KENTSTAYCATION
WESTERHAM & EDENBRIDGE CONT .
Make your trip to Westerham an overnight delight and indulge in at least two days discovering all the delights that this idyllic area has to offer . Set in the heart of the town , The Kings Arms ( www . greenekinginns . co . uk / hotels / kings-arms ) is the other traditional coaching inn that Westerham is home to . An elegant Georgian building , the inn has been welcoming guests since 1700 . Today it still offers a lovely atmosphere and a cosy place to stay , with no less than 17 comfortable bedrooms for a relaxing night ’ s sleep after a long day exploring . Some rooms have power showers , some roll-top baths , but all promise fluffy towels , crisp linen and comfy beds to get your head down and even welcome your muchloved furry friends too .
When bringing your pet pooch along with you to take in that Kentish country air and admire the stunning countryside together , take a wonderful walk at Limpsfield Common ( www . nationaltrust . org . uk / limpsfield-common ) an ‘ ancient common on the Greensand Ridge where time comes home to sleep ’. From around the 14th century , Limpsfield Common was used by ‘ commoners ’ for grazing animals and collecting stone and firewood . These activities shaped the landscape into a rolling , open heathland . However , since the decline of ‘ commoning ’, the woodland has encroached , leaving just a few patches of heath . Work on the common goes back a long way and in fact , stone was quarried there as far back here as Domesday times . You can still come across some of the shallow stone pits whilst walking on the common today , one of the many things to wonder at against the backdrop of beautiful countryside that includes farmers ' fields and ancient woodland .
History also introduces us to another well-known Westerham character , General James Wolfe , victor of the decisive battle between the English and French at Quebec in 1779 . Born and raised in the town , the house where he grew up still stands today . Although built in the 17th century , it was renamed Quebec House ( www . nationaltrust . org . uk / quebec-house ) in honour of his famous victory , standing proudly to the east of Westerham and meticulously maintained by the National Trust . There are household items and other memorabilia relating to Wolfe on display , and in the stable block there is an exhibition about the battle of Quebec . Visitors are invited to finish their tours in the new and improved second-hand bookshop to browse the shelves at leisure .
Another mansion of the late 17th century is Squerryes Court ( www . squerryes . co . uk ), which also has connections to Wolfe . A friend of the Warde family that still owns this ‘ William and Mary ’ house , it was here that Wolfe received his first commission in 1741 - at the age of just 14 ! The house has a collection of paintings by the Dutch Old Masters , period furniture , tapestries , as well as Wolfe exhibits . The River Darent rises in Squerryes Park , which extends back from the house past formal gardens . Owned by the same family since 1731 , the house
Squerryes Court is now lived in by the eighth and ninth generation of the Wardes and is closed to the public , but private tours can be booked for £ 100 per person and provide an exclusive opportunity to see behind the scenes of this historic family home , steeped in history .
The name Squerryes is of course now more closely associated with English wine . The 2,500-acre Squerryes ( www . squerryes . co . uk ) estate has sat high on the North Downs in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for 300 years , and is now a chalkrich vineyard complete with winery . At 150 metres above sea level , Squerryes are one degree celsius cooler than most other vineyards in the south-east of England giving them a long cool summer . Squerryes vines flourish in this longer growing season , producing fruit that has the perfect balance of natural sweetness and acidity ; it is only this fruit that they use in the making of their English sparkling wine . Today , wine connoisseurs and those that love the aesthetic beauty of vineyards can enjoy a tour of the vineyard and learn about the 300-year-old Squerryes estate , the fascinating history of the spirit of the house , and the story of how a disagreement with a French Champagne House led to the Warde family planting vines on the North Downs at the ‘ Gateway to the Garden of England ’. Having learnt about the spirit of their terroir , it ' s a short walk to the special tasting room , where guests can discover more about Squerryes ancestral estate and vintage sparkling wines .
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