February 2025. Chiddingstone. Kent.
Another trip down to cheer up the father-in-law, recovering from being poked about in East Grinstead, a terrible place to be poked about.
Michael always perks up when we visit, particularly when we head to the pub.
We started with culture, us being cultured and all.
Chiddingstone village is owned by the National Trust, which describes it as “the best example of a Tudor village left in the country“, though I bet they’ve never taken a close look at Carluke.
This is the actual “chiding stone”, at which CAMRA members from neighbouring Tonbridge branch were chided for asking for tasters.
Ah, the first signs of Spring.
I do hope that that the GBG Castle Inn will resolve it’s architectural issues for the start of the tourist season.
I challenged Mrs RM to find errors in the sign;
She failed. How many can YOU find ?
Without a pub, there’s only a café to detain you. And some gorgeous timber.
The in-laws have never been to the privately owned castle,
possibly because of the ambitious admission charge.
It’s free to admire St Mary the Virgin (NCSS 3.5),
but despite the sculptures,
it was never going to detain us beyond opening time at the pub that was open.
retiredmartin 
The photos back up how pretty you mentioned the place is. Interesting spot.
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Not great weather, better pics on Kentish Paul’s blog which I’ll link to in the next post.
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Being poked in the Gorbals is worst of all.
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Sounds like I need to make some inquiries locally, as to the reason for the Castle’s enforced closure. (The pub is less than 10 minutes drive from where I work.)
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I was sure you’d wrote about this recently, Paul, but couldn’t find it on the blog. It looked nowhere near reopening. I think the Castle is owned by the National Trust ?
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The Castle Inn, is owned by the National Trust Martin, although as it’s leased to the people who run the place, it’s unlikely that NT members will receive a discount on their beer/food orders.
I still haven’t discovered the exact consolation of the archeological find that is preventing the pub from opening. I imagine the owners must be pretty cheesed off with all the trade they’ve been losing.
ps. I’ve never been to Chiddingstone Castle either – it looks like a Victorian fake, to me.
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No, I wouldn’t expect a discount in an NT pub ! Don’t think you get discount on the £6 sausage rolls in their cafes !
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You should have walked 30 minutes along the road to The Rock, Martin – it’s been a pub since 1536. Also, usually 2 Larkins on – some of the best beer in The World, and the only brewery in the U.K. to only brew with it’s own hops – now there’s a CAMRA quiz night question.
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Funny you should say that, that’s exactly what we did !
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Nice outcrop. I took a quick look on the BGS geology viewer and I see that its mainly Cretaceous rocks in Chiddingstone area.
Robin
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That’s the sort of detail we expect of you, Robin 👍
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“How many can YOU find ?” Ignoring punctuation issues, I’m not sure that an archaeological find is going to ordering anyone? And an interesting spelling of “trading”.
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You win a prize, Andy. If I meet you in That Wolverhampton I shall oblige.
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