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England - North Downs Attractions

Southeast England

Counties: Surrey and Kent

The North Downs are a ridge of high ground running parallel to the coast, which extends southwards from the Thames Basin across the counties of Surrey and Kent, from Guildford in the west to the fantastic white chalk cliffs of Dover in the east.
Albury Park
Beyond Newlands Corner is Albury in the valley of the River Tillingbourne (4mi/6km south-east), with Albury Park, a seat of the Dukes of Northumberland. The house, rebuilt by Augustus Welby Pugin, contains a valuable collection of paintings, clocks and 64 different mantelpieces, which were in part the work of Robert Adam. Following the best Italian models, the park has a Roman bath and a cave inspired by the Grotto of Posilippo in Naples.
Picture of Edenbridge - Hever Castle and Gardens
Read More Edenbridge - Hever Castle and Gardens
This moated castle was once the family home of Anne Boleyn, who would later become the second wife of King Henry VIII. It was renovated in the early 1900s.
Picture of Lamberhurst - Scotney Castle Garden & Estate
Read More Lamberhurst - Scotney Castle Garden & Estate
The 14th C Scotney Castle, with its round tower, is surrounded by water and beautiful gardens.
Newlands Corner
One of the most impressive viewpoints on the North Downs can be reached by taking the Leatherhead road (A 246) as far as Merrow and then bearing right to Newlands Corner, from where there is a superb view across the flat saddle of the Weald.
Abinger Hammer
Further on to the east of Albury Park is Abinger Hammer. The "hammer" is a clock with the figure of a blacksmith, recalling the craftsmen of previous times. The hammers of the clock were once driven by water from the river.
Biddenden, England
Near Sissinghurst Castle, on the edge of the Weald, is the village of Biddenden, where Siamese twins were born around 1500. In memory of these "maids of Biddenden", cakes stamped with a representation of the twins are still eaten here on Easter Monday. The village street of Biddenden boasts not only the medieval parish church of All Saints, but also two 17th century red-brick houses, Biddenden Palace and Hendon Hall. The half-timbered building Old Cloth Hall (16th/17th centuries) was built for a well-to-do cloth merchant. Catweazel Manor (16th century) with its hipped roof is also worth seeing.
Cranbrook, England
Cranbrook (11mi/18km east of Tunbridge Wells; pop. 5,600) is an old weavers' town with one of the largest windmills in England, a church rebuilt in 1430, and a school founded in 1576.
Cranbrook is a pretty town with medieval streets lined with lovely old houses. There are six churches, a number of unique shops and a town museum for tourists to visit.
Address
Cranbrook Tourist Office
Vestry Hall
Stone Street
Cranbrook TN17 3HA
England
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
(North Downs)
Sissinghurst Castle, situated not far to the northeast of Cranbrook, is well worth a visit. Of the original Tudor mansion dating from before 1550, only the four-story gate-tower survives. In 1930 the property was acquired by Victoria Sackville-West (1892-1962), who lived here with her husband, the historian Sir Harold Nicholson. Her study in the tower contains the printing press which was used by Virginia and Leonard Woolf at the beginning of the 1920s to produce the first editions of the later much-famed Hogarth Press.
The garden is worth a visit year round but especially during the summer when it is at its most colorful. Created by Vita-Sackville-West and Sir Harold Nicholson, this is considered the loveliest garden in England.
Address
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Sissinghurst
North Cranbrook TN17 2AB
England
Hours
March 17 to October 28
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open11:0011:00ClosedClosed11:0011:0011:00
Close18:3018:30 18:3018:3018:30
Always opened on:
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Always closed on:
Spring Bank Holiday - Britain (last Monday, May )
Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Cost
Family 22.00
Adult 8.60
Group discounts 7.80
Child 4.00
All values are in local currency
Tips
Least crowded in April, Sept, Oct. Last admission1 hour before closing.
Parking
Free
Disabled
Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Wheelchair loan or rental
Transit
Bus: Arriva Kent & Sussex 4/5 Maidstone-Hastings(passes the Staplehurst train station)
Typical Visit
1 hour
Flint Cottage (Castle)
Part of the North Downs area belongs to the National Trust, including Flint Cottage (Castle), near Mickleham, in which the novelist George Meredith (1828-1909) lived for over 30 years until his death.
Godalming - Winkworth Arboretum, England
Godalming is located on the banks of the River Wye and is a prosperous town for London commuters.

Winkworth Arboretum is a National Trust property located near Godalming. The site includes 99ac of trees and shrubs.
Address
Winkworth Arboretum
Hascombe Road
Godalming GU8 4AD
England
Hours
Always opened on:
Spring Bank Holiday - Britain (last Monday, May )
Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Cost
Family 11.50
Admission Cost 4.60
Group discounts 4.40
Child 2.30
All values are in local currency
Tips
Open daily from dawn to dusk, but may be closed in bad weather. Dogs allowed on leads. Gift shop and tea-room open daily except Monday and Tuesday 11-4 pm.
Parking
Free
Disabled
Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Transit
BritRail: Godalming
Juniper Hall
To the south of Mickleham is Juniper Hall, which at the end of the 18th century provided a place of refuge for French refugees fleeing the Revolution, including Duke Charles Maurice de Talleyrand (1754-1838), who was Foreign Minister of France and represented France at the Congress of Vienna, and the writer Germaine de Staël-Holstein (1766-1817), known as Madame de Staël, whose main work "De l'Allemagne" (1810-13) offered French people the long-standing Romantic idealized picture of the "German poet and thinker".
Leith Hill
From Abinger Hammer a beautiful road runs over the downs to Leith Hill (965ft/295m), from the top of which it is possible to see as far as London on a good day.
Leith Hill is the highest point in southeast England. A Gothic tower offers magnificent views from the top.
Hours
March 30 to July 27
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosedClosedClosedClosed10:0010:0010:00
Close 17:0017:0017:00
August 2 to August 31
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosedClosed10:00Closed10:0010:0010:00
Close 17:00 17:0017:0017:00
September 6 to October 25
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosedClosedClosedClosed10:0010:0010:00
Close 17:0017:0017:00
October 26 to January 31
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosedClosedClosedClosedClosed10:0010:00
Close 15:3015:30
Always opened on:
Spring Bank Holiday - Britain (last Monday, May )
Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Always closed on:
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Cost
Adult 1.00
Child .50
All values are in local currency
Tips
Last admission to tower 30 minutes before closing.
Guides
Guided tour included with admission.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Transit
Bus: Tillingbourne 21, 31 Guildford-Dorking or Surrey Hills Leisure Bus 433 from Guilford nad Dorking on Sundays.
New Romney, England
New Romney (pop. 4,547) was one of the original Cinque Ports. There is a large Norman church in the centre of New Romney, originally located on the harbourside, and notable for the boat hooks on the side walls.

High Street in New Romney has a number of interesting specialty shops and West Street is home to noted former almshouses.
Address
New Romney Tourist Office
Town Hall House
High Street
New Romney TN28 8BT
England
Oxted - Titsey Place & Gardens
Titsey Place is a historic house situated on 20 acres of gardens. The beautiful setting makes it a favourite destination for an afternoon excursion and location for private parties.
Address
Titsey Place & Gardens
Titsey Hill, Titsey
Oxted RH8 0SD
England
Hours
May 11 to September 28
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosedClosed13:00ClosedClosedClosed13:00
Close 17:00 17:00
Always opened on:
Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Cost
Admission Cost 5.00
Grounds / gardens only around attraction 2.50
All values are in local currency
Tips
Guided tours of the house at 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm, last 45 minutes and are restricted to 20 people.
Guides
Guided tour included with admission.
Plaxtol - Old Soar Manor, England
Plaxtol is a small village with a fine Parish Church. The village is enjoyed on foot by exploring with the illustrated map highlighting 25 houses of interest.

Old Soar Manor is a National Trust property located in Plaxtol, Borough Green. This is a knight's dwelling from the late 13th C.
Hours
April 6 to September 28
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open10:0010:0010:0010:00Closed10:0010:00
Close18:0018:0018:0018:00 18:0018:00
Tips
No toilet facilities. No dogs allowed.
Transit
BritRail: Borough Green
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