Town Profile 24hrs in....
Whether you want to check out the local restaurants, explore the surrounding countryside or enjoy a romantic get-away, Lenham and Cranbrook both have plenty to offer. Here, we look at the many merits of spending 24 hours in an historic village and a bustling town.
Cranbrook
For a town with a population of 6,000, Cranbrook has a remarkable amount to offer visitors.
Located roughly in the centre of an invisible diamond joining up Maidstone, Ashford, Hastings and Tunbridge Wells, Cranbrook acts as a service centre for a large rural area.
It is large enough to support a full range of
community facilities, a diverse mix of shops, bars and restaurants, and a huge variety of social activities, clubs, sporting events, classes and other entertainments.
What to see The town is noted for a dense medieval layout of
streets and alleys, with buildings dating from the 15th to 19th century. These display all the elements of Wealden building: timber frames, weatherboard, stucco and the more unusual local mathematical weathering, which mimics brickwork.
The two main streets contain a host of individual
shops, with specialists in art materials, antiques and cheeses. From galleries to ironmongers, gift shops to a lampshade specialist, there is more than enough to hold a visitor's attention.
These individual enterprises rub shoulder with the more prosaic: travel agents, banks, accountants, solicitors and estate agents. Visitors are spoilt for choice in terms of pubs and restaurants.
The Farmers Market is held weekly during the summer, hosting a collection of vegetables, fruits, jams, jellies, relishes, honey, herbs, cut flowers, meats, baked goods and bread, crafted products, handcrafted jewellery, original art and books, handmade soaps, bedding plants and more.
Cranbrook's most distinctive landmark is arguably the Union Windmill, which was built in 1814 and stands at the highest point overlooking the town. It is the tallest surviving smock mill in the British Isles, measuring 72 feet to the top of the cap. It has an eight-sided three-storey brick base and a four-storey, fixed wooden tower above that, clad in white painted weatherboard. The mill underwent major renovations at the beginning of last decade and is in excellent working order. It is open at regular times from April to the end of October. Entry is free.
There are six churches in the Cranbrook area. The
parish church of Cranbrook is St Dunstan's, which is known as the cathedral of the weald.
Cranbrook Music Festival 2011 This free festival will be taking place on
October 1st and 2nd throughout the town. The three main event venues will be, The George Hotel, The White Horse and The Crown for all bands and artists. The Congregational Church, The Vestry Hall and Stone Street will play host to a plethora of other acts and activities throughout the weekend.
10 Mid Kent Living
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