ROLLING GREEN HILLS , IDYLLIC VILLAGES , HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE AND AN ASSORTMENT OF FOODIE TREASURES : THE KENTISH WEALD IS THE EMBODIMENT OF RURAL ROMANCE .
KENTSTAYCATION
THE UNION MILL
WONDERS OF
THE WEALD
ROLLING GREEN HILLS , IDYLLIC VILLAGES , HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE AND AN ASSORTMENT OF FOODIE TREASURES : THE KENTISH WEALD IS THE EMBODIMENT OF RURAL ROMANCE .
Although loved for its iconic coastline lying to the east of the county , Kent ’ s sense of identity is equally defined by the glorious countryside that makes up its westerly border with Sussex . Known as ‘ The Weald ’, this quintessentially Kentish area covers approximately 500 beautiful square miles and includes around 38 small towns and historic villages . With a strong presence of rural history and picturesque architecture that has witnessed the comings and goings of hundreds of years , The Weald itself predates human inhabitants , once being a site of ancient woodland dating back to the prehistoric era . Its long and rich history saw it as a heavily forested area until the Middle Ages , which marked the beginning of its clearing for farming and gathering firewood . The Weald then became the centre of ironworking during the medieval period , and many of the towns ( most of which end in ‘ den ’ meaning wooded ) expanded and evolved under the influence of a thriving iron industry .
History saw that ironmaking in The Weald peaked during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I , eventually failing to compete with foreign imports that came to Britain after the Restoration . Despite this , and the eventual return to agriculture , this part of history is far from forgotten , with remnants of this period standing the test of time . Some of the earliest castiron railings were made by the Lamberhurst Foundry for St Paul ’ s Cathedral and many ‘ furnace ponds ’ are still to be found scattered throughout the Wealden countryside . Today , The Weald is the perfect place for history buffs , with plenty of architectural marvels to visit and museums that celebrate the eclectic heritage of the area . Many of these blend architectural buildings and informative days out into one including The Union Mill in Cranbrook , a magnificent windmill complete with exhibitions and demonstrations ; The Cranbrook Museum , a fine 15th-century building that houses hundreds of exhibits encapsulating the local history of Cranbrook ; and The Tenterden and District Museum , a Kentish weatherboarded building with six different rooms showcasing different periods and areas of local history .
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