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Smarden Tourist Information


Smarden is a wonderful place to live and to visit. It is a beautiful Kentish weavers' village with around 200 buildings of architectural and historical note dating from the '4th Century. St Michael's church of the Archangel in the centre of the village is also known as the Barn of Kent because of its unusually broad scissor-beamed roof, unsupported by pillars. Walking through the centre of the village gives a reflective sense of historic charm and timelessness. Visitors can purchase a booklet produced by the local history society for just ' (from any of the 3 shops or 3 pubs), that gives a few sentences about many of the timber framed houses.

Yes, Smarden has a Post Office, a butchers and an art gallery. The Post Office also stocks a range of grocery, stationery and confectionary items. The butcher also provides fruit, vegetables, bakery and dairy items. The art gallery holds a different exhibition each month, with the annual wearable art and Christmas shows being popular features. The Chequers Inn provides accommodation and restaurants. The nearby Flying Horse, Smarden Bell Inn and Bethersden Bull Inn also serve good food. B&B and holiday lets are available in several historic and oast houses. So if you come for a weekend break, all your needs can be well catered for.

Leeds and Bodiam Castles, Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, Great Dixter Gardens, Godinton House Gardens, Biddenden Vineyard, Headcorn Air Museum, The Kent & East Sussex Steam Train, several woodland walks and the new Kino Digital Cinema are all within easy reach of Smarden.

Smarden also has a vibrant and active community life. In the past 5 years, the villagers raised over 600,000 to build a new village hall, which opened in January 2007. The hall now hosts a variety of village activities including a very modern IT centre, local drama productions, regular music events, dance classes, yoga and pilates classes, toddlers groups, gardening society, quilting and embroidery groups, history society, heritage centre, etc.

During the week you will hear the laughter of children at the primary school. On Wednesdays and Sundays you will see cricket being played on the village green. There are also tennis courts and a safely enclosed children's playground. Most days you will see horses being ridden through the village. On Wednesday evenings you can hear the bell ringers practicing. Weddings are frequently held at St Michael's, as people want to add the exceptional charm that Smarden offers to the memories of their special day. Each April, the Beult River that runs through the village hosts the quirky annual duck race when most of the village residents pack onto the town bridge and along the river banks to cheer on the winners. These examples give a flavour of village life that you can participate in and enjoy when you are here - - we look forward to welcoming you.

Description by Laura Hawken

 

Images of Smarden
Arial view of Smarden © Laura Hawken
Smarden when it is snowing © Laura Hawken
Waterside House, Water Lane with oast houses in background © Laura Hawken
St Michael's Church of the Archangel in spring © Laura Hawken
The Street in May, Smarden © Laura Hawken
Wisteria Cottage in spring © Laura Hawken
Directions
Show map of Smarden...

What's near Smarden

Attractions:
  Kent and East Sussex Railway  4 Miles
  Hole Park Gardens  6 Miles
  South of England Rare Breeds Centre  6 Miles
more attractions near Smarden...
 
Towns:
  Headcorn  3 Miles
  Biddenden  3 Miles
  High Halden  4 Miles
more towns near Smarden...
 
Estate Agents:
  Link Up Properties Maidstone  4 Miles
  Your Move Campbell Clark Ltd  4 Miles
  Calcutt Maclean Standen West Kent  7 Miles
Hotels:
  Little Silver Country Hotel  3 Miles
  Best Western London Beach Country Hotel & Golf Club  3 Miles
  Headcorn Lodge Hotel  5 Miles
more hotels in Smarden area...
 
Bed and Breakfast:
  Gate Cottage  2 Miles
  Bettenham B&B  4 Miles
  Bishopsdale Oast  4 Miles
more bed and breakfasts near Smarden...
 
Self Catering:
  Little Dean Cot  8 Miles
  Little Dodges  9 Miles
  The Hereford Cottage  10 Miles
more self catering near Smarden...
 
Campsites:
  Broadhembury Holiday Park  8 Miles
  Pine Lodge Touring Park  9 Miles
  Frenchman's Beach Holiday Park  14 Miles

Cinema: Cineworld Ashford  10 Miles

TIC: Tenterden Tourist Information Centre     Tel: 01580 763572  4 Miles


Attractions near Smarden
Kent and East Sussex Railway (4 Miles)*
Economic pressures forced British Railways to withdraw the passenger service in 1954. Volunteers got together and, in 1974, re-opened a section of the line. The railway now runs for almost 11 miles, making it one of the longest such lines in the UK.
Hole Park Gardens (6 Miles)*
Hole Park Gardens are situated on the edge of the picturesque Weald village of Rolvenden. A family owned estate Hole Park has been owned by the Barham family for the past four generations.
South of England Rare Breeds Centre (6 Miles)*
Home to a large collection of rare British farm breeds, you can get close to 'history on the hoof'.
more attractions near Smarden ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Towns near Smarden
Headcorn Tourist Information (3 Miles)*
Biddenden Tourist Information (3 Miles)*
High Halden Tourist Information (4 Miles)*
more towns near Smarden...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Hotels near Smarden
Little Silver Country Hotel (3 Miles)*
The proprietors, management and staff at this hotel ensure that the attention to detail will make your stay a memorable one.
Best Western London Beach Country Hotel & Golf Club (3 Miles)*
The Best Western London Beach Hotel & Golf Club opened in May 2000. Built with leisure and conference facilities in mind, it has every comfort one would expect.
Headcorn Lodge Hotel (5 Miles)*
Set in rolling countryside the Headcorn Lodge Hotel is a travel lodge style hotel. Situated in the grounds of the Weald of Kent, the hotel has access to the club restaurant, bar and 18 hole golf course.Headcorn Lodge Hotel is a travel lodge style hotel.
more Smarden hotels (and nearby)...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Self Catering near Smarden
Little Dean Cot (8 Miles)*
LITTLE DEAN COT is a semi detached bungalow apartment situated on the North Downs in a rural location designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. The accommodation is for 2 people.
Little Dodges (9 Miles)*
Spacious ground floor accommodation enjoying panoramic views of surrounding countryside. Converted from old shire horse stable and beamed throughout.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
more self catering near Smarden ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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