Scarlett Elsey. Combining an enduring love of soft 

textiles with an eye for detail, Elizabeth Scarlett was launched in 2013, 

bringing soft, colourful cushions to the forefront. With a textile heritage 

and a background in fine art, Elizabeth uses her signature hand painted 

designs to uniquely embroider lifestyle products. 

ANANAS : Inspired by the tropical fruits sold in Saint-Tropez market, 

translated from a hand illustrated design of soft grey pineapples. 

Duvet : King £100 : Super King £115 Cushion 45 x 45cm £35 

Quilt 220 x 230cm 220 thread count £145 

Only available in the Tunbridge Wells store 

FENWICK CANTERBURY AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS

CLARISSA HULSE : MEADOW GRASS 

Layers of swaying Wiltshire meadow grasses in hot pink and 

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on the reverse. Digitally printed on smoothest 200 thread count 

cotton sateen the range includes four sizes of duvet cover, an 

oxford panel pillowcase featuring meadow grasses and a housewife 

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chunky knit throw with a bold turmeric coloured border. 

Duvet covers : Double £95 : King £110 

Oxford pillowcase £22 Housewife pillowcase £19 

Cushion 30 x 50cm £45 Grey knitted throw 150 x 200cm £150 


DESIGNERS GUILD : TULIPANI GRAPHITE 

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Duvet covers : Double £95 : King £110 : Super King £125 

Housewife pillowcase £20 

Hiranya graphite throw 140 x 200cm £120 

Hiranya cushion 50 x 30cm £35 


BRINKHAUS : THE GEM COMPONENT 

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Super King 260 x 220cm £659 

Other sizes to order 

TEMPUR ® : Pillow collections 

TEMPUR offers a wide range of pillows to 

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Visit our Linens departments and see what else is NEW for autumn. Be inspired by the beautiful selection of bed linen with 

co-ordinating soft cushions and throws that will make your bedroom complete. 

St George’s Street Canterbury Kent CT1 2TB 01227 766866 • Royal Victoria Place Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 2SR 01892 516716 

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of Bexleyheath 

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of Bromley 

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of Cambridge 

29 Magdalene Street 

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Tel: 01223 464400 


of Maidstone 

37 Royal Star Arcade 

High Street 

Maidstone ME14 1JL 

Tel: 01622 756756 


of Tunbridge Wells 

66 Mount Pleasant Road 


Kent TN1 1RB 

Tel: 01892 527525

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Pick up the phone and speak to us at Ashford School 

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Spotlight on exhibitors... 

TeePea design and craft beautiful hand-made 

teepees. They caused such a stir at the Midsummer Fair, 

we had to know more about Tunbridge Wells 

mums, Emma and Ella. 

Describe the essence of the business 

Bright, colourful and lots of fun! We make beautiful cotton 

teepees that provide the perfect pop-up space for imaginative 

play and give children their own little hideaway, inside or out. 

Why did you go into business together? 

TeePea grew organically from our friendship as neighbours. We 


100 

both wanted to continue doing something creative, without 

the London commute, that would fit around the kids. Ella 

made a beautiful TeePea for her children - everyone instantly 

fell in love with it and that was enough to get us thinking. 

Tell us about the process of creating your product 

Once we have a design concept and the perfect fabric and 

trimmings, our seamstress works her way up and down the 

vast metres of cut-out fabric. Once assembled, each unique 

TeePea goes into its own coordinating bag. We often take 

special orders for clients with a specific theme in mind. 

What makes all the hard work worth it? 

Honestly, it is seeing how much children (and their parents) 

love their TeePea. We receive lots of photos and reviews 

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different uses and creates memories along the way. 

What can we look forward to from 

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Alongside our signature range of spots and 

stripes, our fun, new Winter Collection are the 

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Choose from hundreds of carefully 

handpicked original gifts in five joined-up 

marquees of Christmas gift shopping for all 

your family and friends 

Stegmann House Clogs, £65 

Fire & Felt Ltd, fi reandfelt.com 

Carnival Light (large), £50 

Electric Pineapple, 

electricpineapple.co.uk 

Lip Therapy 7ml, £10 

Ruby Red, 

rubyredcosmetics.co.uk 

Fountain pen, £59 

Plooms, plooms.co.uk 

Unisex Sweat, £30 

Lounge Shorts, £27 

Blue Blancmange, blueblancmange.co.uk 

Handmade TeePea, £125 

TeaPea, facebook.com/myteepea 

Bolivia Cross Body Bag, £229.95 

Grandala, grandala.com 

Produce Candles, £21.99 each 

I Love Produce Candles, iloveproducecandles.co.uk 


Love shack 

Words: John Graham-Hart Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Helen Barton 


102

A classic beach house, which is also a cosy winter retreat – Francesca Rowan-Plowden 

is just as at home rethinking the most relaxed of small-scale abodes as she is taking on 

a total refurbishment of a stately home. Is there nothing this woman can’t do? 


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Simone Riley Figs 


104 

PureArtsGroupWT176.indd 1 07/09/2016 16:37

Previous page: The kitchen island and the ‘wooden’ wall that runs from the front to the back of the house were designed by 

Francesca and made by Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling from sanded, unpainted, scaffolding board. The industrial-style ceiling 

lights were being thrown out of a café in St Leonards. Francesca found the real ship’s porthole on a stall in Hastings Old Town. The 

table is from eBay and the chairs are from Dunelm. The tractor seat stools are from Strand Quay Antiques Above: The blue sitting 

room sofa is from made.com and the white painted chest from – as many other objects of desire around the house – McCully & 

Crane in Rye. Marcus Crane was Francesca’s design partner in the refurbishment of Goodnestone Park (see page 54) 

This issue sees something of a Wealden Times first - 

featuring two houses by the same interior designer. 

Why? Well, the simple answer is that the work of Ms 

Francesca Rowan-Plowden is in need of serious celebration. 

Every month, when I walk into yet another breathtaking 

home, I am stunned by what extraordinary flair and 

talent so many owners have. Exposed to creativity on 

such a scale, I find myself struggling not to blurt out 

the opinion that they should do this for a living. 

When I visited Francesca’s Georgian farmhouse near Rye 

some years ago I remember totally losing this struggle. I 

doubt very much if my career advice was taken seriously 

but others considerably more qualified than I must have 

expressed exactly the same opinion because Francesca has 

since launched Rowan Plowden Design and become one 

of the best professional designers south of the Smoke. 

Actress, TV presenter, mother of four young boys and 

founder of Rye’s popular Lamb Players, established 

when she was curator of Lamb House, Francesca is 

currently being fêted for her work with Marcus Crane at 

Goodnestone, but one of her great strengths is versatility 

- and little demonstrates this versatility as dramatically 

as placing stately home alongside holiday home. 

Field View, her own property on The Ridge at Winchelsea 

Beach, was always intended as a rental so, although she 

was the owner and would stay there as often as possible, 

it was not somewhere she could indulge herself. Rather 

than please one client – as she might on most projects – 

she was going to have to please a wide range of potential 

guests, none of whom she had ever even met. 

Francesca and her husband, wine importer Piers Plowden, had 

always liked the idea of a beach property. “As a child I used 

to spend holidays with my aunt and uncle in Nantucket,” she 

says. “Piers grew up in Bermuda and our favourite holiday 

spot is Île de Ré” (an island off the west coast of France. 

“We saw the Winchelsea house advertised just before 

we went on holiday and thought it would be gone by 

the time we got back but it wasn’t so we met the 

 


Above: The original sunroom is now used as a dining/breakfast 

area. The table and bench were made by the Hastings & Bexhill 

Wood Recycling with wood reclaimed from Hastings Pier. The 

steel walls lights are by Cox & Cox and the walls are painted in 

Farrow & Ball Ammonite Left: the chair is from Strand Quay 

Antiques and the sheepskin from Hunter Jones, both in Rye. The 

wooden stag’s head is from Eras of Style in Bexhill 

The woodburner is set into a 

central chimney that is all that is left 

of the original wall that separated 

the front and rear rooms 

 


106

Styled by Skinners of Tunbridge Wells 

Distinctive Interiors 

www.skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk 

Email: sarah@skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk 

6 Castle Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, 

Kent TN1 1XJ Tel: 01892 532003 

SkinnersWT176.indd 1 14/09/2016 JosephMcCarthyWT176.indd 14:13 

1 15/09/2016 16:08 


JerwoodGalleryWT176.indd 1 09/09/2016 12:22

owner – a very sweet lady – and put in an offer,” she 

says. “We then got gazumped but the lady very kindly 

turned down the better offer and went with us. 

“We knew it was going to make an amazing beach house but 

we wanted to take it a step further and make it somewhere 

people would want to come and stay year round,” she says. “It 

was not only going to have to have a cool bright summer feel 

but a warmth that would make it a cosy retreat in winter.” 

It was also going to need a considerable number of walls 

knocked down and a considerable number more put up. 

When the couple took possession the ground floor consisted 

of two rooms and a sunroom. These have now been 

knocked though into one large living area which opens out 

through matching glass doors onto new decking front and 

back made from old, black-painted scaffolding boards. 

The sunroom remains a sunroom but is also now a dining/ 

breakfast area with terrific views down over the fields 

toward the beach and a table and benches made by the 

rightly-celebrated Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling, 

with wood reclaimed from the old Hastings pier. 

 

Right: Over the door into the kitchen the Fish sign is from 

Wishbarn Antiques in Rye Below: Francesca “doesn’t do” fitted 

kitchens. The natural wood shelving and a work surface were 

made by H&B Wood Recycling. The full height cupboard was 

made by Francesca’s father from old wooden tractor trailer doors. 

Blue curtains in denim by Merchant & Mills in Rye cover the 

dishwasher, freezer and washing machine. The kitchen walls are 

painted in Ammonite and Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball

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112 

SofasAndStuffWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 10:52

Previous page: The four-foot-high framed poster of Gary 

Cooper is from McCully & Crane Above: The bed in the master 

bedroom has been raised to be on a level with the windows 

looking south over the fields to the sea. The headboard and 

cushions were designed by Francesca, part of a new range she 

is now developing. Right: Chest from Hunter Jones, rug from 

Hunter Jones, painting from Lion Street Store The lamp, made 

from an old wooden-cased voltmeter, is from McCully & Crane 

On the walls are works by two Rye artists – mermaids by 

Richard Adams and a delicate ladybird drawing by Lincoln 

Taber. Flanking the window are two galvanised steel nautical 

lights by Cox & Cox. “There are odd nods to the seaside 

here and there,” says Francesca, “but nothing too obvious 

– I didn’t want to start going down the seashell route.” 

Also delightfully conspicuous by its absence is any evidence 

of The Dead Stuffed Things School of Interior Design. True, 

there is a stag’s head above the woodburner in the living area 

but this is a lovely wood carving from Eras of Style in Bexhill. 

The woodburner is set into a central chimney that is 

all that is left of the original wall separating the front 

and rear rooms. “It was the most expensive item in 

the house to buy and to install,” says Francesca, “but 

I really wanted to make sure that the house was a real 

home for all seasons and it certainly does its job.” 

The fireplace is now open from both sides of the chimney, 

heating and cheering both the sitting room area and the 

kitchen behind. The sofa is from made.com and the white 

painted chest – as many other objects of desire around 

the house – from McCully & Crane in Rye, owned by 

Marcus Crane, who you will remember was Francesca’s 

partner in the renaissance of Goodnestone Park. 

 


The former garage has now been converted into a twin bedroom, games room and a bathroom. Above: The desk and chair in the 

twin bedroom are from Francesca’s childhood. The Tintin print is from Eras of Style. The rug is from Hunter Jones 

 


114

Above Left: The headboards are Rowan Plowden. Francesca bought the old painted toy box serving as a joint bedside table from a 

stall in Lydd. The ceiling lampshade is from Hunter Jones. The wall behind the beds is painted in Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball. 

The hurricane lamps on the chest are from Dunelm Above right: Over the free-standing bath in the in new bathroom is a picture by 

Francesca’s artist uncle, Nick Maddison. 

The majority of walls throughout the downstairs are 

Farrow & Ball Ammonite but a great feature of the 

ground floor is a superb ‘wooden’ wall that runs from 

the front to the back of the house and is clad floor to 

ceiling in sanded, unpainted scaffolding board, effortlessly 

giving the whole area a lovely beachy, driftwood feel. 

Pièce de résistance in the kitchen area is a stunning 

central island designed by Francesca, built by H&B 

Wood Recycling and incorporating a huge hidden 

kitchen storage area and lit by two industrial-style lights 

that were being thrown out of a café in St Leonards. 

In one side wall is a real ship’s porthole which Francesca 

bought from a stall which appears and disappears Brigadoonlike 

in Hastings Old Town and is run by a bloke called John. 

At one end of the island is virtually a wall of glass, with 

doors out into a magical shingle garden. At the other end are 

parked two tractor-seat stools which serve as extra seating to 

a circular dining table, joining a matching set of stylish steel 

chairs that only Francesca could have found at Dunelm. 

In an existing extension is the business end of the kitchen 

– and as Francesca “doesn’t do fitted kitchens,” it’s all 

natural wood shelving, a work surface made by H&B Wood 

Recycling, a superb full height cupboard made by Francesca’s 

father from old wooden tractor trailer doors, and pretty blue 

curtains covering a dishwasher, freezer and washing machine. 

At the end is a former loo, now a wetroom which means guests 

can come in straight from the beach through the kitchen 

door, down the tiled-floor kitchen and into the shower. 

On the landing is a four-foot-high framed poster of Gary 

Cooper from McCully & Crane, one of a pair of lobsterpot-y 

string lampshades from made.com and a smart blind designed 

by Francesca with ticking from Merchant & Mills. 

 


116

Over 2000 sq.ft. of Antiques, 

Collectables, Vintage, Retro, 

Handcrafted & Unusual Items 

The Old Forge Emporium 

The Street, Appledore, Kent TN26 2BJ 01233 758585 

abbeylace@aol.com www.theoldforgeemporium.co.uk 

Hotline 01428 

684494 

Crafts for 

Christmas 

Opening times: Fri - Sat 9.00am - 5.00pm Sun 9.00am - 4.00pm 

4 - 6 November 

Maidstone Pavilion, 

Kent County Showground, Detling, ME14 3JF 

An opportunity to meet Britain’s most talented makers 

and purchase inspirational gifts and festive foods. 

At the event: Adults: £7.00 Seniors: £6.00 

In advance: Adults: £6.00 Seniors: £5.00 

(subject to 60p transaction fee) 

rca@ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk www.ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk 

OldForgeAntiquesWT174.indd 1 18/07/2016 RuralCraftWT176.indd 17:24 

1 13/09/2016 11:09 

COSI 

Log Burning 

Multi-fuel Stoves 

& Range Cookers 

Full Installation Service 

Chimney Sweeping 

Servicing & Repairs 

Call for a free Survey 

01227 787 587 

www.cosi.co.uk 

58-60 Wincheap, Canterbury CT1 3RS sales@cosi.co.uk 


CosiWT175.indd 1 12/08/2016 16:51

Top: The sofa in the games room is from sofa.com while its 

cushions and those on the Lloyd Loom chair are covered in 

fabric by Merchant and Mills. The high desk, used as a side 

table, is from McCully & Crane Left: The vintage Conran 

Shop lamp and delphiniums tapestry are both from McCully 

& Crane. The knitted sea urchin poofs are from Dunelm 

The games room’s south-facing glass 

doors lead out onto an area of decking 

 


118

OakDesignsCoWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 09:45 


EmmaFreemanWT176.indd 1 13/09/2016 16:37

Quality 

hardwood floors 

supplied & fitted 

by craftsmen 

Showroom: The Barn, Main Road, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6EE 

For a free no obligation estimate call us on 01959 563063 

visit our new website: www.dbwf.co.uk 

We pride ourselves on the fi nest craftsmanship. 

Offering Free expert advice, Free site surveys, 

Free quotations. Let our experience and expertise 

guide you through your next project. 

NEWLANDS JOINERY 

The finest handcrafted joinery 

dif colour logos 21/06/2012 11:38 Page 1 

Tel | 01959 522981 

Mobile | 07501 725227 

Web | www.newlandsjoinery.co.uk 

Shoreham Nr. Sevenoaks 

nole House 

furnishers 

DavidBrownWT176.indd 1 23/09/2016 NewlandsJoineryWT161.indd 12:06 

1 22/06/2015 12:41 

THE GREAT £174,000 STORE CLOSING SALE 

Lounge Dining Bedroom 

nole House 

furnishers 

nole House 

furnishers 

Over £174,000 of quality home furnishings, beds and 

accessories will be sold at liquidation sale prices. 

Everything is reduced, Sofas, Chairs, Dining Room 

Tables and Chairs, Beds, Bedroom Furniture, 

Living Room Cabinets, Occasional Furniture. 

Special discounts will also be on offer for you to place a 

customised order from any of our major suppliers. 

The Great £174,000 Store Closing Sale! 

Opens to the public 10am on Friday 7th October 


120 

nole House 

furnishers 

The Old Town Jail. 14-18 London Road, 

Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1AJ 

Telephone 01732 458150 

www.knolehousefurnishings.co.uk 

nole House 

furnishers 

KnoleHouseWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 10:48

Downstairs, the former owner’s double bedroom now sports a 

high bed on a level with the windows, so that when you open 

your eyes you are looking south over the fields to the sea. The 

headboard was designed by Francesca as were the cushions 

– among the first of a new range she is now developing. On 

the chest of drawers is a light made from an old woodencased 

voltmeter, almost a trademark of McCully & Crane. 

The former garage has been converted into a twin bedroom, 

games room and bathroom. Again, the headboards are Rowan 

Plowden and serving as a joint bedside table between the 

beds is an old painted toy box Francesca bought from Lydd 

from another resident of Brigadoon, a bloke called Drew. 

The double aspect window sports more Rowan Plowden/ 

M&M blinds. The lampshade and the rug – as do most of 

the rugs gracing Field View – comes from Hunter Jones. 

Over the free-standing bath in the new bathroom is a 

picture by Francesca’s artist uncle, Nick Madison. The 

Left: Stairs painted in Purbeck Stone with runner in Railings 

lead up to the vaulted master bedroom with a view to the sea 

Below: The wall of the master bedroom is clad in the same sanded 

scaffolding planks. The bedside lamps are from McCully & Crane. 

Francesca designed the headboard. The cushions are covered in 

Ralph Lauren fabric and the throw is from John Lewis 


Above left: Wrought-iron daybed from IKEA. Francesca designed the Roman blind, which is in Ralph Lauren fabric 

Above right: The shuttered mirror in the bathroom is from Strand Antiques and the industrial style light fitting is from 

Cox & Cox. The blue glass is from LSA International 

games room’s south-facing glass doors lead out onto an area 

of decking and while this room would have made a superb 

bedroom, it sits below local sea level, so this is verboten. 

Instead, equipped with large TV, it’s an elegant bolthole for 

the young. The TV cabin came from H&B Wood Recycling 

and the high desk from McCully & Crane. A nice touch are 

the woollen sea urchin poofs which serve as mini bean bags. 

So onward and upward to the top of the house and an 

absolutely magical vaulted bedroom suite from which 

there is not only a great view out over the fields but 

one can also see the blue ribbon of the sea beyond. 

This area was just one large one, stepped into from the 

top of the stairs, but Francesca has remodelled the whole 

floor to provide a landing, spacious double bedroom, 

lovely bathroom accessed through a pair of elegant 

reclaimed wood doors and a secret, curtained child’s 

sleeping cubbyhole made from an old attic cupboard. 

The brilliant touch here is the reclaimed scaffolding 

cladding behind the Rowan Plowden headboard, made 

all the more dramatic as bed and cladding are what 

greet you the moment you step into the room. In the 

window is an Ikea wrought-iron day bed. The table 

lamps are, of course, McCully & Crane. The blinds 

in both bedroom and bathroom are Rowan Plowden 

designed and the fabric is Ralph Lauren while the 

bathroom’s three industrial lights are Cox & Cox. 

Predictably, Field View was an instant success. Its 

first posting on Facebook had 4,000 hits and it’s 

never looked back, proving virtually as popular a 

winter bolt hole as it has a summer escape. 

So what’s the secret of its immediate success? Why does 

it stand out from the crowd? Why is it that one feels 

at once so impressed and so at home when one walks 

into, not only Field View, but any Rowan Plowden 

gig? What makes the difference between a gifted 

amateur and such an accomplished professional? 

Personally, I have no idea whatever, which is why I try so 

manfully to keep my views to myself as I wander around 

yet another property in which I would be delighted 

to spend the rest of this life and most of the next. 

 


122

monarchoak 

Oak Frame Buildings 

Over 50 years’ experience making oak frame buildings 

• Garages 

• Garden Rooms 

• Complexes 

• Gazebos 

• Bespoke Buildings 

01323 765410 Quality in its finest form 

www.monarchoak.co.uk 

MonarchOakWT147.indd 1 15/04/2014 GraceyardWT167.indd 15:06 

1 26/11/2015 12:00 

23 New Road 

Brighton 

BN1 1UF 

01273 605574 

sales@mistersmith.co.uk 

www.mistersmith.co.uk 

Croft Road 

Crowborough 

TN6 1DR 

01892 664152 

info@mistersmith.co.uk 


MisterSmithInteriorsWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 10:43

Multi-Award Winning Swimming Pool Installer 

SPATA Pool Contractor of the Year 2015 

Specialists in indoor and outdoor swimming pools, 

servicing, maintenance and improvements. 

XL Pools Ltd, The Parlour, Saracens Dairy, 

Pluckley Road, Pluckley, TN27 0SA 

Telephone: 0845 20 60 420 

Email: enquiries@xlpools.com 

www.xlpools.com

Above: The cabinet in the master bedroom is from Hunter Jones. The lamp is from Strand Quay Antiques, the mirror from McCully 

& Crane. Francesca created a secret, curtained child’s sleeping cubbyhole from an old attic cupboard. The curtain is in ticking from 

Merchant & Mills 

Address Book: 

Rowan Plowden design rowanplowden.com 

Cox & Cox coxandcox.co.uk 

dunelm dunelm.com 

Eras of Style erasofstyle.com 

Farrow & Ball farrow-ball.com 

Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling recyclingwood.org.uk 

Hunter Jones hunterjonesvintage.com 

Lincoln Taber alincolntaber.co.uk 

McCully & Crane mccullyandcrane.com 

Merchant & Mills merchantandmills.com 

Rectory Interiors rectoryinteriors.co.uk 

Strand Quay Antiques 1-2 The Strand, Rye. 01797 226790 


Potts Ltd 

Kitchens, Bathrooms & Interiors 

Superior Surroundings 

Kiln Barn Road, East Malling, Maidstone, Kent, ME19 6BQ 

01732 848444 www.potts.ltd.uk

Kitchen& 

Bathroom 

A Wealden Times Supplement 

View the new Kitchen & Bathroom Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk

LIVING SPACES MADE BEAUTIFUL 

THIS KITCHEN WAS DESIGNED AND INSTALLED BY HKS 

OUR DESIGN 

YOUR SPACE 

KITCHEN BEDROOM BATHROOM LIVING SPACES 

01435 866166 

HEATHFIELD HILL HOUSE, MUTTON HALL HILL, TN21 8NL 

ALSO AT: EASTBOURNE • HAYWARDS HEATH • ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA 

www.hks-uk.com

WT Kitchen & Bathroom Supplement 

Contents 

VISIT OUR 

LARGE 

SHOWROOM 

Extensive Range 

of Wall and 

Floor Tiles 

8 English Houses 

Inspiring free-form kitchens from Ben Pentreath’s 

magnificent new book 

13 Colourful Character 

Kitchen designers share their expert tips on how to 

get colour into the heart of your home 

18 Bright and Beautiful 

Rainbow-hued kitchen accessories 

21 Greenhouse to Our House 

Jo Arnell advises on the best plants for bathrooms 

Freelands Tiles 

124-126 London Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks 

Tel: 01732 459 765 | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 

www.freelands-tiles.co.uk 

FreelandsTilesWT172.indd 1 23/05/2016 12:53 

The complete kitchen service... 

25 Washstand and Deliver 

The new trends for basins and baths 

29 Bathing Beauties 

Luxurious bathroom finishing touches 

31 Colour Supplement 

Brilliant, bright and bold tiling ideas 

32 Directory 

The best kitchen and bathroom resources, A-Z 

Cover: Ceramic Tile Warehouse Above: West One Bathrooms 

...from a hinge to to a complete makeover 

100’s of Worktops l 1000’s of Doors 

door replacement l lmade to to measure service l l worktops 

appliances l sinks and taps l ldrawer replacement 

improved storage and access solutions 

door refurbishment service 

Instant hot water taps fitted 

The Kitchen Doctor's bespoke service supplies 

and The fits Kitchen comprehensive Doctor’s bespoke range service of components supplies and to 

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serving London and the South-East for 25 years 

Serving London and the South-East since 1984 

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KitchenDoctorS13.indd 1 20/10/2015 11:36

STUNNING 

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NOW AVAILABLE 

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and fantastic finishing touches, enabling 

us to help you realise your lifestyle vision 

www.parker-kitchens.co.uk 

DESIGN I PLAN I SUPPLY 

HAILSHAM SHOWROOM 

Hamlins Diplocks Way 

Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3JF 

T 01323 444255 

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Bridge House 97-101 High Street 

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T 01732 447997 

Plus everything for the Trade and DIY 

at PARKER BUILDING SUPPLIES 

branches at CROWBOROUGH, EAST GRINSTEAD, 

HAYWARDS HEATH, MAIDSTONE, TONBRIDGE 

and throughout the South East

KITCHENS 

FOR REAL COOKS 

It’s time for a new kitchen, the 

one you’ve always wanted. 

Editor’s Letter 

I’ve loved the grey years. It’s such a uniquely calming 

colour and just about everything seems to look better in 

it, but it has got a little ubiquitous, hasn’t it? 

So perhaps it’s not surprising that rich dark blues, cerulean 

and turquoise, shades of green from apple to bottle, sunflower 

yellow and fuchsia are springing up in houses again – and not 

just separately. 

At the trendsetting end of the interiors world these colours 

are popping out in fabrics, painted furniture and even – sharp 

intake of breath – patterned fitted carpet. Imagine that! 

It might take a while for most of us to get our heads round 

that idea, but colour is already starting to look very appealing 

again in kitchens and bathrooms. Ben Pentreath’s magnificent 

new book English Houses has some wonderful examples that 

inspired us to ask kitchen designers for expert advice on how 

to bring colour back into the heart of the home. 

Colour is also coming back into bathrooms, with taps and 

fittings in lovely warm metals and even basins and baths in 

colours other than white. And in both rooms patterned tiles 

are a great way to bring in glorious colour. 

I’m not giving up on grey entirely - the exterior of my new 

home is painted a wonderful Dior shade - but remembering 

how much I enjoyed living with the blue loo (above) in my 

old house, I can’t wait to start full spectrum decorating. 

We hope this supplement will make you feel as excited 

about the return of colour as we are. 

Craftsmanship modern & ancient 

www.hammertons.co.uk 

01435 868611 

Sunset Farm • Heathfield Road 

Cross in Hand • TN21 0UJ 

HammertonsWT176.indd 5 05/09/2016 15:54 

STUNNING HANDLES FOR DOORS & DRAWERS 

www.theseplease.co.uk 

• A simply stunning range of over 600 gorgeous handpainted 

cupboard knobs, mortice handles and hooks • 

• Our original designs. Mix and match styles. Transform 

kitchens. Upscale furniture • 

• Online store www.theseplease.co.uk 01435 817153 • 

• Trade accounts www.thesepleasetrade.co.uk • 


ThesePleaseWT176.indd 1 08/09/2016 10:08

MINTERIORS 

JFine hand crafted kitchens and bespoke furniture 

01580 291221 jminteriorsuk.uk Biddenden Showroom


English 

eccentrics 

Ben Pentreath’s magnificent new book, English Houses, 

is a luscious tour through beautiful – and quirky – 

homes, with kitchens as free-spirited as their owners. 

Some of them have been designed from scratch, 

others have evolved over time; what they share is an 

organic quality, rooms that aren’t fixed in decorator 

aspic, but continue to evolve and mature with use. 

As he puts it “...a perfectly decorated room without people 

to occupy it, love it, and live in it, is meaningless.” 

THE BATHROOM SHOP 

Independent bespoke bathroom specialists 

k Bathroom installation 

k Radiators, modern and traditional 

k Sanitaryware, modern and traditional k Bathroom tiles supplied and fitted 

k Taps and showers, modern and traditional k Accessories and toiletries 

k Shower enclosures and bath screens k Robes, towels, bathmats etc… 

k Fitted and free-standing furniture 

11 East Cross, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6AD k Telephone: 01580 763207 

www.the-bathroomshop.co.uk 

BathroomShop 

@TheBathroomShop 

BathroomShopWT176.indd 1 02/09/2016 15:37 

Image: Original Style 

Left: This flat in Cleveland Square is owned by Lulu Lytle of 

Pimlico interiors shop Soane Britain. “Lulu and Charlie knocked 

out the walls of three rooms to make a wide, welcoming kitchen, 

installing oak cabinets and a copper-wrapped island that have 

stood the test of time (like fixtures in all the best kitchens). The 

walls are lined in turquoise glazed tiles from World’s End Tiles; a 

copper Owl lantern from Soane Britain hangs above the dining 

table, with its set of beautiful, battered leather Soane Casino 

dining chairs—an iconic and timeless design.” 

Above: A house on the Lloyd Baker estate in Islington, owned by 

landscape gardener Maisie Rowe. “I love Maisie’s simple kitchen, 

installed by the previous owner, architect Steven Mullen, in the 

1970s. The cooking is still done on his lipstick-red AGA or on 

Maisie’s vintage gas stove. Plates, bottles, saucepans and colanders 

hang from hooks or rest upon heaving shelves. The whole effect is 

one of happy chaos.” 

 

TIle Library Co. Ad. 61W x 63H 20/1/09 17:09 

Kitchen Tiles. Bathroom Tiles. Floor Tiles. 

Shear Farm Oast, North Road, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1JR 

Mon-Fri 9.30 - 4pm | Wed 9.30 - 3pm | Sat 10 - 4pm 

Tel: 01580 212700 www.tilelibrary.co.uk 


TileLibraryWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 15:42


Left: A country house in Northumberland. 

“The chatelaine is a woman of great character 

and beauty, who brings wit, humour, and an 

irrepressible effervescence to the place. When she 

inherited the house, she took the bold decision 

to move the kitchen from a chilly service wing 

to the sunny and light-filled old entrance hall, 

facing south-west across the park. Sunshine 

streams in from morning to late afternoon. At 

one end is a cream-coloured AGA, seeming 

quite at home amongst the bolection panelling 

and sash windows; at the other is an old 

Georgian fireplace with comfortable armchairs – 

perfect for an afternoon nap. 

Above left: The pantry, next door, is idyllic; it 

has not been touched for decades, a sublime 

example of timeless country-house decoration. 

Above right: Wardington Manor, North 

Oxfordshire, owned by Bridget Elworthy of 

The Land Gardeners. “The kitchen is a warmhearted 

room, with a wide table around which 

all family life takes place. Bridget’s kitchen style 

can be distilled into a successful recipe: a cream 

AGA, white curtains in front of the cupboards 

and Carrara marble counters with white tiles and 

a simple shelf above. Throw in a huge, vividly 

painted dresser, and season with a generous 

pinch of clutter.” 

English Houses will be available to 

WT readers for the special price of £25 

including postage & packaging (rrp£30 by 

telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256 

302 699 and quoting the reference HU8) 


10 

English Houses 

Hardback, £30, 

Author: Ben Pentreath; 

Publisher: Ryland, 

Peters & Small; 

Photographer: 

Jan Baldwin

Style 

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tilematesgroup.com Registered in England Company No. 05446904

BurlanesWT176.indd 1 12/09/2016 12:54 

traditional handmade furniture 

Kitchens 

Bedrooms 

Studies 

Showroom: 78 London Road, Southborough 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 0PP 

Tel: 01892 533273 

Web: Woodworkkitchens.co.uk 


12 

WoodworkWT175.indd 1 16/08/2016 09:46


Colourful character 

We asked kitchen designers for their expert 

advice on how to bring colour back into the 

heart of the home 


“Kitchens are becoming bolder with mixed 

styles and colours - a Shaker-painted cabinet 

with zinc worktops, or painted cabinets with 

polished copper fittings. When incorporating 

separate furniture pieces, it’s important to 

link them to the rest of the kitchen - through 

the cabinetry, worktops or walls - to keep a 

polished finish.” 

Gemma Collins 

Collins Bespoke 

Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, Kent 01233 822595 

collinsbespoke.com 

Credit: Richard Gadsby 

“A lot of people now want a freestanding look, 

with a separate dresser and a separate larder, 

rather than runs and runs of units. Clients are 

also veering away from wall units. If they’ve 

got the space they’d rather have it more open. 

When it comes to colour, blue seems to be the 

new colour coming up. Several clients have 

wanted islands in a rich blue to contrast with 

grey units. It’s also popular to have details of 

wood in the island, to add interest without 

having too much upkeep.We would always say 

to clients, if you are thinking of mixing colour 

and texture, look at what floor you’re having – 

don’t overload it.” 

Chris Lee 

Traditional Bespoke Furniture 

Unit 2, The Coppice, Petteridge Lane, Matfield, 

Kent TN12 7LP 01892 723083 

traditionalbespokefurniture.co.uk 

 



“We’ve just changed our 

showroom painting an island 

aquamarine. It’s islands where 

clients want to use colour, 

becsause it’s not the whole 

kitchen. Our kitchens are all 

hand painted, so it’s not a big 

deal to have it repainted if 

they want. At Tunbridge Wells 

they also have the Siematics 

kitchens (left), which come in 

bright colours. Strong yellows 

and orange are very popular 

and as kitchens are more living 

areas now, they can be picked 

up through the scheme in soft 

furnishings.” 

Sarah Cooper 

Rencraft 

Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart, Sevenoaks, 

Kent TN15 0ES 01732 762682 

rencraft.co.uk 

“Using two tones is a very popular way of adding interest in a kitchen. 

Darker shades are most often used in islands and base cabinets, with a 

lighter shade on the wall cabinetry to soften the overall effect. A bold 

injection of a suitable colour from a centre stage appliance such as a range 

cooker, can really bring the look together.” 

Amy Biddle 

JM Interiors 

Park Farm, Frittenden 

Road, Biddenden, Kent 

TN27 8LJ 

01580 291221 

jminteriorsuk.uk 


14

E 

HAND 

CRAFTED IN 

TBF 

ENGLAND 

●TRADITIONAL 

EST 2003 

● 

RB E S P O K E F U RN IT U 

Beautiful, bespoke kitchens and cabinetry. 

Designed for the discerning. 

KITCHENS 

BEDROOMS 

& BATHROOMS 

01892 723083 

www.traditionalbespokefurniture.co.uk 

UNIT 2, THE COPPICE, PETTERIDGE LANE, MATFIELD, KENT TN12 7LP 

www.collinsbespoke.com 

For a free design consultation with Marion John Kitchen Design Award 

finalists, visit, call or email: Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, Kent 

01233 822595 

info@collinsbespoke.com 

Showroom very nearly ready but visitors are always welcome, of course! 

TraditionalBespokeFurnitureWT158.indd 1 20/03/2015 CollinsBespokeWT176.indd 12:15 

1 13/09/2016 10:04 

MOUNTS HILL 

BESPOKE KITCHENS, FURNITURE AND JOINERY 

www.mountshill.com | 01580 715911 | enquiries@mountshill.com 


MountsHillWT172.indd 1 24/05/2016 16:18


“People are starting to ask for something a 

little different from the white and grey, handleless 

kitchens that have dominated for so long. 

With so many exciting materials, different 

wood grains, as well as gloss, matt and other 

distinctive finishes available, we are encouraging 

our clients to think outside the box.” 

Emily Rowland 

Park House Kitchens 

3 Ockley Court, Coles Lane, Ockley, Surrey RH5 5LS 

01403 790812 phk.co.uk 

“Bold people are starting to ask for bold 

colour but white is still popular, although 

increasingly with accents of colour and 

involving different textures and new 

materials. Using glass is our speciality. It’s 

super strong, heat resistant and very hygienic, 

and comes in great colours.” 

Simon Wood 


43-47 Cobham High St, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3DP 

01932 865814 cobhamfurniture.co.uk 

“Clients are moving away from the greys and are starting to feel adventurous 

about inserting some colour into their kitchen design.We say – be brave and 

bold. Even a hint of colour can give your kitchen an instant face lift. It can 

make it feel wider and draw attention to a feature worth highlighting. A 

client came back to us wanting a splash of colour and we added a dresser in 

blue. Dressers are the most popular freestanding pieces.” 

Lindsey Durrant 

Burlanes 

41 Dartford Road, 

Sevenoaks, Kent 

TN13 3TE 

01732 605001 

burlanes.com 


16

UK 

www.STONEWRIGHTUK.com 

Durable, Desirable, Affordable 

Natural Stone For Your Home 

• Natural Stone Floor Tiles • Fire Hearths • 

• Kitchen Worktops • Bathroom Tops • 

• Product Consultation Service • 

• Granite • Quartz • Marble • 

• Slate • Limestone • 

Instant estimate available at www.stonewrightuk.com 

Opening Hours 8.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday 

Saturday by appointment only 

Unit 1, Ninn Farm, Ninn Lane, Great Chart, Ashford, Kent TN23 3DA 

Tel: 01233 650944 E: info@stonewrightuk.com 

Caraco 

Marble Granite Quartz 

01435 868611 

www.caraco.co.uk 

Sunset Farm, Heathfield Road, Cross in Hand TN21 0UJ 

StonewrightUKWT172.indd 1 12/05/2016 HammertonsWT172.indd 10:54 

1 13/05/2016 11:20 

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WRIGHTS WAREHOUSE 

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*T&C’s apply. Sold as an agent for Euronics Limited. Promotional dates 01.09.16 - 12.10.16. All rights reserved. All offers are subject to availability while stocks last. Delivery & Installation charges may apply. Exclusions and 

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Neff Autumn - L (70) Folder.indd 1 01/09/2016 13:19 


WrightsWarehouseWT176.indd 1 21/09/2016 10:35


Muuto E27 bulb 

£59, Rume 

rume.co.uk 

Moorish inspired 

ceramic bowls, £3.99 each 

Lavender Goose 

www.lavendergoose.co.uk 

Vintage Oxo tin 

£8, Raspberry Mash 

raspberrymash.co.uk 

Bright sparks 

Colour your kitchen beautiful with these bold annd beautiful accessories 

The nutmeg grater 

£0.99, Jeremy’s 

Home Store 

jeremyshomestore.co.uk 

Plus multi salt or 

pepper mill, £55 

Rume rume.co.uk 

Melamine cups, 

£2.50, Berry Red 

berryred.co.uk 

Apple green 

bowl, £21 

Cloudberry Living 

cloudberryliving.co.uk 

Smeg pastel blue 

kettle, £99.95 

Beric Appliances 

Cranbrook 

01580 712656 

Colourworks silicone 

strainer, £11.99 

Kitchen Craft 


Regent four-slot toaster 

£190.20, Rowlett Rutland 

rowlettrutland.co.uk 

Nest utensils, £30 

Joseph Joseph 

johnlewis.com 

Credit: Mike Evans 

Rockpool 28cm bowl 

£65, Jo Downs 

jodowns.com 


18 

Kitchen cupboard door 

handles, £3.50 each 

These Please 

theseplease.co.uk

Designer and maker of handmade bespoke kitchens and furniture Established. 1980 

Unit 3 Chart Farm 

Seal Chart 

Sevenoaks 

Kent 

TN15 0ES 

Tel: 01732 763610 / 07809504251 

Email: info@grantsofsevenoaks.co.uk 

www.grantsofsevenoaks.co.uk

Autumn is coming 

And this is exactly how we want it to look. 

Our Wardley chair: £285, the Sheldrake Extendable table: £1,620, 

Hoxton wine glasses: £40 and herb pots: from £10. 

Create your own designs at neptune.com 

Neptune Tonbridge, 1-2 Tannery Road, TN9 1RF, 01732 351866, info@neptunetonbridge.com


From greenhouse 

to our house 

Bathroom plants are back back back… Jo Arnell advises what varieties to 

choose for this hotly revived trend – and how to keep them alive 

After years out there in the interior design 

wilderness, houseplants are trendy once more, 

and looking especially cool in bathrooms. 

Whether you want a jungle, or a more restrained or 

contemporary look, there will be a plant to help create 

the mood. Let’s do the Cheese plant again… 

Design 

Using one big plant (it doesn’t have to be a Monstera) in 

your smallest room will make a statement and provide a 

striking focal point. Contemporary spaces are enhanced 

with architectural plants like Yuccas, but if your bathroom 

feels a bit stark and clinical, a frothy line of Maidenhair 

ferns along a shelf or a tasteful update on a cascading 

Spider plant will soften the edges. Try a single pale orchid 

for restrained opulence, or the frills and fronds of a 

Boston fern or Kentia palm to cheer up a dull corner. 

Health and beauty 

Indoor plants not only make a room look fresher, the 

plants themselves bring added health benefits. Studies 

have shown that we feel calmer, safer and more creative 

in the presence of plants. Many help lower humidity 

levels by absorbing moisture through their leaves and 

some can even purify the air and absorb polluting toxins. 

So that’s clean, green and serene. Let’s get planting! 

Growing conditions and cultivation 

Houseplants are able to cope with varying degrees of low 

light. As a general rule cacti and succulents need good light 

and will be fine in direct sunlight. Those with dark green, 

tough looking leaves will manage in shade and big floppy 

leaves tend to need more watering. Most bathrooms are 

humid environments, but if, like me, you have a cold and 

draughty house, some plants will curl up their leaves 

 



in horror. Choose carefully. A potted plant is completely 

dependant on you, so be a kindly jailor and remember to 

feed and water your captives according to their needs. 

11 of the best bathroom plants 

Some like it steamy 

These plants have come from areas of naturally high 

humidity and often have either large lush looking 

leaves, or tiny delicate ones. Misting is also a good way 

of introducing moisture (for you and the plant). 

Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) - huge split 

leaves (not remotely like Swiss cheese except for holes). 

This monster is a climber and will need support. 

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) - absorbs pollution 

and moisture from the air. Peace lilies are toxic, 

however, so avoid if you have small children. 

Boston fern - likes a moisture retentive soil and 

indirect light. Trim out any browning leaves. 

Maidenhair fern (Adantium) - small, delicate fronds on a 

compact plant, but needs a bit of tlc to stop it withering (I 

only have to glance at one). Keep out of direct sunlight. 

Architectural wonders 

Succulents, spiky cacti and palms make striking focal 

points in contemporary settings. Do not overwater. 

Aloe vera - the sap in this spiky plant can be used medicinally. 

String-of-beads (Senecio rowleyanus) - trailing green bobbles 

best grown in a hanging container in gritty compost. 

Air plants (Bromeliads) - these don’t need 

any soil at all and can be attached to pieces of 

wood or stone and misted once a week. 

The indestructibles 

Choose these if you’re not a nurturer, as they will put up with 

some neglect. For best results, be kind but don’t pamper. 

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra) - the name says 

it all. You just can’t kill this one… 

Bamboo (Dracaena braunii) - this is the small ‘lucky’ 

type of bamboo that won’t take over the bathroom. 

Snake plant (Sansevieria) also known as ‘mother-in-law’s 

tongue’. It’s another succulent, so don’t overwater. 

Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) - tall, 

elegant dark green fronds. 


22

01227 767576 www.stellisonselectrical.co.uk 

Kitchens & Appliances 

STUNNING NEW KITCHEN SHOWROOM - OPEN NOW 

Warranty available on WKB120 and WMB120 models. 

Located in the former Barretts 

Digital World building 

Wincheap Industrial Estate, 17 Maynard Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3RH | Monday - Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm

CATCHPOLE & RYE 

KENT ENGLAND 

NEW TUNBRIDGE WELLS SHOWROOM NOW OPEN 

EXCLUSIVE LUXURY BATHROOMS 

LONDON • TUNBRIDGE WELLS • ASHFORD 

LONDON • TUNBRIDGE WELLS • ASHFORD 

T. 020 7351 0940 www.catchpoleandrye.com 

T. 01892 526 996 www.catchpoleandrye.com


Kreoo Nabhi Bowl 09 Sodalite blue, £12,000, 

West One Bathrooms, westonebathrooms.com 

Dornbracht MEM 3 hole mixer taps 

in Cyprum, £2329.56 inc. vat, Walton 

Bathrooms, waltonbathrooms.co.uk 

Washstand 

and deliver 

Refresh your bathroom, starting with the basin. Surface bowls now come 

in all shapes and colours, while set under basins are paired with washstands 

and vanities, with handy storage. Fittings are fab in copper and brass, with 

polished steel great to pair when the basin is the statement 

Warehouse Parisienne Double Washstand 

in Portoro marble with copper bowls (without 

taps) £4,998 inc. vat, Catchpole & Rye, 

catchpoleandrye.com 

La Loire Three Hole Taphead in Antiqued 

Brass, from £450 plus vat, Catchpole & Rye 


Heritage Caversham graphite grey wall hung vanity 

unit 1 drawer, £995 inc. vat, Cranleigh Bathroom 

Studios, cranleigh-bathroomstudios.co.uk 

Serpentine Bronze on Conical Bell, £11,509 

West One Bathrooms, westonebathrooms.com

LONDON 

a u t u M N p r o M o t I o N 

S a v e 

u p t o 5 0 % o f f 

S e l e c t e d p r o d u c t S 

Tunbridge Wells I 79 Calverley Road, Kent TN1 2UY 01892 548 111 

Oxshott I 1 High Street, Surrey, KT22 0JN 01372 841 730

Colour 

wash 

For years it’s been ‘any colour as long as it’s 

white...’ but why not make a statement with 

a bath that is bold and beautiful? (And you 

never know, one day soon avocado suites 

might start to look appealing again...) 

Calabar bath 

£3,145, Ripples 

ripplesbathrooms.com 

Ocean blue 

mother-of-pearl 

Blenheim bath £6,200 

Chadder & Co. 

chadder.com 

The 

Jennings bath 

£8,626.80, The 

Watermonopoly 

thewatermonopoly. 

com 

DIVA 

bath from 

£6500, Ripples 

ripplesbathrooms. 

com 


Natural Stone Specialists 

Unit 1 Croft Works 

Diplocks Industrial Estate 

Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3JF 

Email: sales@sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk 

www.sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk 

Open Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm Sat 9am-3pm 

Bespoke worktops in 

Granite, quartz and marble 

Architectural and monumental masonry 

Large selection of natural tiles and mosaics 

Waterjet cutting service on various materials 

Glass tops and splash backs 

WE NOW HAVE A NEW STATE OF THE ART FACTORY AT FRAMFIELD 

SussexStoneWT175.indd 1 22/08/2016 12:44 

It’s more than our 

outstanding knowledge 

and product range 

that makes us so 

attractive. 

Unit 4 Orchard Business Centre 

Sanderson Way, Tonbridge 

Kent TN9 1QG 

01732 350 911 

showroom@townsbathrooms.co.uk 

www.townsmerchant.co.uk 


28 

TownsBathroomsWT171.indd 1 19/04/2016 12:33

Glass cage candle holder 

and terrariums, from 

£19.50, Dassie Artisan 

dassieartisan.com 


Golden crystal and 

metal dispenser 

£22.99, Zara Home 

zarahome.com 

Octagon copper 

mirror, £36.95 

MiaFleur miafleur.com 

Bathing 

beauties 

Add warmth 

and sheen 

finishing 

touches in 

warm metal 

finishes 

Toulouse sequin basket 



Prosecco bath salts, £4.99 

The Oak Room 

oakroomshop.co.uk 

Body brush, £8 

Green People 

greenpeople.co.uk 

Rhita hanging mirror 



Copper pipe toilet roll 

stand, £65, Lime Lace 

limelace.co.uk 

Copper hammered 

storage pot, £9 

Marquis & Dawe 

marquisanddawe.co.uk 


KITCHENS BEDROOMS STUDIES APPLIANCES 

creative 

interior designs 

For further information or a brochure please call: 

0208 663 3393 

71 High Street 

Beckenham 

Kent BR3 1AW 

www.creative-iduk.co.uk 

info@creative-iduk.co.uk 

SPECIALIST BATHROOM SHOWROOMS 

CreativeInteriorsWT176.indd 1 27/09/2016 09:39 

SALE NOW ON 

01622 791791 

Unit 2, 2M Trade Park, Beddow Way, Aylesford, ME20 7BT 

Plumbers Merchant 

Opening Hours:Mon-Fri 7.30am-5pm & Sat 8.30am-4pm 


30 

AskPlumbingWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 12:17

Ormeaux Mix as 

patchwork, £4.65 per tile 

available in 12 designs, 

Tile Library tilelibrary.co.uk 

Alhambra, £224.89 

per m², Tile Mates 

tilematesgroup.com 


Colour supplement 

Original Style Ottoman 

£249.83 per m², Tile 

Mates tilematesgroup.com 

Tiles are a brilliant - and practical – way to bring colour and 

pattern into bathrooms and kitchens 

Original Style Odyssey in 

Tapestry Blue, £2.95 per 

tile, Tile Library 

tilelibrary.co.uk 

Original Style York 

in Black and Dover 

White, £97 per m2 

Ceramic Tile Warehouse 

ceramictilewarehouse.co.uk 

Original Style Bolero Blue 

£90.88 per m², Tile Mates 


Original Style Glassworks 

Colorado, £4.62 per tile 

Ceramic Tile Warehouse 

ceramictilewarehouse.co.uk 

Nikea patchwork tiles 

£38.40 per m², Tenterden 

Tiling tenterdentiling.co.uk 


Kitchen& 

Bathroom 

A Wealden Times Supplement 

appliances 

Stellisons 

Canterbury 01227 767576 

stellisonselectrical.co.uk 

Wright’s Warehouse 

Maidstone 01622 690246 

wrightswarehouse.co.uk 

BAthrooms 

The Bathroom Shop 

Tenterden 01580 763207 

the-bathroomshop.co.uk 

West One Bathrooms 


01892 548111 

westonebathrooms.com 

BATHROOMS & 

Kitchens 

Burlanes 

Sevenoaks 01732 605001 

burlanes.com 

Directory 

Catchpole & Rye 

Chelsea Walk 0207 351 0940 / 

Pluckley 01233 840840 


Hammertons 

Cross in Hand 01435 868611 

hammertons.co.uk 

HKS 

Eastbourne / Haywards 

Heath / Heathfield / St 

Leonards 01435 866166 

hks-uk.com 

Neptune 

Tonbridge 01732 531866 

neptune.com/tonbridge 

Potts Ltd. 

Maidstone 01732 848444 potts. 

ltd.uk 

Stonewright UK Ltd 

Ashford 01233 650944 

stonewrightuk.com 

Sussex Stone, Marble 

& Granite Ltd 

Hailsham 01323 848100 

sussexstone.co.uk 

Traditional Bespoke Furniture 

Matfield 01892 723083 

traditionalbespokefurniture.co.uk 

Woodwork Traditional 

Handmade Furniture 


01892 533273 

woodworkkitchens.co.uk 

building supplies 

Parker Building Supplies 

Crowborough / East Grinstead 

/ Heathfield / Maidstone / 

Tonbridge 

0844 257 7000 

parkerpaving.co.uk 

KITCHENS 

Collins Bespoke 

Ashford 01233 822595 

collinsbespoke.com 

JM Interiors 

Biddenden 01580 291221 

jminteriorsuk.uk 

The Kitchen Doctor 

01689 850000 

thekitchendoctor.com 

Mountshill Woodcraft & 

Design Ltd 

Cranbrook 01580 715911 

mountshill.com 

knobs & handles 

These Please 

01435 817153 

theseplease.co.uk 

plumbing 

Ask Plumbing 

Aylesford 01622 791791 

askplumbing.co.uk 

TILES & TILING 

Freelands Tiles 

Sevenoaks 01732 459765 

freelands-tiles.co.uk 

Tenterden Tiling 

Tenterden 01580 761191 

tenterdentiling.co.uk 

Tile Library Co. 

Goudhurst 01580 212700 

tilelibrarycompany.co.uk 

Tile Mates 


01892 514004 


Learn a trade or improve your skills 

with the CITB CSkills Award for wall 

Suppliers and installers and of Quality floor tiling Wood training Burning courses and with 

Multi Fuel Stoves from our traditional qualified professional to contemporary. tutors. 

Fire Baskets, Fire Whether Screens, you want Companion introduction Sets to the basics, 

to develop your existing skills or a full intensive 

and Accessories. 

course giving you the skills and confidence to 

tackle any tiling project, we offer one, two and four 

week courses, PLUS the opportunity to become 

a registered Devi under tile heating installer. 

Contact us for more details: 

Tel./Fax: 

01580 761191 

www.tenterdentiling.co.uk 

Showroom at: 

Leigh Green Industrial Estate 

Appledore Road, 

Tenterden TN30 7DE 

TenterdenTilingWT149.indd 1 16/06/2014 15:29 

Suppliers and installers of Quality Wood Burning and 

Multi Fuel Stoves from traditional to contemporary. Fire 

VISIT OUR LARGE SHOWROOM 

Baskets, Fire Unit Screens, G6 Companion The Powerhub 

Sets and Accessories. 

& TRADE COUNTER 

Marlpit Maidstone Farm, Natural Business Fires, Unit 10 Centre Wierton Road, 

LEARN A TRADE OR IMPROVE YOUR St Boughton Peters Monchelsea, Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 ME17 4JW 0ST 

SKILLS AT OUR C.I.T.B. APPROVED 

TILING TRAINING SCHOOL 01622 


691676 

Multi Fuel Stoves from traditional to contemporary. 

www.tenterdentiling.co.uk 

www.naturalfires.net 

Leigh Green Industrial Fire Estate, Baskets, Appledore Fire Rd, Screens, Tenterden Companion TN30 7DE Sets 

and Accessories. 

Suppliers wealdentimes.co.uk and installers of Quality Wood Burning and 32 

TenterdenTilingWT166.indd 1 10/11/2015 NaturalFiresWT172.indd 14:23 

1 25/05/2016 15:13 


Multi Fuel Stoves from traditional to contemporary. 

Multi Fuel Stoves from traditional to contemporary.

Where ends meet 

Photos: David Merewether Styling: Helen Barton Model: Chris Martin Location: Pett Level Beach 


128

Prepare for the coming colder months with hardy boots, fleecy layers and handcrafted accessories 

John Smedley sweater, £185, Meyer trousers, £99, County Clothes Menswear, Canterbury, Tenterden, Reigate 

countyclothesmenswear.co.uk; Barbour waxed jacket, £239, RM Williams Stockyard boots, £180, The Golden 

Boot, Maidstone 01622 752349 thegoldenboot.co.uk; Jack Murphy hat, £29.99, Charity Farm Countrystore, 

01580 713189 charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk 


Linda Pope 

F.B.D.O 

44 

Is proud to present “Powder’s” exciting range of adult socks, 

gloves, scarves and hats plus delightful socks and mittens for 

little ones. All with Powder’s beautiful gift boxes or bags. Lovely 

Autumn separates at sensible prices have also just arrived. 

Opening Hours: Tuesday—Friday 10.30am—5pm 

Saturday 10.30am—3.30pm 

44 High Street, Charing, Kent TN27 0HX 01233 714689 

facebook.com/LindaPopeOpticians 

Rye Road • Hawkhurst 

Telephone. 01580 753744 

Elizabeth44WT176.indd 1 12/09/2016 LindapopeQRTWT176.indd 10:49 

1 08/09/2016 11:51 

QUALITY CLOTHING AND A PERSONAL SERVICE 

With the autumn/winter season 

drawing closer, we are pleased 

to be able to offer our new 

ranges of BARBOUR classic, 

country and contemporary 

ranges of clothing. With 

probably the widest selection 

in the southeast, please visit our 

Canterbury and Reigate stores. 

As well as a smaller collection 

of contemporary BARBOUR, our 

Tenterden store is now pleased 

to be stocking ranges of R M 

WILLIAMS footwear and clothing. 

Established in 1932, the name is 

synonymous with quality crafted 

boots and accessories. 

19 St. Margarets St, 

Canterbury, 

Kent CT1 2TH 

Tel: 01227 765294 

2 East Cross, 

Tenterden, 

Kent TN30 6AD 

Tel: 01580 765159 

6 High St, 

Reigate, 

Surrey RH2 9AY 

Tel: 01737 249224 

Follow us 

CountyClothes 


130 

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Braided leather belt, £49.99, The Golden Boot, Maidstone 01622 752349 thegoldenboot.co.uk 


Barbour shirt, £59.95, tartan dog lead, £42.95, Schoffel fleece gilet, £129.95, RM Williams Stockyard boots, £180, The Golden 

Boot, Maidstone 01622 752349 thegoldenboot.co.uk; Meyer trousers, £99, County Clothes Menswear, Canterbury, Tenterden, 

Reigate countyclothesmenswear.co.uk 


132

BillyRuffian. 

MENS’ SHOES 

& ACCESSORIES 

Free striped socks 

with every pair 

billyruffianshoes.co.uk +44 (0)1234 816820 

The Clever Dresser 

Boutique stocks 

some of the most 

sought-after brands 

of the moment 

alice + olivia 

Helmut Lang 

DVF Diane Von 

Furstenberg 

MILLY New York 

McQ McQueen 

Tom Ford 

AG Jeans 

Rebecca Taylor 

By Malene Birger 

360 cashmere 

Velvet by Graham 

& Spencer 

Duffy 

CleverDresser 

6 Bank St. Sevenoaks, 

Kent TN13 1UW 

01732 453 002 

www.thecleverdresser.com 

THE CLEVER DRESSER 

BOUTIQUE 

BillyRuffianWT176.indd 1 05/09/2016 CleverDresserBoutiqueWT175.indd 12:16 

1 19/08/2016 14:54 

Concept 

Hair 

salon 

Now 

Searching 

For Our New 

Apprentice 

50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564 

Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk 

or through our facebook page 


CordeliaJamesWT176.indd 1 13/09/2016 WilliamCharlesWT176.indd 10:00 

3 12/09/2016 16:27

Brakeburn flannel shirt, £39.95, Charity Farm Countrystore, 01580 713189 charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk; 

Braintree trousers, £59, The Golden Fleece, Rye 01797 224271 thegoldenfleece.co.uk; brown suede belt, 

£29.99, Goorin Bros flat cap, £35, Red Wing shoes, £239, The Golden Boot, Maidstone 01622 752349 

thegoldenboot.co.uk 


Trousers and shoes, as before; Fynch-Hatton shirt, £65, sheepskin lined parka jacket, £470, County Clothes Menswear, Canterbury, 

Tenterden, Reigate countyclothesmenswear.co.uk 


136

STYLISH SHOES FOR STYLISH FEET 

cashmere and silk knitwear 

New for A/W 2016, 

exclusively at Cashara 

Lauren Vidal 

Not Shy 

Ca’Vagan 

Passioni 

Kirei 

Ladies Shopping Event 

Wednesday 19 th October 5.00–9.00pm 

Come and browse 

Come 

the 

and 

new 

browse 

Autumn/Winter 

our new 

collections whilst 

enjoying a glass of champagne and benefit from a 10% 

discount on the 

Spring/Summer 

evening and a free 

Collections 

gift with every purchase 

23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ 

Telephone 01580 761222 Email sales@cashara.co.uk 

Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk 

ManukaShoesWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 CasharaWT176.indd 10:57 

1 15/09/2016 17:31 

NEW FIORELLI BAGS 

Tel: 01797 224271 

16 Lion Street, Rye, E.Sussex TN31 7LB 

e: shop@thegoldenfleece.co.uk 

w: www.thegoldenfleece.co.uk 

@goldenfleecerye 

5 Stone Street, Cranbrook, 

Kent TN17 3HF 

Tel: 01580 714156 

www.spicecranbrook.co.uk 


GoldenFleeceWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 SpiceWT176.indd 16:20 3 06/09/2016 12:45

dressing undeniable beauty 

www.odyl.co.uk 

01580 714907 

S t a r C o l l e c t i o n J u s t A r r i v e d 

OdylWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 12:23 

20% 

Autumn 

Discount 

through October 

For Wealden Times 

readers 

EVES OF WEST MALLING 

84a High Street, West Malling, Kent ME19 6NE 01732 845303 

www.evesofwestmalling.co.uk 

H U G E C L E A R A N C E S A L E N O W O N 

0 1 2 4 4 9 6 0 1 1 3 

W W W . F E A T H E R S O F I T A L Y . C O . U K 


138 

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1 26/09/2016 11:54

Barker shoes, £220, County Clothes Menswear, Canterbury, Tenterden, Reigate countyclothesmenswear.co.uk; Gianni 

Conti bag, £435, The Golden Boot, Maidstone 01622 752349 thegoldenboot.co.uk

NEW AUTUMN WINTER 

COLLECTION NOW IN 

Offering exquisite designer 

clothing at up to 80% off 

22 High Street, Cranbrook 

Open from 10am 6 days a week 

Telephone 07841 374952 

NEW IN 

Swattenden Lane | Cranbrook | TN17 3PS 

01580 713189 

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk 

130x90 Running Hub WealdenTimes ad 03.15_130x90 Running Hub WealdenT 

IS YOUR RUNNING 

ON THE RIGHT 

TRACK? 

EmmaPoveyWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 CharityFarmWT176.indd 17:00 

1 06/09/2016 12:26 

5K, 10K, HALF OR 

THE MARATHON 

WE’LL HELP YOU 

DOWN THAT ROAD 

• THE RIGHT SHOE, 

RIGHT SIZE 

• VIDEO TREADMILL 

GAIT ANALYSIS 

• KIT FOR ALL WEATHERS 

• HYDRATION & 

NUTRITION SUPPLIES 

GET RUNNING RIGHT – NO SWEAT! 

OPEN 10 – 5.30 

MON TO FRI 

9 – 5.30 SAT 

FREE 2HR CAR PARK 

(WITH TICKET) 

At the Heart of Running 

IN YEW TREE ROAD 

148 LONDON ROAD 

SOUTHBOROUGH TN4 0PJ 

01892 530559 RUNNINGHUB.CO.UK 


140 

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1 23/09/2016 09:37

Trousers and shoes, as before; Barbour quilt gilet, £129, grey jumper, £119, The Golden Fleece, Rye 01797 224271 thegoldenfleece.co.uk 


Advert for belinda 03.pdf 1 21/9/16 5:36 PM 

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142 

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Keep your skin radiant - despite the radiators - 

with Josephine Fairley’s moisturising musts 

In my office, for years, I’ve had a really useful little 

humidity meter. It was sent to me by Volvic, years 

ago, and it tells me how damp or dry the air is. Over 

summer, the needle was occasionally pointing at the ‘Damp’ 

zone – but mostly ‘Normal’. But I know the minute I switch 

on the Dyson heater in my non-centrally-heated office, and 

turn up the thermostat on the timer downstairs, that needle 

will head ‘Dry’-wards – and it’ll be bad news for my skin. 

Central heating is one of skin’s least-recognised ‘enemies’. 

It strips the moisture from the air – and sucks it out of our 

complexions. That’s why, come autumn, your lips feel dry, 

your elbows go flaky, and your body may even start to itch. 

There are, however, ways to combat the problem. Some 

of them are ‘lifestyle’ fixes, others come in cream, oil or 

buttery form. But you won’t just be helping skin’s ‘comfort’ 

factor when you set out to counteract the effects of a dry 

indoor environment: you’ll also be helping skin to defend 

itself against ageing. When skin’s all moist and dewy, cells 

‘communicate’ perfectly. They get the message to produce 

lots of lovely collagen and elastin, which gives skin its 

‘bounce-back’ factor, and to turn over at a healthy pace. Not 

enough water? Cells may take up to 40 days to renew, which 

is going to leave your complexion looking 

flat and dull. 

This month, it’s all about moisture. 

But the very last thing you want to do is 

spritz on water or toner (contrary to what 

many a beauty ‘expert’ will tell you), 

to try to combat dryness. Those are 

fine in summer, when the air’s damp. 

In winter, the water will evaporate 

– and take some of your skin’s precious moisture with it. 

By contrast, what you want to do is use the right product 

to optimise skin’s ‘barrier function’. I’m not a big one for 

blinding readers with science, so here’s the simplification: 

when your skin’s barrier is impaired, it acts a bit like a sieve 

- liquid escapes. When it’s robust – almost ‘sealed’ – natural 

moisture is kept in, that cell communication happens 

efficiently, and skin looks ‘plumped-up’ and radiant. 

One of the best-known ‘barrier products’ is of course 

Vaseline. Now, I’m absolutely not suggesting that you 

slather your skin in Vaseline – even if Joan Collins does 

swear by it; it’s way too greasy for applying make-up and 

there is probably even less of a pleasure factor in using it 

as part of your night-time regime than in applying it to a 

small person’s derrière. Like, less than zero. But at least in 

part, one very good reason that the ultra-rich, somewhat 

pricy Crème de la Mer earned its impressive anti-ageing 

reputation is that it, in common with Vaseline, is brilliant at 

maintaining skin’s ‘barrier’. (La Mer The Moisturizing Cream 

is priced from £60 for 15ml. Not only do I have friends 

who swear by it, but it did very well in some of our Beauty 

Bible trials.) 

The good news is that great moisturisers are now available 

at every price-point. A couple which have most impressed 

me lately happen to be real ‘steals’, actually. The Sanctuary 

Illuminating Whipped Moisture Creme SPF15, £15.50, 

leaves skin looking incredibly healthy, thanks to some 

light-reflecting particles in the light-as-air, bliss-to-use 

formulation. (There’s an SPF15, too: 

enough for this time of year, but you’d 

want to up that come next summer.) 

Soap & Glory Speed Plump Overnight 

Moisture Mousse, £14 for 40ml, is equally 

joyous to use: as the name suggests. It 

harnesses, I’m told, something called 

‘Bubble-BoostTM Technology’: each 

time you open the jar, the ‘self-bubbling’ 

mousse regenerates, refilling with air. 


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Beauty 

(No, I don’t know how it works, either – and care less: the 

whipped texture presses all my skincare pleasure buttons.) 

At the mid-price range, you have Clarins HydraQuench, 

£36 for 50ml: feather-weight, but packing a serious 

moisturising punch, it features botanicals including 

antioxidant pomegranate, Alpine willow herb (which is 

soothing) and an essential oil from a Madagascan plant 

called ‘katafray’, which has a skin-fortifying action. I also 

completely love, love, love Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face 

Cream, £34 for 50ml (and hallelujah, Fresh finally and 

belatedly now have a UK website at fresh.com/UK): it 

smells like armfuls of roses, which encourages generous and 

diligent use. (A key factor, with any product.) 

Chanel Hydra Beauty Crème, £50 for 50g, offers an active 

ingredient from camellia flower: after four hours, Chanel’s 

tests showed that skin hydration was still boosted by 40%. 

There’s also a Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel-Crème, also £50 

for 50ml – and what I would say is that these ‘gel-creams’ 

are just brilliant for combination or oilier complexions. It’s 

a complete myth that oily skin doesn’t need moisture. It 

doesn’t need oil, that’s for sure – but every complexion on 

the planet needs moisture, for that healthy ‘communication’. 

There are some absolutely brilliant gel-creams out there: you 

might also check out Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb – 

there’s a day and a night option, £7.99 for 50ml each, and 

I also really like The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting 

Moisturiser, £16 for 50ml (designed, as they put it, for 

‘Dull, tired, grumpy skin’!) 

Back at the pricier end of the spectrum, I know all sorts 

of dry-skinned women who just love the Guerlain Super 

Aqua collection, which spans everything from serum 

through to the beauty ‘classic’ Guerlain Super Aqua-Crème 

Day Cream, £79.50 for 50ml. But whatever you’re using, 

now the central heating’s on, keep the word ‘more’ in mind: 

more product, applied more generously, and more often. As 

a last tip, I counsel you to apply a drop or two of facial oil 

over your chosen moisturiser, at night: again, it’s all part of 

maintaining that ‘barrier’, and I think it acts as a ‘sealant’ 

over the moisture in the cream. 

Check out Jo’s beauty and fragrance websites at 

beautybible.com and perfumesociety.org. 

Stalwart Wellness provides a unique setting nestled in the 

grounds of a private residence in Tenterden offering: 

n Clinical pilates classes 

n Private lessons 

n Yoga classes 

n Cancer rehab specialist 

n Vinyasa flow yoga 

n Back pain specialist 

For more information and details on the classes 

please go to www.stalwartwellness.co.uk or contact 

info@stalwartwellness.co.uk or 07779 670502 

Stalwart Wellness Tenterden Kent 

Aveda Lifestyle Hair Salon & Spa 

The premiere location to experience 

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RyeRetreatWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 15:06

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Jasmine carers can visit you in your home at times to suit 

your daily routine. 

It can be anything from 30 minutes to 1 hour or more 

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We will talk to you about just what you want 

and respect your wishes throughout. 

Jasmine Homecare provide 24 hour on call services to ensure 

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October’s outlook 

Wealden Times talks to Susannah Hewett... 

Health & Beauty 

Do you have a beauty 

regime? I have a beauty regime 

as much as my life affords. 

Between running our business 

and having two children at 

primary school, I’m not left 

with much time! I got into the 

routine of cleanse, tone and 

moisturise as a teenager and 

have managed to stick to that. 

I make sure my diet includes a 

good variety of fresh fruit and 

vegetables and I drink lots of 

water to keep myself and my 

skin hydrated. Having lived 

in the Middle East for six 

years I have also got into the 

good habit of using a SPF30 

moisturiser on my face every 

day, come rain or shine. I vary 

the products I use but try to 

stick to products made in the 

UK and that champion clean 

and natural ingredients. 

Is there a particular product 

you couldn’t live without? I 

cannot live without lip balm. 

My trusty mini Vaseline with 

aloe vera comes with me 

everywhere. I have a spare in 

my car, handbag, on my bedside 

table, and it also doubles up as 

a ‘heal all’ cream when the little 

ones injure themselves. Upping the 

ante a little, Eve Lom cleanser is 

always on my Christmas wish list. 

What’s your ultimate pampering 

treat? My ultimate pampering 

treat is not one I fulfil very often, 

as I suspect is the case with 

lots of busy women. It would 

definitely involve a full spa day 

with a vigorous massage to 

loosen my muscles, followed by 

a soothing facial and of course, a 

long siesta in a relaxation room. 

Once a month would be ideal.. 

Do you have a style icon? I 

admire any woman who looks 

confident and understands who 

she is and what works for her. 

My icon would actually be my 

mum. Since hanging up her 

farm shop apron eight years ago 

she has taken time for herself to 

explore her interests and what 

she loves. Everyone comments 

on how stylish she is and how 

she looks and seems younger. 

She is a great role model for me, 

thinking a few years ahead! 

Susannah and her husband Craig 

run Eggs to Apples, a beautiful 

award-winning farm shop in 

Etchingham. They’re the third 

generation of Barnes to run a farm 

shop, and have taken an inspired 

and modern approach to the 

business. Pop in for a coffee and 

pick up a copy of Wealden Times. 

Find out more at eggstoapples.co.uk 

Nuts about nuts... 

If you’re on the wrong side 

of the M25, you may often 

wonder what those bundles 

of frilly fruits are outside 

village grocers. From August 

to October, cobnuts are in 

abundance around Kent, 

and unlike other nuts, 

they’re sold fresh and have a 

crunchy, milky and delicately 

succulent flavour. Bowls full 

of them adorn dinner tables 

at Christmas time, and they 

work well with both savoury 

and sweet dishes, adding 

texture and a nutritional 

kick. They’re low in sodium, 

making them the perfect mid 

afternoon nibble, and they’re 

packed with protein, fat and 

fibre, meaning they’ll give the 

nibbler a satisfied ‘full’ feeling, 

keeping sugary cravings at bay. 

The copper and magnesium 

content reduces blood pressure 

and inflammation, lowering 

the risk of cardiovascular 

disease and benefiting healthy 

circulation and brain function. 

If you’re coming to the 

Midwinter Fair this year, then 

you can get your cobnut fix 

from the Potash Farm stand 

in the foodie marquee. 

A little fairy dust... 

Helen was treated to the 

delights of English Mineral 

Makeup this month, and 

sampled their foundation, 

tone corrector, bronze and 

blush. These little pots of 

magic are 100% natural, 

mineral, cruelty free, vegan 

and organic. Plus, natural 

minerals are antibacterial 

and anti-inflammatory, 

meaning skin is kept 

calm and clean…Wow! 

The top grade mineral 

ingredients apply like a 

dream, smoothing over 

blemishes and dark circles 

with the mini kabuki 

brush they arrive with. The 

coverage is both flawless 

and weightless, and with 

a little added application 

a great contouring effect 

can be created by bringing 

out facial highlights with 

the ‘Warmth & Bronze’ 

and ‘Blush’ palettes. These 

vary from bold tones, to 

more subtle, day-time 

hues and come in shades 

for all skin types. The 

Mineral Foundation is 

£37, Warmth & Bronze, 

£25, Tone Corrector, £19 

and Blush comes in at 

£25. Find your shade at 

englishmineralmakeup.co.uk 

147

Take control with 

weight loss surgery 

Rapid access to expert 

treatment and care for 

private patients 

Call to 

book your 

consultation 

NOW 

We all know that being a sensible weight improves our 

health and wellbeing. So if you’ve tried every diet going, 

are worried about being severely overweight and have a 

BMI of 35*-50, the next step could be weight loss surgery. 

For most patients, the results are significant. The lost 

pounds can lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes 

and many other serious conditions, including coronary 

heart disease, stroke, breast or bowel cancer, obstructive 

apnoea, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. You can 

also enjoy a more active way of life. 

But to achieve a healthy weight and sustain it in the future, 

takes more than a single operation. That’s why we offer a 

full package of support from our specially-trained and 

compassionate staff, including sessions with our 

counselling team and dieticians. 

Why Benenden Hospital? Our consultants are all specialists 

with many years’ experience. Our safety record is second 

to none. Our facilities are modern and comfortable. 

Our staff are friendly and welcoming. And, however 

you choose to travel, we’re easy to find. 

As we’re not for profit, we can offer highly competitive 

rates too. You can access weight loss surgery at Benenden 

Hospital as a self-paying patient or as a discounted 

self-paying Benenden member. 

Private patients 

All-inclusive price 

Benenden member** 

Discounted price 

Gastric bands £5,000 

Sleeve gastrectomy £9,000 

Gastric bands £4,500 

Sleeve gastrectomy £8,000 

*Patients can access the service with a BMI of 30 if they are an adult 

with type 2 diabetes. **Weight loss surgery is not available as part of 

Benenden membership, members do however receive an exclusive 

discount off the full private patient price. This offer is only available for 

treatment undertaken at Benenden Hospital Trust, Kent. The Benenden 

Hospital Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in 

England, number 3454120. Registered charity number 1065995. 

Registered office, The Benenden Hospital Trust, Goddard’s Green 

Road, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AX 

Find out more today 

01580 242 521 quote WT 

www.benendenhospital.org.uk/WeightLossSurgery

A month to remember 

Health 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. An average of 55,000 men and 

women are diagnosed every year, so to keep you all in the know, we asked some 

experts to talk through the process, from consultation to recovery. 

Genevieve runs Stalwart 

Wellness in ‘Tenterden... 

What are the side effects of breast cancer treatment 

and surgery? Breast cancer treatment is often followed 

by a decline in upper body function. Up to 50% of our 

patients suffer from symptoms after surgery, radiotherapy 

and chemotherapy. These can include bodily problems 

like impaired shoulder mobility, muscle weakness, 

severe arm pain, lymphedema and cording, which is the 

development of fibrous scar tissue after lymph nodes 

have been removed. Other side effects can range from 

fatigue and nausea to lowered self esteem and anxiety. 

What happens in one of your workshops? The pain 

and dysfunction associated with breast cancer therapies 

is a consequence of restrictions in connective tissue. As 

a result, our approach is to focus on mobilising these 

restrictions by using gentle, non-invasive techniques that 

often produce dramatic, life-changing results. Breast 

cancer recovery is a very sensitive time. A time to be 

respected for the hard-won healing that is taking place, 

as well as the physical and emotional complexities that 

are encountered. People recovering from breast cancer 

face many challenges, not only in getting strength and 

energy back, but in many cases, regaining self-confidence 

and learning to trust the body once more. Specialist 

Pilates rehabilitation equipment can be used to improve 

movement in joints, work the abdominal muscles, improve 

balance and stability and build strength and endurance. 

With the use of Thera-Bands, weights, yoga postures and 

breathing techniques, a high quality of life can be restored. 

What are the benefits and results that your clients have 

had? Clients will often regain function in their upper 

bodies, sometimes after months or even years of impaired 

movement. Recent studies show a direct link between 

moderate physical exercise and an improved quality of life 

for breast cancer survivors. Along with direct strength and 

mobility improvements in the shoulders and arms, the 

core muscles in the abdomen and back can be retrained 

and stabilised. Self-confidence and a positive body 

image come naturally once posture and biomechanics 

are restored. Increased energy levels and decreased stress 

and tension mean clients develop the confidence to 

practise at home and take part in everyday activities. 

Genevieve is fully qualified and experienced in Cancer 

Rehabilitation. Working closely with Macmillan 

Cancer means she can help clients before, during 

and after treatments. Being fluent in English, 

German and French gives her the ability to work 

with a huge range of clients. To get in contact visit 

stalwartwellness.co.uk or call 07779 670502. 

Spire in Tunbridge Wells give us an 

insight into the options... 

What do you offer as part of a One Stop consultation? The 

One Stop Breast Clinic is consultant led. Whether you need a 

breast check or diagnosis of any symptoms, results are discussed 

by consultants, radiologists, pathologists, breast care nurses 

and oncologists. Within the clinic, patients have access to the 

diagnostics they need including consultation, mammogram, 

ultrasound and a biopsy if required, and all of our patients 

have access to the latest advances in digital mammography. 3D 

digital breast tomosynthesis has proven to increase detection 

of breast cancer by 25% and has the capabilities of identifying 

smaller cancers which can be easily missed. Running the One 

Stop Breast Clinic means that patients can walk away feeling 

informed of their health from just one appointment. 

What are the surgical options? The most common benign 

breast lump is called a fibroadenoma, which can be removed 

radiologically under local anaesthetic. If this is larger or 

cancerous, then surgery will be required. If the cancerous 

tumour is particularly large, then chemotherapy or hormone 

blocking tablets can aid in reducing the size, making surgery 

possible. If a patient has significantly large breasts, there is 

an option for therapeutic mammoplasty. This involves the 

removal of the tumour alongside breast reshaping, often giving 

a desirable cosmetic result. Axilla, or armpit surgery is also 

necessary to evaluate the guardian node, or sentinel node, to 

ensure the disease hasn’t spread into the lymph nodes. This is 

done through a micro-bubble test which detects any spreading. 

Some patients may require a mastectomy, in which case they’re 

given the option of immediate or delayed breast reconstruction. 

This can be carried out with either an implant and mesh, or 

the patient’s own tissue. 

Can you talk us through a mammogram consultation? 

The surgeon would begin by explaining the rationale for a 

mammogram, along with the potential risks involved. Typically, 

two different views are taken of both breasts, but with the 

addition of tomosynthesis one can obtain three dimensional 

pictures, thus improving its sensitivity and the diagnostic 

accuracy. During the tomosynthesis exam, breasts are placed 

under compression while the x-ray arm of the mammography 

machine makes an arc over the breast, taking a series of images 

at a number of angles. This will only take a few seconds and 

all of the images are viewed by the mammographer to ensure 

adequate images have been captured for review by a specialist 

radiologist. 

Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital offers a comprehensive range of 

services and facilities in a comfortable and relaxed environment 

to patients in Kent and surrounding areas. for further 

information on the treatments provided visit spirehealthcare. 

com/tunbridgewells or call 01892 740047. 


Tours and Tastings 

at Hush Heath Estate 

Enjoy a fantastic day at Hush Heath Estate & Winery, 

the home of award-winning Balfour Brut Rosé. Now 

open 7 days a week, including Bank Holidays, from 

11am-5pm for visitors and wine-lovers to experience 

FREE Self-Guided tours and tastings. No need to book. 

New for 2016 – Free Guided Tours on selected dates 

(see below) Enjoy a free guided tour by one of our winery 

experts, 2½ hours including: A full Estate tour and winery 

tour followed by a tutored tasting of our award winning 

wines and ciders. 

(All 11am) Sun 16 TH October 

Call 01622 832794 to book your place. 

hush heath estate, five oak lane, staplehurst, kent tn12 0ht 

01622 832794 www.hushheath.com 

HushHeathWineryWT176.indd 1 05/09/2016 15:46 

– LOWER ROAD – WEST FARLEIGH – KENT – ME15 0PE – – CRANBROOK ROAD – GOUDHURST – KENT – TN17 1DX – 

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2/3 COURSES FESTIVE MENU £24/£29 

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NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS 

Call for details 

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27th December 

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28th December 

Bad Christmas Jumper Day 

29th December 

Board Games Competition 

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150 

GoudhurstInnWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 15:30

Food 

The Staff 

Above: The master at work Above right: Flour 

is dusted over proving loaves before baking 

Below: Emmanuel periodically checks on the 

loaves in the oven 

of life 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling & Words: Helen Barton 

Meet internationally acclaimed baker, author of three titles and 

inspirational teacher extraordinaire, Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. 

Wealden Times visited The Crown in Hastings where the floury 

magic happens on a daily basis, picked up a few age-old skills and 

came away with a couple of recipes 

Sat on a rooftop terrace drinking flat whites, we talk bread. Think beyond 

the eternally identical white-sliced blocks in plastic packaging. This 

is bread in all its glory. Hand-crafted, kneaded to perfection, proved, 

slashed, baked and savoured. These careful hand-crafting hands belong to 

Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, or Emmanuel The Baker as I now like to call him. 

151

K E N T ’ S L E A D I N G C O U N TRY H O U S E H O T E L & S PA 

EVENTS AT EASTWELL MANOR 

Tel: 01233 213020 | Email: enquiries@eastwellmanor.co.uk | www.eastwellmanor.co.uk 

E a s t w e l l Pa r k , B o u g h t o n L e e s , A s h fo rd , Ke n t T N 2 5 4 H R 

EastwellManorWT176.indd 1 26/09/2016 14:03 

WEST MALLING 

Stone baked sourdough 

pizzas, juicy grilled burgers, 

steaks & pasta dishes, 

all accompanied by a 

selection of wines, 

beers & cocktails 

DINNER 

WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAYS 

BREAKFAST & LUNCH 

7 DAYS A WEEK 

65 HIGH STREET, WEST MALLING 

thehungryguest.com t:01732 870 766 


152 

HungryGuestWT176.indd 1 21/09/2016 10:01

Above far right: Beetroot bread proves in baskets on an 

old shoe rack Above right: Emmanuel mills his own flour 

from wheat grown in Surrey Below: The malt varies in 

roasting time, producing numerous beautiful shades 

Above: Proving baskets and baking tins line the walls 

Below: Emmanuel uses a special tool to slash the dough before 

baking, creating the crusty ‘ears’ that appear once finished 

Judges Bakery brought him to Hastings, and an organic 

offering sealed the deal. His project was to transform a 

conventional bakery, and introduce a wider variety of gluten 

filled, and gluten free products. What better person for the 

job than Emmanuel? 

Having learnt his impeccable levels of precision from 

working at The Savoy and Gordon Ramsay, he went on to 

teach, and still does. The love of teaching comes from the joy 

on students’ faces when they take their first loaf out of the 

oven, he tells me, and the look of relief that theirs has turned 

out like everyone else’s. 

The timer Emmanuel seemingly carries everywhere, 

bleeps, so as he rushes off to check on the beetroot bread 

the conversation changes to menus. Tess and Andrew are 

the owners of The Crown pub on All Saints’ Street and were 

drawn to Hastings by the ever growing creative hub here. 

Having started out with well-loved pub classics, the menu 

evolved into a simple, honest and expertly executed collection 

of dishes. The bar is graced with an extensive selection of 

locally brewed beers that can be perfectly matched with one 

of The Crown’s bar snacks. Taste buds tingling yet? 

Like so many other grand ideas, Emmanuel’s contribution 

to the pub started over a drink. After sharing dreams of 

starting his own micro-bakery, Tess and Andrew suggested he 

bake bread for the pub. Nearly a year later here he is, using 

up kitchen leftovers and dregs of kegs. ‘You can put anything 

in bread,’ Emmanuel explains. Potato, hummus, beer, 

onion and dill with smoked salmon, seaweed and mackerel, 

beetroot, pumpkin, liquorice, charcoal, the list is neverending. 

You name it, he’s tried it. 

‘Baking is all inclusive, anyone can do it’- Emmanuel 

attempts to convince me as I try my hand at kneading for the 

first time. His passion, however, is contagious. I’ve since gone 

home with a copy of his most recent book ‘How to make 

Sourdough’, and have 

spent considerable time 

gazing wide-eyed at some 

of the masterpieces that 

fill the pages. 

There’s something 

about bread that’s 

grounding. It’s humbling. 

It’s a cultural common 

denominator. Do it as 

a family, it’s cheap and 

above all, it’s fun. 

 

How to 

Make Sourdough 

Hardback, £19.99, 

Publisher: Ryland 

Peters & Small 


Come and visit us at our 

Brewery in the heart of 

Tenterden. We have a great 

range of beers, gift packs, 

polypins; perfect for Christmas 

& New Year parties and 

for Christmas presents! 

Open: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm 

Saturday 10am-2pm 

YOU CAN ALSO SHOP ONLINE AT 

WWW.OLDDAIRYBREWERY.COM 

FOR SALES: Telephone: 01580 763867 OR email: sales@olddairybrewery.com 

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RosemaryShragerWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 14:40

Food 

Beetroot Sourdough 

Ingredients: 

• 340g strong white flour 

• 8g salt 

• 200g coarsely grated fresh 

beetroot 

• +/- 200ml cold tap water 

Equipment: 

• 2 large mixing bowls (+/- 

2l capacity) 

• 2 small mixing bowls (+/- 

1l capacity) 

• 1 grater with a course 

setting 

• 1 pastry brush 

• 200g white sourdough 

• +/- 60ml olive oil 

• extra strong white flour 

for dusting 

• 1 loaf tin (500g capacity) 

• 1 proving basket (500g 

capacity) 

• 1 roasting tray 

• 1 small peel (for loading 

the loaf into the oven) 

1. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the white flour 

and salt together to create a dry mix. Set aside. 

2. Grate the beetroot on the course setting 

and place in a small bowl. 

3. In a big mixing bowl, dissolve or break up the 

sourdough into small pieces in the water. 

4. Mix the flour (dry) mixture into the wet mixture 

and combine by hand until it comes together, then 

add the grated beetroot and thoroughly mix in. 

5. Put half of the olive oil in the other big mixing bowl. 

6. Place the sticky dough into the olive oil, allow 

to rest for 15 minutes, making sure it is covered 

with the small bowl that had the flour in it. 

7. After 15 minutes fold the dough lightly 

twice and cover with the small bowl. 

8. Repeat the process another three times with 15 minutes 

rest in between, adding some olive oil, so that the 

mixture does not stick to the bottom of the bowl. 

Remember to cover the mixture between folds. 

9. Allow to rest for 1 hour. 

10. Remove from the bowl, using a light sprinkling of white 

flour so the dough does not stick. Shape into a ball. 

11. Shape the loaves into proving baskets that 

have been floured, or a greased tin. 

12. Allow to prove for around 3-6 hours or 

until the dough is double in size. 

Above left: Tess slices some freshly baked loaves for us to 

nibble on Above: Chunky doorstop slices are served with 

butter and handmade fruit jams 

13. Pre heat the oven to 250C / 500F / Gas 9 on a 

fan setting with a deep tray at the bottom. 

14. Once the bread is ready for baking, turn it out of 

the proving basket onto a floured peel and slash 

the loaf with a very sharp serrated knife. 

15. Place the loaf in the oven. 

16. Add a cup of tap water on the hot bottom tray to 

form steam, lower the oven to 220C / 425F / Gas 7. 

17. If the loaf is in a bread tin, follow steps 15 and 16, 

remembering to slash the top of the loaf with a 

sharp serrated knife before placing in the oven. 

18. Bake for around 30-40 minutes until golden brown. 

19. The loaf will be baked when a hollow sound be 

can heard when it’s tapped on the bottom. 

20. Turn out of its shape and allow the 

loaf to cool on a wire rack. 

 


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SecretGardenWT158.indd 1 25/03/2015 11:46

Food 

Malted Beer Soda Bread 

Ingredients: 

• 170g strong white flour 

• 170g wholemeal flour 

• 30g dark malt powder 

• 6g salt 

• 4g bicarbonate of soda 

• 170g whole milk 

• 170g dark beer 

• vegetable oil for greasing the tin 

1. For this recipe you require 2 mixing bowls: 1 big 

and 1 small. The small bowl when placed upside 

down on the big bowl can act as a lid. 

2. Pre heat the oven to 250˚C / 500F / Gas 

9 with a tray at the bottom. 

3. Mix the strong white flour, wholemeal flour, dark malt powder, 

salt and bicarbonate of soda (remember to sift if lumpy) in 

a small mixing bowl and set aside. This is the dry mixture. 

Make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

4. Weigh out the milk and the beer together in the large mixing bowl. 

5. Mix the dry ingredients together with the wet mixture 

until it comes together and there are no dry lumps. 

6. Transfer the mixture into a greased 500g baking tin. 

7. Place the loaf in the oven and pour a cup of water 

on to the hot tray to form steam, then lower the 

oven to 200˚C (fan) / 400F / Gas 6. 

8. Bake through for 30 to 35 minutes. 

9. Remove the loaf from the tin and allow it to cool on a wire rack. 

10. If you can’t hear the hollow sound when it’s tapped on the 

bottom, pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes. 

Above: freshly baked loaves sit ready and 

waiting for pub service 


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Garden 

Squash up! 

Some of us get really excited about giant pumpkins 

at this time of the year, and I’ve tried over the years 

to join in and to use the beautiful orange flesh from 

Halloween carving sessions to cook up into soups and pies. 

This has been to no avail, alas, but not because pumpkins 

themselves are intrinsically inedible, nor because I’m 

that much of a bad cook (we’ll gloss over that). No, 

it’s because the giant Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are too 

fibrous, disappointingly watery and so sadly only fit for 

Halloween hollowing (and then the compost heap). 

Luckily, however, there are lots of delicious pumpkin 

varieties available - both to buy and to grow, 

and the ever reliable, if harder to carve, winter 

squash is in season for much of the year now. 

Pumpkins and squash are in the same 

botanical family (Cucurbitaceae) and it can 

be hard to tell them apart. I’m not sure 

it matters unless you’re a botanist, except 

that it’s useful to know the difference between soft-skinned 

summer squash (including courgettes), and the winter types, 

which ripen later and have a much tougher outer skin. 

Pumpkins and squash come in all shapes and sizes, 

and many are beautiful enough to just sit about as 

ornaments or still life subjects - for months on end if 

you so choose, because they store so beautifully (but 

think of the dust). They are also really easy to grow. 

Jo Arnell gets misty about her pumpkin patch 

“Pumpkins and 

squash are beautiful 

enough to sit about 

as ornaments” 

How to grow pumpkins and squash 

The seeds of cucurbits are reassuringly large and easy to 

handle, but because of their size, each one will need its own 

9cm pot to grow in. If you can bear to be cruel, sow two seeds 

per pot and then pull out and discard the weaker seedling. 

Seeds can be sown directly into the ground, but are 

not hardy and may rot off or be eaten by pests before 

they can germinate. They are more reliably sown under 

cover in mid April and then planted out into their 

final positions once the danger of frost is passed. 

That final position might ideally be a dedicated pumpkin 

patch, or at least somewhere that gives 

them enough space to grow (when I say 

grow, I mean rampage untrammelled over 

everything). Mini pumpkins and some of 

the smaller squashes will climb up sturdy 

obelisks or arches, but larger varieties 

need space to ramble along the ground, as 

their fruits are too heavy for the stem alone to support. 

You may see pumpkins and squash being grown on 

large compost heaps (the garden at Great Dixter has a 

magnificent pumpkin heap). This suits them very well, 

as they need rich deep soil - and the warmth of 

the heap will also help with growth and ripening. 

You can also make a mound of compost on 

the ground and then plant into that for a 

 


Garden 

similar ‘heap’ effect. The distance between each plant 

should be at least 60cm, to allow for all the rampaging. 

Three in a bed 

If you are short of room, or want to maximise vertical 

as well as horizontal space, there is a way to grow three 

tender crops – squash, beans and sweetcorn in one space. 

This ancient American Indian technique called the 

‘Three Sisters’ relies on the tall growing corn to act as a 

support for the climbing beans, the beans then help to 

feed them (with the special nitrogen fixing nodes in their 

roots) and the pumpkin or squash plants create shade 

and suppress weeds with their large spreading leaves. 

It’s not the tidiest way to grow them (think three straggly 

sisters entwined together on a bad hair day), but it has been 

tried and tested as a companion planting technique for 

thousands of years and, if nothing else, definitely saves space. 

Feeding and watering 

Most vegetables that produce fruit - tomatoes, 

aubergines, sweetcorn - and all the cucurbits need 

plenty of food and water in order to successfully 

flower, set seed and swell into juicy edibleness. 

Try to keep the monstrous plant from The Little Shop of 

Horrors in your mind (‘FEED ME!’) as you mulch the ground 

around squash and pumpkin plants with compost or wellrotted 

organic manure, water well in dry spells and, if needed, 

feed with potassium rich fertiliser once the plant is flowering. 

The fruits are produced all along the rambling stems 

and will go on appearing as long as the plant keeps 

growing. I tend to pinch out the growing tip once I can 

see about five fruits appearing on each stem. This is not 

compulsory, but it diverts the plant into producing a 

few good sized fruits rather than lots of smaller ones. 

Harvest time 

Make sure that the developing fruits are cushioned as 

they get to maturity - either with mulch, or a light bed of 

straw. This will stop the side or base of the fruit coming 

into contact with damp ground and rotting. It will also 

help air to circulate and aid the ripening process. 

Pumpkins and squash should be ripe by the time the 

foliage starts to die back in early autumn. Leave them 

out in the sun for as long as possible, as this will ‘cure’ 

the skin and enable the fruit to last longer in storage. 

Bring inside before the frosts arrive, cutting each fruit off 

from the main stem, but leaving a long stalk if you can, as 

this will also help prolong their shelf life. As mentioned, 

they’ll keep for ages, providing they’re stored in a dry place. 

For the tastiest results 

As mentioned, huge monsters are best saved for 

lanterns, as it seems to be the smaller pumpkins 

that are the tastiest. The sweet nuttiness of 

pumpkins and squash is enhanced by roasting. 

Bake them whole in their skins, and then scoop 

out the flesh, mash and mix with seasoned butter. 

Or chop thinner skinned varieties and butternut 

squash into smaller pieces, roast in herby oil (scatter 

sage or oregano onto the roasting tray). 

I tend to stuff the little ones and bake them whole, use 

firm fleshed butternuts for risottos and pasta dishes and the 

larger pumpkins for soups and for purees to put into baking. 

Best culinary varieties 

Uchiki Kuri - also called Red Kuri/Red Onion 

Squash, is medium sized and an attractive 

deep red colour. A good all-rounder. 

Marina di Chioggia - suspiciously weird and blue 

on the outside, but with tasty orange flesh. 

Crown Prince and Queensland Blue - more blue/ 

green skin with orange flesh. Great roasted. 

Sweet Dumpling - smallish with cream and green 

striped outer skin, with firm orange flesh, excellent for 

baking. Delicata is also good for baking and stuffing. 

Butternut squash - widely available and actually 

these are my favourite and (mercifully if you 

end up with a glut) home grown ones taste even 

better once they’ve been stored for a while. 

For gardening ideas, courses and makeovers contact Jo 

Arnell 01233 861149 hornbrookmanor.co.uk 

Credit: FreeImages.com/ Rob Fallows, Krzysztof Szkurlatowski, Julia Freeman-Woolpert 


160

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From a tiny acorn... 

Sue Whigham celebrates the mighty English oak tree 

On the first day of college we were instructed that 

the only book we would need at this stage was 

The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs. We were 

pretty horrified to see that it didn’t have any pictures. But 

can you imagine how huge a tome it would have to be with 

the section on the Quercus (oak) genus alone describing 

just a small proportion of the 500 species of oak? 

However, we’ve only two native species in the UK: 

Quercus robur, the English Oak, which is surely the most 

easily recognised native tree we have, a national emblem 

if you like, and the sessile oak, Quercus petraea. 

They’re easy to tell apart in that the acorns of Q. robur are 

held on a long stalk whilst those of the sessile grow straight 

from the stem. The other way to identify them is that the 

leaves of the English oak are far smaller 

than those of the sessile – about four inches 

compared to the sessile leaf which is a good 

six or seven inches or so. And sessile oaks, 

which do well in damp conditions, are 

mainly found in the wetter west of the UK. 

However, wandering down the lane 

by my house recently, I found sessile oak 

leaves in the hedge and near a pond, but the plant itself 

definitely hadn’t reached the dizzy heights of a mature tree. 

The oak is a massive feat of engineering in itself. Given 

some space and a lot of it, it can grow up to forty metres 

tall and live for hundreds of years. When young it has a 

growth spurt which slows down when it reaches 120 years 

old. This the tree does in order to extend its own lifespan. 

Above: Quercia rouge, one of the 500 species of oak trees 

“Oaks create a 

haven for numerous 

species of insects, 

animals and birdlife” 

Wandering through the woods, you’re likely to see a lot of 

pretty lanky ‘young’ oaks looking a bit sorry for themselves 

and without the fissured bark of a mature tree. This is because 

they’ve been fighting for light and resources all their lives 

and it shows, but somewhere in that same wood will be 

their ‘free range’ parent, so recognisable by its thick squat 

trunk and its lower branches growing sideways and its upper 

branches growing in a very distinct matrix of sturdy limbs. 

A large tree will compete more successfully for said resources 

if it rearranges itself over the years. It has to be able to cope 

with prevailing environmental conditions, usually high 

winds, and to do this it spreads its weight equally around 

its ‘body’ which tends to become as wide as it is high. 

This of course is in an ideal world and it’s rare to see an 

oak in a perfect ‘cloud’ shape, but the ones 

which have had optimum conditions and the 

time to create their own core strength create 

a very distinctive silhouette – as beloved by 

designers of corporate logos - in the winter 

months after their leaves have fallen. 

Oak woods create an incredible haven for 

numerous species of insects, animals and 

birdlife. The flowers, produced in early spring at the same 

time as the leaves, provide food for caterpillars of various 

butterflies including the little native purple hairstreak. 

The purple hairstreak’s larvae burrow into young 

oak flower buds and can be found in crevices of 

oak branches. They’re seldom seen as they tend to 

live high up in a tree’s canopy unless feeding off 

honeydew provided by aphids nearer the ground. 

Oak leaves are soft and break down into a hugely rich 

leaf mould which is home for both invertebrates and fungi. 

Bats roost in any loose bark they might find as well as in old 

woodpecker holes; all manner of creatures eat the acorns. 

It is an interesting fact that the acorns of Q. robur are not 

produced until the tree is at least forty years old with peak 

acorn production at twice that age. Acorns, even produced 

in huge numbers, are such a good food source – eaten by 

squirrels, mice, pigeons, woodpeckers, ponies and pigs when 

they get the chance - that many hundreds of thousands fail 

to germinate each season. They are too busy being useful. 

I know that there are wild boar in the local woods and 

maybe they are helping germination by trampling some of the 

acorns into the ground as they forage. It has been found that 

in European woods oaks tend to have a higher germination 

Credit: FreeImages.com/ weatherbox, Ben Wright, Emma McCreary 


162

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WCLandcraftWT174.indd 1 01/07/2016 11:35

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164 

MillbrookWT176.indd 1 07/09/2016 15:56

Garden 

Above: The distinctive bark of the Quercus robar 

rate than here due to the number of wild boar being sustained 

there. And in the days when a commoner had the right 

(pannage) to graze his pigs in local woodland, doubtless 

there would have been a higher acorn germination rate. 

Either way, acorns are pretty miraculous if you 

think about their individual size in relation to that of 

their parent. However, I’m sure that squirrels and the 

odd jay that stores a supply here and there before the 

winter must forget some of their stashes enabling some 

to sprout in the shelter of a hedge bottom or bank. 

Bluebell Nursery and Arboretum have a particularly 

wonderful selection of different oaks in their catalogue. 

One of the trees they sell is an absolute winner – if 

you have the space. Not native to here but one of the 

North American oaks, the Northern Pin Oak or Q. 

ellipsoidalis ‘Hemelrijk’ is really to be recommended. 

It tends to come into leaf later than our natives but 

the new, deeply lobed leaves start off with a pink tinge, 

turning bright green until the autumn when they have 

brilliant red tones finally ending up a cinnamon brown 

and remaining on the tree for ages. The other nice things 

about it are the drooping branches and fast growth. 

This is definitely one oak you’ll be able to see reach 

a decent size in your lifetime with a bit of luck. I love 

Quercus palustris, too, to which the Northern Pin Oak 

is related. This is another good elegant tree with a very 

distinctive habit. The leaves are very distinctly lobed and 

a shiny, shiny green. This one is good for autumn colour 

too, turning a rich red as the weather cools down. 

bluebellnursery.com 01530 413700 

The Arboretum and Nursery is now a RHS 

partner garden and well worth a visit. 

The National Collection of Quercus is one of twelve 

national collections held at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens 

and Arboretum, Jermyns Lane, Ampfield, near Romsey, 

Hampshire, SO51 0QA 01794 368787 hillier.hants.gov.uk 

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for 

gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply 

of interesting garden plants. 


PetalsForPlantsWT176.indd 1 13/09/2016 09:58

The 

Green 

Goddess 

Penny Kemp 

on upcycling 

I 

met the work before I met the man. I was at 

the Green Gathering in Chepstow, a festival 

dedicated to teaching people to live lightly on 

the planet and have fun, when I turned into the craft 

field and a giant merman greeted me - otherwise 

known as The Metamorphosis of Glaucus. 

Standing a full twenty feet tall, magnificently carved 

from one piece of wood, with flowing locks and a perfect 

aquiline nose, he represented the talent and expertise that 

awaited visitors to the craft field. 

Canterbury-based Daniel Hilton is a young man on a 

mission. He believes his childhood on a farm, being close 

to nature, gave him the skills that he uses today to create 

large stunning works of art from native trees. Daniel 

trained under master sculptor Graham Jones and spent 

eight years learning his craft. 

The sculpture most people associate with Daniel is his 

carving of a baby in a tree situated in Victoria Recreation 

Ground in Canterbury. Carved in March, 2013, Dan tells 

the story: ‘ There was a dead tree in Canterbury due to 

be cut down by the Council and I wanted to save the tree 

and showcase my work. The thought of pregnancy and 

rebirth led to Tree Baby.’ 

The work has led to rave reviews for Dan. The Lilford 

Art Gallery called it a landmark piece of work and it 

confirmed this young man as an original sculptor, even 

though he describes his own work as a kind of ‘upcycling 

firewood’. 

His recent work is stunning and he now has a body of 

work that he rents to festivals and private individuals for 

functions, and a growing portfolio of public works in the 

South East of England. He is open for commissions and 

if twenty foot mermen are not your cup of tea, his chairs, 

benches and charming loveseats may suit. 

A particular favourite of mine is a ten foot chair with 

a spectacular back that curves and twists following the 

shape of the original branches, making it look like a 

tangled mass of curls or intertwining snakes reminiscent 

of Medusa. 

Find Daniel on iswoodgood.co.uk 

We’ve got designs ! 

on your garden! 

Tradi&onal or contemporary, large or small, the designers at Gardenproud 

can help you create a garden you’ll be proud of. Our project managers will 

take you through design, approvals, hard landscaping and plan&ng. 

Gardenproud was established in 2007 and is based near Tunbridge Wells. 

We look aDer over 100 proper&es throughout Kent and East Sussex. 

If you are planning a new garden 

for 2017, then contact Tim Sykes on 

07725 173820, or just Google 

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GardenproudWT175.indd 1 22/08/2016 11:50 

Kate Ball 

Garden Design & Planting Plans 

Garden design Planting plans 

Advice and consultation 

07870 627145 

www.kateballgardendesign.co.uk 


166 

KateBallWT170.indd 1 21/03/2016 17:36

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SussexTimberWT174.indd 1 20/07/2016 10:45

Saint Ronan’s School 

Hawkhurst, Kent • Founded 1883 • www.saintronans.co.uk 

Boys & Girls from 3-13 • Day & Boarding • Forest School 

Headlines 

‘Excellent’ ISI 

inspection report 

70 scholarships won 

in three years 

Tatler Good Schools 

Guide 2017 

Photo © Sarah Clark Photography 

Discover the magic! Email emmatv@saintronans.co.uk 

or call 01580 752271 to book an appointment.

Lateral 

thinking 

WT’s education columnist Susan Elkin looks at the different options available in both the state and private sectors to 

parents seeking alternative forms of education for their children 

Children are not socks. One-size-fits-all doesn’t 

work in education. Every child is different, has his 

or her own way of learning and comes complete 

with unique needs. That’s why Bedales in Hampshire 

and Frensham Heights in Surrey emphasise the arts 

and personal development and why Slindon College in 

Sussex works with boys “who don’t thrive in a mainstream 

environment” and provides high levels of learning support. 

A mainstream school isn’t always the answer for every 

child. They tend to be large and children have to fit into 

the system rather than the system adapting to the child. 

Even independent schools can be pretty samey with the 

pretty girl playing the violin on page 5 of the prospectus, 

the wholesome boy in his cricket whites on page 7 and 

everyone in science goggles looking very alert on page 9. 

So what about the alternatives? Schools which swim 

against the tide and try to offer something quite different, 

usually with a strong focus on individuality, may seem 

like a gamble but they can work well for some children. 

The alternatives come in two main forms. First there are 

independent schools trying to break away from the norm 

and for these, obviously, fees are charged unless the child 

wins a scholarship or is assigned some sort of bursary. 

Then there is the new breed of ‘free school’. Such schools 

are part of the state education system and therefore free at the 

point of use as well as being free from local authority control 

and many of the regulations which govern their maintained 

sector counterparts. That allows scope for a different way of 

working if that’s what the people concerned want. There are 

now 300 free schools across England, including for example, 

eight in Kent and Medway and more in Sussex and Surrey. 

Let’s look at the independent options first. The 

most famous example, and certainly the most 

extreme, is AS Neill’s Summerhill in Suffolk which 

was founded by the eponymous Neill in 1921 and is 

now run by his daughter Zoe Neill Readhead. 

It hasn’t always been plain sailing. The school was 

severely criticised by Ofsted in the late 1990s and came 

close to closure in 2000. And a 1993 Channel 4 TV 

documentary, which showed students killing and cooking 

a wild rabbit, did it no favours in the public eye. 

The idea has always been to run a school on democratic 

lines. In practice that means daily councils at which 

pupils make management decisions, optional lessons 

and a strong focus on learning outside the classroom. 

Summerhill’s published examination results suggest 

that most students attend most lessons most of the 

time and that they are well taught. In 2015, for 

 


“The best independently 

minded schools focus on 

rigour and firmly reject 

the word ‘alternative’ 

instance 72.5% of Summerhill students passed five 

GCSES at A*-C including English and Maths. 

The relevance of Summerhill today is probably that its 

ideas, shared worldwide via Neill’s books have, for nearly a 

century, influenced other free-thinking educators and schools. 

It’s a case of buyer beware, with all these schools and it’s all 

too easy to let your liberal principles get the better of you so 

that your child is sold short. The best independently minded 

schools focus on rigour and firmly reject the word ‘alternative’. 

Take Hampton Court House School for example. “We 

don’t reject the tenets of traditional education, not at all,” 

says headmaster Guy Holloway, who talks to staff applicants 

by Skype before inviting them in for interview because he 

wants to be sure that they are committed readers and have a 

range of intellectual interests and passions for sharing them. 

Holloway himself teaches a history of music course, teaching 

is bi-lingual (English and French) in Years 1-4, Mandarin is 

taught to all as part of the curriculum and many pupils can 

chat in it. Holloway teaches a Cultural Studies course which 

allows for plays and novels outside examination specifications. 

He believes strongly that children must be helped to learn 

how to make the very best possible use of their time. 

The school achieves all this without the trappings 

of uniform and it’s Christian name terms throughout. 

“Our staff are not friends with the children but we are 

friendly,” says Holloway. It works. 42% of all HCHS 

GCSE grades were graded A or A* this year. 

Another example of a different way of working began with 

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). He was an Austrian philosopher 

who applied his ideas about how human beings function 

and develop to a number of fields as well as education. 

The first Steiner School was opened in Stuttgart in 1919 

(interestingly, two years before AS Neill’s Summerhill). 

Today there are 26 such schools in England (including one 

in Brighton, one in Canterbury, one at Forest Row and four 

in London. In Britain these are fee charging schools. In most 

European countries they are part of the maintained sector. 

The emphasis in a Steiner school is on the needs 

of the whole child and the unforced development 

of a love of learning with an emphasis on artistic 

activity and the development of the imagination. 

The idyllically rural Canterbury Steiner School, for 

instance, has a well-equipped theatre space for musical 

and theatrical learning and performance which is fairly 

unusual in a primary or prep school. Controversially, 

technology is not usually used at primary level so there 

are no computers and tablets in Steiner classrooms. 

Or take the Round Square Schools Association which was 

founded 50 years ago on the principles of Kurt Hahn 

170

Dulwich Preparatory School 

Cranbrook 

Independent day and flexible boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 to 13 

‘A huge breadth of 

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WellesleyHouseWT176.indd 1 15/09/2016 15:16 

In the last three years pupils have been 

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Destination schools include: 

Benenden, Brighton, Eastbourne, 

King’s Canterbury, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge 

OPEN DAY 

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A day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 3-13 

in Tunbridge Wells, Kent 

welcome@holmewoodhouse.co.uk • www.holmewoodhouse.co.uk 


172 

HolmewoodHouseSchoolWT175.indd 1 04/08/2016 14:30

(1886 – 1974). Hahn was a German educator who fled 

Germany in 1933 having spoken out against Hitler. He then 

founded Gordonstoun in Scotland where Prince Philip was 

one of the first pupils in 1934. The school was modelled 

on the school Hahn had founded and run in Germany. 

Later Hahn founded Outward Bound and the Duke of 

Edinburgh Award among other things. Prince Charles, who 

has always insisted that he loathed it and was very unhappy 

there, was at Gordonstoun in the 1960s. A generation later, 

Princess Anne’s children both seemed to flourish at the school. 

The Round Square / Kurt Hahn philosophy is based on 

six holistic learning ideals. Schools which become part of 

the group are committed to internationalism, democracy, 

environmentalism, adventure, leadership and service. The 

association currently has 160 members worldwide (Australia, 

India, USA, South Africa, mainland Europe and elsewhere). 

The ten English members include Box Hill School 

in Surrey and Cobham Hall in Kent where Radio 4’s 

Today programme presenter Mishal Hussain, was a pupil. 

In all these schools there is slightly more emphasis on 

learning by doing than on being formally instructed 

by teachers, but we’re a long way from Summerhill and 

much of the approach is relatively conventional. 

And so to those free schools. Usually launched by 

determined parents and teachers, they are funded directly by 

central government. They often have a specific focus such 

as being more academically rigorous, being more childcentred 

or meeting special educational needs. Some have 

been founded to meet local needs such as opening a village 

school where there is no longer local authority provision. 

Focus on a specific faith is quite common. So is the inclusion 

of a subject not usually taught such as Mandarin or Latin. 

Free schools are sometimes satellites of established schools 

or trusts and there have been cases of small independent feecharging 

schools, including several Steiner schools, applying 

for free school status. In theory – and often in practice – free 

schools are adding diversity and giving parents more choices. 

The Tiger Primary School in Maidstone, for example, 

opened in September 2012 and was one of the first free 

schools. Operated by Future Schools Trust it is on the 

site of an existing secondary school operated by the Trust 

which also runs another secondary school elsewhere in 

the town. Mandarin is taught alongside English and 

there is a commitment to improve numeracy. Every 

child is encouraged to play a musical instrument. 

Last year the school took possession of its new building 

in which learning takes place in large ‘plazas’ which 

accommodate the whole year group with access to plenty of 

technology – the space can be subdivided for smaller sessions. 

Unlike many mainstream schools Tiger is open from 

7.30am to 6pm and there’s a healthy breakfast, lunch and 

tea on offer to all pupils. For working parents this seems 

to have some of the advantages of boarding without the 

disadvantage. The school admits 60 children per year 

into Reception and is usually oversubscribed. Since this 

was the first new primary school to open in Maidstone 

for 25 years it is clearly meeting needs locally. 

Education in Britain is a mixed economy. In 1992, 

when David Blunkett was Education Secretary, he issued 

a White Paper called Choice and Diversity. Twenty four 

years later, parents really do have as much choice as they’re 

ever likely to given cash and locality constraints. But a 

really good school is not about gimmicks, slogans and 

whacky theories. Let Guy Holloway have the last word. 

“I think the key is respect for the child, commitment 

to continual self-improvement (for both pupils AND 

staff) and a strong sense that the world needs good 

men and women in it, who have acquired the skills 

to influence and lead. If these things are in place then 

you have a happy and transformative school.” 

summerhillschool.co.uk 

steinerwaldorf.org 

hamptoncourthouse.co.uk 

gordonstoun.org.uk 

roundsquare.org 

futureschoolstrust.com/Tiger-Primary-School 

newschoolsnetwork.org 


Open 

Days 

Friday 30th September 9.30am – 12pm 

Saturday 1st October 9.30am – 12pm 

Come and discover our exciting 

Pirate Adventure 

for under 5s on Saturday 1st October 

To register your attendance, or to arrange a separate 

visit, please contact Karen Cooper on 01580 883090 

or at admissions@vinehallschool.com 

www.vinehallschool.com 

VinehallSchoolWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 16:41 

For boys and girls aged 2 to 13 

Call us on 01825 830 234 or visit 

www.skippershill.com to book 

Five Ashes, Mayfield, East Sussex, TN20 6HR 

OPEN MORNING 

Tuesday 4 October 

9.30 - 11.30am 


174 

SkippersHillWT176.indd 1 14/09/2016 09:49

Grammar lessons 

Education columnist Susan Elkin considers all the issues when choosing a school 

I’ll come clean. I’m a grammar school girl and proud 

of it. Today only 158 grammar schools remain across 

the country although Theresa May has indicated – 

controversially but rightly in my view – that there could soon 

be more. Meanwhile Kent has 33 selective schools and there 

are a further six in the Medway Local Education Authority 

area which lies within the county. 

Last month thousands of children took the Kent 

Test to assess whether or not they have the ability and 

potential to benefit from a grammar school education. 

Results will be announced on 13 October. 

When I was in what we now call Year 6 every one 

of us sat the 11 plus examination. Today it’s optional. 

Many families are perfectly happy with the local 

alternatives to grammar school so their children are 

not tested for selective education suitability. 

In principle a grammar school education is a fine thing but 

not all grammar schools are as good as they should be and 

many non-selective schools are excellent. Moreover, if a child 

isn’t ready for grammar school at 11, they may be different 

at 14 or 16 and there’s plenty of flexibility within the system. 

You do, however, have to make the best possible choice for 

your child from the options available – now. That means 

attending every open day/evening this term. Don’t rely on 

reputation which is always fickle and usually out of date. 

If there’s a chance to see the schools in session then grab 

it. Open days can be strained and contrived. If you’re there 

when real lessons are happening look for a well-managed 

working buzz. Too much silence is not necessarily good. 

Visit the students’ toilets if you can too. If they’re 

clean and pleasant it’s a sign that this is a school which 

takes care of its pupils and respects them. Above all 

talk to the current students who show you round. 

Listen to your child’s opinion. Sometimes they will spot or 

sense something you’ve missed. Ultimately though remember 

that they are only 10 or 11, very inexperienced and may be 

more worried about where friends are going than anything 

else. It is your responsibility as parent to make this decision 

on his or her behalf and the wise parent makes that very clear. 

Grammar schools are a great idea (excuse my bias) but 

they are never going to be right for everyone. We should 

look for and support high quality alternatives (Mrs May and 

colleagues, please note) and stop this destructive, emotive 

talk of ‘failure’ and ‘writing them off for life at 11’. 

Christmas Panto 

and Craft Event 

14th December 2016 - 10am -11.30am 

Sutton Valence Preparatory School invites you and your 

toddler to our Christmas Panto and Craft morning. 

Prepared specially for a young audience Theatre Bugs will be 

performing The Toytown Christmas. The festive fun will continue 

as the children make a classic Christmas craft with our expert staff. 

Sutton Valence Preparatory School, 

Chart Sutton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3RF 

Spaces are limited so book your place 

online at www.svs.org.uk 


SuttonValenceWT176.indd 1 16/09/2016 16:33

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SENIOR SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM 

Sixth Form Information Evening 

Thursday 6th October - 6pm 

OPEN MORNING 

Saturday 15th October 9.30am - 1pm 

Sixth Form Scholarship Assessments 

7th, 8th & 9th November 

For further information: www.claremontschool.co.uk/senior 

T: 01580 830396 | E: enquiries@claremontschool.co.uk 

Bodiam, Robertsbridge, East Sussex | DAILY TRANSPORT FROM ETCHINGHAM STATION 


176 

FriendsOfClaremontSchoolWT176.indd 1 22/09/2016 12:58

What’s On In October 

Art 

Throughout Oct 

De La Warr Pavilion, Marina, 

Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 1DP 

PETER BLAKE: ALPHABETS, 

LETTERS & NUMBERS 

Using silk screen printing Blake 

has created several fascinating 

series of works based around the 

alphabet related to his enduring 

interest in childhood innocence 

and nostalgia, and Victorian and 

Edwardian graphic illustration. 

Entry: Free 

Info: dlwp.com 

Sat 17 Sept – Sat 1 Oct 

RYE ARTS FESTIVAL 

Rye Arts Festival is one of the 

top ten small festivals in Britain, 

providing a diverse mixture of 

musical, literary and theatrical 

events with an emphasis on quality, 

intellectual weight, style and fun. 

Info and Booking: 01797 

224442 / ryeartsfestival.co.uk 

Sat 1- Tues 11 Oct 12-5pm 

The Observer Building, 

53 Cambridge Road, 

Hastings TN34 1DT 

OBSCURED BY CLOUDS 

EXHIBITION 

Bringing together two painters 

who have steadily worked 

through the coming of the 

Personal Computer age, 

‘Obscured by Clouds’ explores 

the irresolvable clash between 

the analogue and digital realms. 

Entry: Free 

Info: info@ 

observerbuildinghastings.co.uk 

Sat 15 - 29 Oct 

WING Gallery, High Street, 

Wadhurst TN5 6AA 

5 MILLION COLOURS: 

MELANIE BERMAN 

Using entangled graffiti 

marks and rhythmic patterns 

Melanie’s paintings 

explore man-made traces 

within the natural world. 

Fragmented irregular coloured 

shapes float, dance & move 

before the viewer’s gaze. 

Info: wingartgallery.com 

Fri 21 Oct - Sun 20 

Nov 10am-4.30pm 

The Stables Gallery, Hall 

Place, Bourne Road, 

Bexley, Kent DA5 1PQ 

Textile studio 

exhibition 

Enjoy a collection of new work 

by member of The Textile 

Studio. Work includes hand and 

machine stitching, felt making, 

fabric printing, dyeing and other 

techniques, that reflect the makers 

unique approach to their art. 

Info: 01322 526574 

Sat 22 Oct – Sun 30 Oct 

The Powder Mills Hotel, 

Battle TN33 0SP 

PURE ARTS FAIR 

A selected and curated art 

fair showcasing the brightest 

upcoming and more established 

talent, it features the work of 

artists working across all fine 

art media including painting, 

drawing, printmaking, 

photography, sculpture, 

ceramics and glass. 

Info: pureartsgroup.co.uk 

Sat 22 - Sun 23 Oct 10am-5pm 

De La Warr Pavilion, 

Marina, Bexhill-on-Sea, 

East Sussex TN40 1DP 

The Sussex Guild 

Contemporary 

Craft Show 

For the first time designer 

makers of the Sussex Guild 

exhibit their fine crafts in the 

ground floor auditorium. 

Entry: Adults £3, 

accompanied children free 

Info: 01273 479565 / 

thesussexguild.co.uk 

Sat 29 & Sun 30 Oct 10am-4pm 

Hamstreet Primary 

Academy TN26 2EA 

Art Exhibition and Sale 

A unique opportunity to enjoy 

the work of a much-loved 

and talented Kent artist. 

Exhibition of paintings loaned 

by private owners. Also 

over 150 works for sale. 

Entry: Free 

Info: 01233 732684 

Family & Friends 

Sat 1 - Sun 30 Oct 10.30am-6pm 

Hever Castle, Hever Road, 

Nr Edenbridge TN8 7NG 

Autumn Colour Trail 

Pick up a trail on arrival and 

discover the top autumn walks 

and colour hotspots. Besides 

suggesting picturesque routes 

through the gardens, it’s packed 

with interesting information about 

plants and trees to look out for at 

the height of their autumn glory. 

Info: 01732 865224 / 

hevercastle.co.uk 

Fri 7, Sat 22 & Sat 29 

Oct 6.30pm-11pm 

The Observatory Science 

Centre, Herstmonceux, 

Hailsham BN27 1RN 

STAR GAZING OPEN 

EVENINGS 

Are you interested in the night 

sky? Have you ever wondered 

what it would be like to look 

at the stars, planets and the 

moon through some of the 

country’s largest telescopes? Well 

here is your opportunity. 

Entry: Adults £8, Children £6.15 

Info: 01323 832731 / theobservatory.org/open-evenings 

Sat 8 Oct 7.30pm 

Ashdown Primary School, 

Crowborough TN6 2NT 

Charity quiz Night 

The Royal British Legion, 

Crowborough Branch, presents 

a Charity Quiz Night with cash 

prize, raffle and licensed bar. 

Entry: £6.50, including supper 

Booking: Guest’s Shoe Services, 

5 High Street, Crowborough 

Info: 07884 484100 / 

crowboroughrbl@outlook.com 

Sat 15 - Sun 23 Oct 10.30am 

Penshurst Place, Penshurst, 

Tonbridge TN11 8DG 

Spooky half term 

Discover the life of some of 

Britain’s more spooky inhabitants 

like bats and spiders for our 

Spooky Half Term pumpkin 

trail, before creating some creepy 

crafts to take home ready to 

decorate for Hallowe’en! 

Info: 01892 870307 / 

penshurstplace.com 

Sat 22 - Fri 28 Oct 

Leeds Castle, Maidstone 

ME17 1PL 

HAlloween activities 

Join Leeds Castle for Halloween 

fun this October half term with 

a fancy dress competition at 2pm 

each day with prizes to be won. 

Included with price of admission. 

Info: 01622 765400 / 

leeds-castle.com 

Mon 24 – Fri 28 Oct 1pm-4pm 

Godinton House & 

Gardens, Godinton Lane, 

Ashford TN23 3BP 

AUTUMN WEEK 

A week of activities for families 

to enjoy. Including a traditional 

treasure hunt, garden games 

and children’s arts and crafts. 

Info: godintonhouse.co.uk 

Thurs 27 – Mon 31 

Oct 7pm-9pm 

The Canterbury Tales, 

St Margaret’s Street, 

Canterbury CT1 2TG 

CONTAGIOUS! 

The Canterbury Tales’ Halloween 

event Contagious! returns for 

its second year, transforming 

the much-loved attraction into 

something much more sinister on 

the streets of Medieval Canterbury. 

Entry: £10 

Info: canterburytales.org.uk 

Fri 28 & Sat 29 Oct 

6.30pm and 8.30pm 

Bodiam Castle, Bodiam 

TN32 5UA 

GHOST WALKS AROUND 

THE CASTLE 

This Hallowe’en visitors to the 

castle will be warmed through 

with a hearty meal in our Terrace 

Room before taking a trip to the 

castle to meet some of Bodiam’s 

lesser known residents. 

Info and Booking: 01580 831324 

Festivals and Fairs 

Fri 30 Sept – Sat 1 Oct 

Cranbrook 

CRANROOK LITERATURE 

FESTIVAL 

The town of Cranbrook has always 

embraced tradition and culture 

with its popular annual art show, 


Detling Antiques, 

Vintage & 

Collectors Fair 

Up to 300 stalls in two buildings, shopping 

arcades, marquees & outside offering a wide 

range of items from ceramics, glass, vintage 

clothing, furniture, books, metalware, kitchenalia, 

postcards, pictures & much more. 

Sat 29th - Sun 30th 

October 

Sat: Early Entry 8.30am - £6 

Sat: General Entry 10am - 4.30pm - £5 

Sun: 10am - 3.30pm - £4 

Kent County Showground, Detling, ME14 3JF 

Tel: 01636 676531 

www.b2bevents.info 

#nationaltrust 

Play and Display exhibition 

22 October to 20 November, 11am - 3.30pm 

daily 

Relive childhood memories with our charming new 

exhibition of paper and card toys. The collection 

highlights how popular, versatile and enchanting 

paper and card toys have been over the centuries 

with puppets, paper dolls, model theatres and 

panoramas. You can get hands on and have some fun 

playing with modern ones too. 

Call 01580 710700 for details 

nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden 

When you visit, donate, volunteer or join the National Trust, your support helps 

us to look after special places such as Sissinghurst Castle Garden for ever, for 

© National Trust 2016. The National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846. Photography © National Trust Images\Emma Warren. 

From Country Chic To Fabulous Boutique 

B2BEventsLtdWT176.indd 1 06/09/2016 SissinghurstCastleWT176.indd 10:05 

1 22/09/2016 15:20 

Fashion / Gifts Galore / Homeware / Artisan Makers / Food & Drink 

LUXURY CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIRS 

11-12 Nov Tun Wells / 24-25 Nov Uckfield 

“A fabulous collection of Boutique Owners 

& Artisan Makers selling a huge array of beautiful 

& unique Christmas gifts & decorations” 

Each Fair is open 10am-4pm / £4 Entry / Free Parking 

11-12 Nov - Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0TG 

24-25 Nov - East Sussex National, Uckfield, TN22 5ES 

Sign up for giveaways & updates at www.countrylifestylefairs.co.uk 


178 

CountryLifestyleFairsWT176.indd 1 19/09/2016 10:46


The Contemporary 

Craft & 

Design Fair 

KentPaintersGrouPWT176.indd 1 03/08/2016 14:14 

Purchase 

direct from 

the very best 

makers in 

the UK 

Sevenoaks School 

SEVENOAKS 

21 - 23 October 

12 noon to 5pm Fri 

10am to 5pm Sat & Sun 

Admission £4 • High Street TN13 1HU 

www.craftinfocus.com T: 01622 747325 

CIF_130x90_Sevenoaks_16.indd CraftinFocusWT176.indd 1 1 09/09/2016 12:32 12:52 

apple fayre and music festival. 

Now it’s time to celebrate the 

written word with the first ever 

Cranbrook Literature Festival. 

Entry: Some events free, 

others start from £8 

Info: cranbrookliteraturefestival.com 

Sat 1 Oct 9.30am-12pm 

Penshurst Place, Penshurst, 

Tonbridge TN11 8DG 

October Farmer’s 

market 

With over 40 stalls offering the 

best local food and drink, the 

market is a must for anyone 

looking to learn more about 

the produce of Kent, and 

the people who supply it. 

Info: 01892 870307 / 

penshurstplace.com 

Sat 1 - Sun 2 Oct 10am-6pm 

Kent Life, Lock Lane, Sandling, 

Maidstone ME14 3AU 

APPLE AND CIDER FAYRE 

As well as the traditional 

process of cider pressing, 

enjoy live music, local produce 

stalls and morris dancing. 

Entry: Adults £9.50, Children £7.50 

Info: 01622 763936 

/ kentlife.org.uk 

Sat 15 Oct from 12pm 

The Stade Open Space, 

Old Town, Hastings 

950TH ANNIVERSARY OF 

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS 

CELEBRATIONS 

Celebrate the 950th anniversary 

of one of history’s most 

famous battles with a torch 

light procession, fireworks, 

drumming and much more. 

Entry: Free 

Info: hbbs.info 

Sun 16 Oct 

Bateman’s Lane, Burwash, 

East Sussex TN19 7DS 

BATEMAN’S APPLE DAY 

As well as exploring the orchards, 

you can even have a go at making 

apple juice with our homemade 

apple mill and press and meet our 

beekeeper to learn how the bees 

and the orchard work together to 

produce this rich autumn harvest. 

Entry: Adults £10, Children £5 

Info: nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans 

ARE YOU SINGLE? 

Yours truly is affordable, 

exclusive, traditional and 

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*Confi dential Interviews* 

*Personal Matching* 

CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND CALL 

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01892 667750 

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Sat 22 Oct – Sun 30 Oct 

Rye 

WILD BOAR WEEK 

The 6th Wild Boar Week in Rye, 

East Sussex offers the perfect 

opportunity to indulge in culinary 

delights from the countryside. 

Wild Boar Week events also 

include walks, tours, live music 

and quiz nights in various locations 

around the historic town of Rye. 

Info: wildboar.org.uk 

YoursTrulyWT133.indd 1 19/02/2013 17:54 

Sat 29 Oct 9am-3pm 

Highbury Hall, Highbury 

Lane, Tenterden TN30 6LE 

TENTERDEN BOOK FAIR 

15 book dealers attending with 

1000s of pre-loved books for 

sale on all subjects, for both 

the reader & the collector. 

Refreshments available all day. 

Entry: Free 

Info: 01580 764395 

Music 

Thurs 6 Oct 7.30pm 

Hazlitt Theatre, Earl Street, 

Maidstone ME14 1PL 

The Unique Komedy 

Ukelele Orchestra 

After a string of hugely successful 

European Tours, the musicians 

from TUKUO directed by Peter 

Moss will once more be combining 

their totally unique vocal harmony 

blend with their own brand 

of typically British humour, 

brilliantly daring and inventive 

arrangements and the unbelievable 

sound of their miniature 

instrument of choice, the famous 

and hugely underrated Ukulele 

that originated from Hawaii. 


Ibbett Mosely 

AuctIoneers & VAluers 

Limited Liability Partnership 

The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On 

Wednesday 19th October 2016 

Commencing at 12.30pm | Viewing 10.00am - 12.30pm 

At Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HJ 

Valuation Day - Wednesday 26th October 2016 11am to 4pm 

Crown Inn, School Road, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5PQ 

Tel: 01732 456731 Web: www.ibbettmosely.co.uk 

125 High St, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UT 

Registered in England No. 0C341637 Regulated by RICS Registered at the Sevenoaks office as Ibbett Mosely Surveyors LLP 

FESTIVE GIFT FAIR 

Everybody 

Welcome 

join us and 

choose 

your festive 

gifts 

Winchelsea New Hall 

Saturday 12 NOVEMBER 2016 

10AM – 3PM 

RIBBONS 

PAPER & TAGS 

GIFT BOXES 

PROCEEDS 

TO THE 

RefUrbishment 

of Winchelsea 

New Hall 

IbbettMoselyWT176.indd 1 05/09/2016 11:17 

HORNBROOK MANOR FARM 

SWEETS 

JAMS 

CHUTNEYS 

BISCUITS 

TEA & COFFEE 

TOMBOLA 

RAFFLE 

Wine Tasting 

Garden ideas, design and planting 

For Borders, Planting plans or full Garden Makeovers 

Contact Jo on 01233 861149 www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk 

Chocolate 

Cakes 

Children’s 

Clothes 

Cards 

WOOL PRODUCTS 

WALKING STICKS 

WINTER BULBS 

WRAPPING PAPER 

JEWELLERY 

LIGHTS 

PAINTINGS 

GLASS 

POTTERY 

LOCAL 

PRODUce 

REG Charity no 235174 

A4giftfairposterART.indd 1 12/09/2016 22:12 

FIRST CLASS ENTERTAINMENT IN KENT 

HornbrookManorWT175.indd 1 08/08/2016 WinchelseaVilageHallWT176.indd 15:09 

1 13/09/2016 10:44 

BOOK ONLINE: ORCHARDTHEATRE.CO.UK 

TICKET OFFICE: 01322 220000 


180 

OrchardTheatreWT176.indd 1 13/09/2016 16:43


Entry: Adults £22, Children 

/ Concessions £20 

Info: 01622 758611 / 

parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/ 

Hazlitt-Theatre 

Fri 7 Oct 8pm 

Tunbridge Wells Jazz Club, The 

Masonic Centre, St John’s Road, 

Tunbridge Wells TN4 9UY 

The Pedigree Jazz Band 

Enjoy this live jazz event with 

a raffle and licensed bar. The 

bar is also open for sandwiches 

and soft drinks/coffee. 

Entry: Members £1.50, Students £2 

Info: 01892 890442 / 

twjazzclub.co.uk 

Fri 21 Oct 7.30pm 

Groves Hall, Sutton 

Valence School 

SUTTON VALENCE 

MUSIC SOCIETY 

Classical guitarist Sean Shibe 

studied at the Royal Conservatoire 

of Scotland. He is the only 

solo guitarist to have been 

awarded a Borletti-Buitoni 

Trust Fellowship and is the 

first guitarist to be admitted 

to the prestigious BBC New 

Generation Artist Award Scheme. 

Entry: £12 

Info & Booking: 01622 863002 

Tours 

Every Sat in Oct 9.45am-11am 

Biddenden Vineyards, 

Gribble Bridge Lane, 

Biddenden TN27 8DF 

BIDDENDEN 

VINEYARD TOURS 

Learn more about the history of 

the vineyard and how we make 

our award-winning wines, ciders 

and juices. The tour is followed 

by tastings of our wines, ciders 

and juices in our vineyard shop. 

Entry: Free 

Info: 01580 291726 / 

biddendenvineyards.com 

Mon 17 Oct 12.30pm-3.30pm 

Great Dixter, Northiam, 

East Sussex TN31 6PH 

BEHIND THE SCENES 

AT GREAT DIXTER 

Great Dixter gardener Rachael 

Dodd will take you on an 

afternoon’s exploration of the 

borders to examine the plants in 

bloom and give you an insight 

into the work that makes the 

renowned garden so beautiful. 

Entry: £45 per person 

Info and Booking: 01797 

254048 / greatdixter.co.uk 

Sat 22 – Mon 31 Oct 11.30am 

Tunbridge Wells Tourist 

Information Centre, The Old 

Fish Market, The Pantiles, Royal 

Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TN 

GUIDED WALKS OF ROYAL 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS 

Learn all about the historic spa 

town of Royal Tunbridge Wells 

on a guided stroll through the 

Pantiles and the historic heart 

of the town. Discover its 400 

year old history and hear about 

the many famous visitors. 

Entry: Free 

Info: 01892 515675 

/ visitkent.co.uk 

Sat 22 Oct from 9.30am 

Mote Park, Maidstone, 

Kent ME15 8NQ 

TREE WALK AT MOTE PARK 

A guided walk around Mote Park 

with the Chairman of the Mote 

Park Fellowship who will introduce 

you to some of the history of the 

park as well as the importance 

it plays in protecting some of 

the oldest trees in the country. 

Entry: Adults £2.50 

Info: 01622 730453 / 

moteparkfellowship.org.uk 

Listings are correct at time of going 

to press but may be subject to change. 

Readers are advised to check with venues 

before making arrangements. We can list 

your event in the next issue of Wealden 

Times for only £15! Please supply up to 

50 words that should include date, time, 

venue, and any entry price to whatson@ 

wealdentimes.co.uk or send with payment 

(cheques payable to JPS Media) to What’s 

On, Wealden Times, Kettle Chambers, 21 

Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF. 

Wealden Times reserves the right to edit 

text to fit space allocated. If you would like 

your event listing to be accompanied by a 

full colour reproduction (42.5 x 62.5mm) 

of a poster or other pictorial image, the 

total charge will be £95. Deadline for the 

November issue is 14 October 2016. 

VOICE TRIALS 

for boys aged 7 & 8 

5 th November 2016 

Substantial scholarships are 

awarded and choristers benefit 

from an all-round excellent 

education at St Edmund’s 

School Canterbury. 

The Master of Choristers, 

David Flood, is always 

pleased to meet and advise 

parents and their sons. 

For further details 

please telephone 

01227 865242 

davidf@canterbury-cathedral.org 

@No1Cathedral 

CanterburyCathedralChoirED03.indd 1 28/04/2016 12:51 

Weekdays October-3rd-21st. 

Autumn Tints—enjoy a trip 

through the beautiful Sussex 

countryside. Sit back and relax as 

you meander along the line between Sheffield Park and 

East Grinstead. ‘Souper Steam’- enjoy a bowl of warming 

Autumn vegetable soup as you travel or choose to travel 

in the Railway’s unique Observation Car-limited seating 

so booking advisable and essential for the ‘Souper Steam’ 

The next BIG thing 28th-30th October 

‘Giants of Steam’ 

Train services throughout the day-two visiting engines 

will compliment the Railway’s fleet of larger engines. 

70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’ (with thanks to NRM and 

Great Central Railway) and LNER B12 from Midland 

and Great Northern Society based at North Norfolk 

Railway (both subject to availability) 

For more information or to book 

please contact us. 01825 720800 

www.bluebell-railway.com 

Sheffield Park Station 

TN22 3QL 


BluebellRailwayWT176.indd 1 20/09/2016 15:07

Home & Interiors 

Garden & Building 

Wealden Wealden Times Times - Bazaar - Classified 

Clare Langdon 

INTERIORS 

Made to measure 

curtains & blinds 

Tracks & poles 

Measuring & fitting service 

Home consultation 

Fabrics & design advice 

Telephone 01233 850829 

clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk 

Aquarius Soft Furnishings & Wool Shop 

ClareLangdonWT171.indd 1 11/04/2016 10:49 

Knitting wool & Haberdashery Ribbons, buttons, elastic, sewing aids 

Curtain making & Upholstery Fabrics, Linings, tapes, hooks & much more 

ALL STYLES OF CURTAINS, 

HAND MADE IN OUR WORKSHOP 

We can supply Fabrics or make up your own 

CURTAIN TRACKS & POLES SUPPLIED 

Including electric curtain tracks 

BLINDS Roller, Roman, Vertical, Venetian, Pleated 

Books & Old 

Postcards 

Bought and Sold 

Goudhurst Bookshop 

01580 388027 

UPHOLSTERY & LOOSE COVERS Terms also are Cushion strictly replacements 

20 days from date of invoice. For All a FREE artwork, site colour survey 

matches and scans are done as a free of charge service, s 

GoudhurstBookshopWT172.indd 1 06/05/2016 11:03 

errors, mistakes, or poor colour reproduction 2 The Oast, Clockhouse Farm, Coxheath ME17 4PB Established 1976 and where advice we have please typeset calladvertisements. Clients should supply their own digita 

acceptable. If ICC is used to collect a debt, 10% + costs + VAT will be added. No advertisement 

advertising designed 

from as by Magnet 

little 

Media Lim 

07799 351299 

Telephone: 01622 744265 or 746454 Email: may be aquarius.1@btconnect.com 

used in either promotional literature or other publications without prior permission. A minimum of £50 will be levied as £40 a month. Call us if 

www.aquariussoftfurnishings.co.uk 

Health & Wellbeing 

Life Coaching 

Positive Help for 

Life’s Challenges 

Exam Success, Career Coaching, 

Creative Retirement. 

New Directions For All Ages. 

Call Sally on 07545 397606 

Gifts 

LTJ SURFACING 

Family Run Business for over 27 years 

Specialists in Tarmac ‧ Block Paving 

‧ Concrete ‧ Bonded Tar & Gravel 

‧ Resin Bounded ‧ Brickwork 

‧ All Other Groundwork Undertaken 

Private & Commercial ‧ Driveways 

‧ Patios ‧ Footways ‧ Alterations & 

Repairs ‧ Car parks & Roads 

‧ Pressure Washing ‧ We Offer 

Machine & Hand Lay Tarmac Teams 

or 01622 436933 

Visit us at www.ltjsurfacing.co.uk 

AquariusSoftFurnishingsWT176.indd 1 23/09/2016 12:35 

LTJSurfacingWT167.indd 1 14/12/2015 17:48 

Battle Mowers Ltd 

THE ESSENCE OF FINE 

BRITISH LAWNS 

For further information please phone 01424 773096 

or e-mail: battlemowers@btconnect.com www.battlemowers.co.uk 

visit our showroom at The Granary, Station Rd, Battle. TN33 0DE 

Local Book Store 

BattleMowersWT160.indd 1 11/05/2015 12:05 

Full colour 

01580 714705 

CLINICAL HYPNOTHERAPIST, 

EFT & NLP Practitioner 

Help with: Weight Loss, Stop Smoking, 

Panic Attacks, Phobias & many 

other anxiety based disorders 

Debbie Winstanley BSc(Hons)Psych,MBSCH 

Tel: 01424 460096 

www.debbiewinstanley.co.uk 

debbiewins@hotmail.com 

SallyMuskerWT175.indd 1 22/08/2016 14:36 

A pet portrait makes a wonderful gift 

Professional Oil Paintings & Drawings 

Book for Christmas Now 

Visit www.dianewilks.weebly.com or 

Email for examples: wdiane93@aol.com 

Diane 01580 212327 

DebbieWinstanleyWT172.indd 1 10/05/2016 DianeWilksWT162.indd 09:48 Please call 107733 263 239 06/07/2015 11:07 

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182 

KellyMillingtonWT176.indd 1 21/09/2016 HawkenburyNurserySchoolWT176.indd 10:03 

1 26/09/2016 16:54

WIN A two piece knife gift 

set & wooden display box 

Over recent years, Flint and Flame have been 

gaining significant recognition in Europe for 

their outstanding range of knives, crafted 

and designed with the chef in mind. 

They’re beautifully contoured, with an ergonomically 

designed handle incorporating ‘Centre Point Balance’ 

technology and a unique ‘Zero Pressure Point’ design. 

This eliminates the risk of callouses forming after 

prolonged use, making these knives a real musthave 

for the home and professional chef alike. 

We are thrilled to offer readers an online discount 

code of 25% off retail prices. Just enter WD25 at 

the checkout. For further offers and information 

be sure to visit stand number 16 at the Midwinter 

Fair or take a look at flintandflame.co.uk 

With Flint and Flame’s engraving service you’re 

guaranteed to find a unique gift for someone special. 

HOW TO ENTER: For your chance to win this fantastic prize of a two piece knife gift set presented in a wooden display box, 

just answer the following question: What is Flint and Flame’s Midwinter Fair stand number? Enter your answer with your contact 

details* in the online form at wealdentimes.co.uk/competition or post to: Flint and Flame competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by 31 October 2016. There is no cash alternative and the prize must be taken by October 2017. *All 

entrants’ details will be passed on to Flint and Flame and Wealden Times Events. Please let us know if you do not wish your details to 

be passed on. 

Congratulations to Lauren Jordan who wins our July competition for a Night Stay For Two At Frasers, Egerton. 

It’s our 

950 th 

ANNIVERSARY 

visit1066country.com/950 

Try something different... 

come curling & love it! 

Staff Outings 

Entertaining Clients 

Birthday Parties 

Christmas Parties 

Stag & Hen Parties 

Social Events 

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1066 themed events for all to 

enjoy from 8 to 16 October 

LOVE CURLING IN KENT! 

Dundale Farm, Dundale Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9AQ 

01892 826004 • info@curlinginkent.co.uk • www.curlinginkent.co.uk 

find us on facebook & twitter 


HastingsBoroughCouncilWT175.indd 1 16/08/2016 FentonsRinkWT176.indd 16:59 

1 21/09/2016 11:57

Jane Howard’s 

Fables from the Farm 

It’s already Christmas in the supermarkets and getting towards the end of the 

year on the calendar – but in farming it’s all just kicking off 

October already. Aaaagh. While 

it may seem like the year is 

drawing to a close, in the world 

of agriculture it is quite the opposite and 

Michaelmas, which falls on September 

29th, is very much seen as the start of 

the farming calendar. 

Michaelmas is named after St Michael 

the Archangel, the greatest of all the 

Archangels honoured for defeating Satan 

in the War of Heaven. He is seen as a 

protector against the dark of night, and 

the administrator of cosmic intelligence! 

So quite an interesting 

chap then, but on a more 

mundane level Michaelmas, 

coming around the equinox 

(when night time hours 

are the same as day time 

hours) is also one of the 

Quarter Days – the others 

being Christmas Day, Lady Day and 

Midsummer Day. 

Traditionally farmers expected to have 

completed the harvest by Michaelmas 

and it’s the day when rents were due, 

leases began and servants hired. 

Although we won’t be hiring any 

servants this year at Coopers, there is still 

very much a feeling that another year 

has drawn gently to a close. 2016 has 

been an exceptionally good year for grass 

and our barns are crammed with hay 

and straw in preparation for the cattle 

“Rather like dress 

sizes, cows get 

scored according 

to their level 

of rotundity” 

coming in when the weather changes 

again in November. 

The pigs are fat as butter (having 

stuffed themselves with acorns) and 

ditto the cattle. In terms of assessing 

the condition of the cows, rather like 

dress sizes they get scored according to 

their level of rotundity with one being 

exceptionally thin and five being far too 

much of a Bessie Bunter. 

Sussex cows are known for their ability 

to ‘do well’ on the roughest grazing and 

having enjoyed the summer grass mine 

are edging dangerously up 

the scale, but this is to be 

expected. And when they 

come inside at the end of 

the year, the calves will be 

weaned off them and they 

will go on a four month 

‘hay diet’ i.e. just hay so 

they slim down to calve in the spring at a 

respectable 3.5 or 4.0. 

The ewes, however, end the summer 

looking much plainer (thinner in 

farming parlance) having raised a couple 

of lambs that end up being almost the 

same size as their mothers. The lambs 

were weaned in August and the ewes are 

now on a ‘rising plane of nutrition’ to 

end up in tip top condition ready for the 

rams in early November. 

Unlike cows and pigs that are fertile 

all year, female sheep only come into 

oestrus when the night time hours exceed 

the day time hours (so, starting around 

Michaelmas) and traditionally the rams 

are put to the ewes on Bonfire Night 

with lambs appearing after April Fools’ 

Day, a clever way of ensuring the lambs 

only come when the weather warms up 

and the grass starts growing. 

So the ewes are now grazing the better 

pasture and soon they will go on to the 

best the farm has to offer – those fields 

which were cut for hay and have sweet 

and succulent regrowth - to be flushed. 

Grazing such nutritious grass encourages 

them to produce more eggs so when 

they do get together with the rams the 

result will be more twins and triplets as 

opposed to singles. 

The other thing I love about this time 

of year is blackberrying and producing 

pots of bramble jelly. But that too 

must come to an end. Going back to 

our cosmic administrator St Michael, 

apparently when Satan was hurled out of 

heaven he fell to the ground and landed 

in a patch of brambles. 

Not being best pleased he poured fire 

and brimstone on the innocent bushes 

and apparently renews the curse every 

Michaelmas, so unsuspecting foragers 

like you and I should never pick them 

after September 29th. But that doesn’t 

matter too much as soon it will be time 

for the sloes and strangely the gin always 

seems more popular than the jam. 

Follow Jane Howard – and the farm 

– on Instagram @coopersfarm 


184

CO-EDUCATIONAL | DAY & BOARDING | 3-13 YEARS | IAPS 

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Tel. 01892 534018 | Fax. 01892 510536 

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Nursery Pre-Prep Prep 

To register interest or for 

more information please contact: 

registrar@junior-kings.co.uk 

+44 (0)1227 714000 

www.junior-kings.co.uk 

Open Mornings 

Saturday 8th October 2016 

Saturday 6th May 2017

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• A large range of fabrics & leathers to choose from 

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For more information call 01892 272353 

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Wealden Times | WT176 | October 2016 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

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