Look Inside Three Castles 2022

2

Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author of these works: Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House Text, maps and photographs are Copyright David Clarke 2015 All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted without the prior consent of the author. At the time of writing, all routes follow public rights of way or permitted paths. However, diversions can be made at any time and permissions withdrawn, for which I cannot be held responsible, and care should be taken to abide by any local restrictions subsequent to the writing of Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House. Check www.1066haroldsway.co.uk for any alterations to the path. As regards public transport, changes to timetables can be made at any time and it is important to check that the service and schedules are still current before your walk. When following the route of Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House, please respect the Countryside Code, details of which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code History Walks or David Clarke do not accept any responsibility for any injuries or losses which may occur on ‘Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House’. Those using the route are advised to ensure that their personal insurance cover is adequate and are advised to carry their own basic first aid kit. First Published 2015 by Bretwalda Books Ltd. This edition is published in 2019 by History Walks. Copyright © David Clarke 2015 The sketch maps included in the walk are for guidance only. Scan the QR Code by each walk map to access full mapping for the route through the OS Map App available for both Apple and Android. If there are any major alterations or changes to Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House they will be advised through the website and the blog ▪ Website: www.1066haroldsway.co.uk ▪ Blog: http://historywalksblog.wordpress.com/ 3

Walking the High Weald of Kent and East Sussex The Walking Guide to Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House (2 Edition) nd Devised and Written by David Clarke To walk Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House is to discover the hidden valleys, hills, villages and ancient trackways that make up the landscape of the beautiful and historic High Weald of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Rambler's review: \"It's a highly original work and the well-written guidebook with maps, photographs and lots of practical information is full of interesting historical information including smugglers' tales, rebellions, industry and anecdotes.\" 4

WALKING THE HIGH WEALD In Walking the High Weald, I had hoped to use the subtitle Three Castles and a Knight; in fact, this was the working title for much of the writing of the book and the walk. Bodiam, Sissinghurst and Scotney were quickly identified as the three castles, with Bateman’s in the south-west corner forming the fourth corner of a rough square on the map. Rudyard Kipling lived at Bateman’s and was one of the most popular writers in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He wrote in both prose and verse with Henry James describing him as ‘the most complete man of genius that I have ever known’. In 1907 Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first English-language writer to receive the prize and ‘Kim’ is a book that I have read over and over again since my GCE ‘O’ level years. He must have been knighted if only to create a title that would have been right on a couple of levels for Three Castles but, sounded out on several occasions for a knighthood, he declined hence ‘Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House’, Bateman’s being a former Ironmaster’s House. This walk seemed a natural extension to 1066 Harold’s Way which was published in 2013. Sissinghurst Castle to Bodiam Castle was one of the sections and the possibility of exploring this corner of Kent and East Sussex was too good an opportunity to miss. One of the key factors of 1066 Harold’s Way was its accessibility by public transport along the whole of the 100 miles between Westminster Abbey and Battle Abbey and this was to become one of the overriding factors for Three Castles, although far more difficult in practice. Key route and travel suggestions will enable walkers to fully utilise public transport preserving rural transport facilities and reducing carbon emissions which are two of the key visions for the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Finally, I found walking Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House amazing. By following the old tracks and paths I became constantly aware of the changing nature of the landscape, its industry and history. The opportunity for a pint in pubs such as The Woodcock, The Milkhouse, The Old Vine and the George, enhanced the rural charm as well as the spirit in the knowledge that a bus or train would take me home. I do hope that this Guide to Walking the High Weald (Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House) will give you the inspiration to enjoy the High Weald and its cultural heritage, through the step by step walking notes, history and anecdotes that I found so interesting in my research. St Leonards on Sea, February 2019. 5

The Route of Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House: 6

Index Introduction 9 1066 11 1385 11 Peace 13 The High Weald 14 Charcoal 16 Iron 16 Smuggling 19 Walking Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House 21 Preserving the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 23 Travel 24 Mileage and Accommodation Summary & Itineraries 25 Walking Notes 27 Bodiam Castle to Sissinghurst Castle 32 Bodiam Castle to Sandhurst 33 Sandhurst to Benenden 37 Benenden to Sissinghurst Castle 40 Sissinghurst Castle to Scotney Castle 46 Sissinghurst Castle to Cranbrook 48 Cranbrook to Goudhurst 52 Goudhurst to Scotney Castle 59 Scotney Castle to Bateman’s 66 Scotney Castle to Lamberhurst 68 Lamberhurst to Wadhurst 70 Wadhurst to Stonegate Station 76 Stonegate Station to Burwash 82 Burwash to Bateman’s 87 Bateman’s to Bodiam Castle 88 Bateman’s to Brightling 90 Brightling to Robertsbridge 94 Robertsbridge to Bodiam Castle 102 Bibliography 108 The following links will help you plan your journey ahead of your walk. Traveline Journey Planner www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk or Traveline on 0870 608 2608 Weather Forecast www.news.bbc.co.uk/weather/ Tourist Information www.information-britain.co.uk/tic.cfm 7

Introduction The High Weald is no bleak moor guarded by grey granite hillsides that rise from the dark peat, a landscape with no trees to soften the horizon. Occasionally, I do think about those dark peaks and remember the heat rising from the purple heather on a hot summer’s day or the crunch of a crisp frost and sharp blue skies over Mam Tor on the way to Edale. I choose to forget those days of driving rain over Bleaklow, sinking knee deep in wet peat at every step. The High Weald is an altogether softer countryside of rolling hills, rivers, woods and hedgerows; of ridges and valleys and a patchwork of smaller fields. Farms and oasthouses scatter the view from almost every vantage point and all are connected by ancient roads, Roman roads and sunken lanes. There is a natural beauty to the High Weald, that has been enhanced though conservation and history, and by ‘Walking the High Weald’ on Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House, walkers can experience this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) at first hand. The ‘Weald’ means wilderness or forest, and the hills were once covered by the Forest of the Andreasweald, the most densely wooded area of England at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. Today the High Weald AONB covers 1460 acres and stretches over parts of East and West Sussex, Kent and Surrey: it is the third largest of all the AONBs exceeded only by the Cotswolds and the North Wessex Downs. There is a long history to the High Weald and the route of ‘Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House’ offers the chance to explore the Weald, south of Tunbridge Wells, in a 50 mile circular walk. The walk explores the industrial history of this Southern Weald and connects four of the most outstanding National Trust properties in the South-East. The National Trust owns and acts as guardians for Bodiam Castle, Sissinghurst Castle, Scotney Castle and Bateman’s which are the cornerstones of Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House and the history of all four properties is interwoven into the fabric of the High Weald. All have had their part to play in the industry and prosperity of Kent and Sussex. From that most romantic Castle in all of England, rising from its moat, Three Castles sets out to admire the splendid but chequered history of Sissinghurst Castle, the fairy tale moated 14 century Scotney Castle, with its tales of intrigue, th to the homely, sturdy Bateman’s built for the prosperous iron-master John Brittan but which later became the home of Rudyard Kipling. They are all special and unique and all provide links to the changing fortunes of the Weald and of the South-East of England, from the time of the Norman Conquest 8

in 1066 to the present day. They gave me the inspiration to walk, explore and write about Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House. Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House is an opportunity to take the time to explore, if you wish, the castles and houses and towns and villages along the route. It follows man’s ingenuity and progress and the changing industry from agriculture to iron, to sheep, to the woollen trade, smuggling, hopfields and back to agriculture. There are smugglers’ tales, mechanical riots, furnace ponds and old iron workings, a vengeful dragon, hop-pickers and Napoleon’s horse. Leisurely bus journeys (if you can bear to leave the car at home) and the occasional pint in some hideaway pub – ‘so much of England is just around the corner’ said JB Priestley, makes the walk all the more rewarding. This is a walk over chalk hills, across rivers and meadows and the still dark woods of what was once the Forest of the Andreasweald. This part of Kent and East Sussex still has an ‘olden’ feel to it, a rolling countryside with few houses and agriculture, which for the most is now the only industry. No season of the year is closed to walkers; enjoyment can be gained from walking on a bright crisp winter's morning, or on an 'Indian summer's day' in the autumn. Equally rewarding is a springtime walk when the countryside is full of new life and growth. This Wealden walk takes it all in, whatever the weather, although that infamous Wealden clay is not far away after a period of heavy rain. There is a soul to this walk; one that reflects the passions and industry of man and also the tensions of war and rebellion. It is now a very pastoral walk with only occasional reminders of the noise, smoke and fire of the iron industry. The Ironmasters and the rich woollen trade are survived by their architecture at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Burwash and Brightling. The derelict hop-pickers cottages, next to the River Teise in Lamberhurst, provide a startling contrast to the rich and landed. Perhaps the ‘big houses’ are more frequent than in other parts of the country, often one every two miles or so, but they serve as a reminder of the long established roots of the landed gentry stretching back to the Normans. Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House is a journey around the Weald with convenient access points at Tunbridge Wells and Hastings. The stations of South Eastern Trains cross the route in places and the ‘country bus’ serves as a reminder that almost all the walk is accessible albeit, at the behest of the ‘country bus’ timetable. In this age of speeding cars, I find that for once I can take my time and plan my journey along the public transport timetable – until of course, they are late! 9

1066 Stand at Bodiam Castle and imagine. This valley was once all water and in 1066, perhaps there was a shimmer on this inland sea and an early morning mist swirling around the trees. Eastwards, the Appledore Estuary seemed to spread as far as the eye could see as the sun began to rise in the sky. It was a wild and desolate place and no doubt a strong breeze was already pulling at the water as men and horses prepared to march the final few miles to Caldbec Hill. South of the causeway, the old Roman road drew the eyes up the hill between the trees of the forest, an arrow pointing towards the imminent battle that King Harold II and his army would fight on 14 October 1066, now known as the Battle of th Hastings and which saw the end of an Anglo-Saxon rule that had lasted for 600 years. 1385 Two hundred years later and once again England was in danger. The 100 Years War with France had started in 1337 and in the first series of conflicts, that lasted until 1360, Edward III succeeded in regaining much of the lands that had been confiscated by King Philip VI of France. These overseas possessions were the root cause of the tensions between the French and English monarchies reaching back to 1066 when William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, became King of England. Henry II, William’s great-grandson, inherited the title Count of Anjou on his accession in 1154 and on his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine became Duke of Aquitaine (Gascony and Poitou). Great chunks of France were now under foreign control which led, unsurprisingly, to a little local hostility. This period between 1337 and 1360 and the second period of war, between 1369 and 1389, impact directly on our walk. In 1346, Edward III’s great advance climaxed in his victory at Crécy and was followed by the successful siege of Calais that secured a key maritime port on the French channel coast. The Black Prince, the heir to Edward III, led two further campaigns in 1355 and 1356 that were even more successful in terms of plunder and which culminated in victory at Poitiers, 1356, where John of France, Philip’s successor, was taken prisoner. Between 1356 and 1360, chaos reigned in France with freebooting companies of soldiers on the rampage almost everywhere. These Free Companies operated as private mercenary armies raiding and pillaging the French countryside, earning great fortunes and fearsome reputations. They were called ‘free lances’! 10

Sir Edward Dalyngrigge was one such mercenary whose object was to do as much injury as possible, damage the French war effort and hold back French forces from Aquitaine. It was Sir Edward’s fortune and status that is pertinent to Three Castles for it was with his marriage to an heiress of the ‘de Bodehams’, that he became the owner of the Manor House at Bodiam – the first of our Castles. The second period of war that started in 1369 saw the French begin to take back France with something of a revival under Charles V and by 1380, the English held only Calais and the French had control of the English Channel. French raiding parties sacked and burnt towns along the south coast and such was the fear of an imminent French invasion that there was a rush to fortify houses and property as a defence against France. Bodiam then stood at the head of the navigable Appledore estuary, a vast tidal inland sea that once filled the valleys from Bodiam to Rye, and in 1385, Sir Edward obtained a licence ‘to fortify and crenellate his manor of Bodiam, near the sea, so as to convert it into a castle for defence of the surrounding land in war’. I do think that perhaps Sir Ted exceeded his licence to ‘crenellate’ his manor house, but without today’s Planning Officers, Ted’s architects built Bodiam Castle. It has lasted 630 years and given countless children the chance to persuade Grandpa to climb to the top of the tower. The Ashburnham’s of Scotney (Castle number three) did the same as did the monks of Battle Abbey who built the magnificent gatehouse that is the finish of 1066 Harold’s Way. 11

It was all a bit like ‘hiding behind the sofa’ at the scary bits on television. You know that the monsters will not really leap out and get you but you are still afraid and although the French never came, hiding behind castle walls did make people feel more secure. Perhaps mums were heard to say: ‘If you’re naughty, the French will come and get you’ – ‘no, no mum, not the French!’ cried the child. Continue to Page 21 Walking the High Weald - Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House It is a quiet walk and with time for reflection and to enjoy the rural paths and old lanes that have survived into the 21 century. There is little of the modern world to st impinge on the landscape, the furnace fires have gone and the works of man have returned to agriculture. Take your time and enjoy Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House. There are rivers, streams and valleys to cross, forests to forge and hills to climb, Roman roads, green lanes and ancient foot-paths to walk. Enjoy the leisurely bus journeys and the occasional pint in some hideaway pub – remember that ‘so much of England is just around the corner’ and it is still true of Three Castles. Enjoy the solitude for it was rare for me to meet a fellow walker. At times, I was able to talk to farmers, churchwardens and landlords who were always ready to share their local knowledge with me and added life to the walk. On rare occasions, there was something completely different to hold my attention such as a Llama Walk near Cousley Wood and the iron grave slabs in Wadhurst Church. I enjoyed this walk in Kent and East Sussex for its seeming remoteness but also for it being accessible and with careful planning, you can leave the car at home and embrace the walk as did Hilaire Belloc, who strode out from The George in Robertsbridge in 1902 across the railway line and along the dusty road to Brightling. His story is recounted in ‘The Four Men’ in an age before the car, but the qualities of Kent and Sussex that Belloc sketches remain the same and later, in 1947, Joseph Braddock suggests ‘a ramble of ten or twelve miles or so through a stretch of unspoilt country which cannot have changed much in appearance in the last hundred or two hundred years’. 12

We follow a part of both of those walks on Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House and with little imagination one can embrace that Sussex and Kent of 70 and 100 years ago. For each walk, I have identified public transport links to take you to and from your start and finishing points, places for food, refreshment and accommodation route and travel suggestions to help you decide your walking route. It will certainly be easier for you than it was for the 18 century traveller to find a th place for a drink and a bed. There are no specific Three Castles waymarks, yet, and the route is reliant on existing footpaths and bridlepaths and the waymarks are not always clear. The step by step instructions for each walk will certainly help ensure that you stay on the true path but it is important that you back up your journey with an Ordnance Survey Explorer Map which will give you additional detail and landmarks. Each section has a QR Code that links directly to OS Mapping for the walk through the OS Map App that can be downloaded for both Apple and Android. It certainly helps in following the correct path. The guide book is divided into short sections between villages and starts at Bodiam Castle, the first of our castles. You can plan your walk to suit your own requirements, starting wherever you want on this circular walk and covering as many miles as you would wish. My group of History Walkers started and finished the journey at Robertsbridge with its bus and rail links and of course that celebratory drink at the end with five walks in all. Those who have walked with me on Three Castles have shared the amazing views and unspoilt landscape of this corner of England that is the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I hope you enjoy Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House as much as I did. Continue to Page 32 13

14

Bodiam Castle to Sissinghurst Castle Distance: 12.20 miles Refreshments Time 5 hours Bodiam Castle Maps OS Explorer 125, 136, 137 The Castle, NT Tea Rooms OS Map App QR Code Sandhurst The Swan, tearooms Iden Green The Woodcock Benenden The Bull Sissinghurst Castle NT Tea Rooms Sissinghurst The Milk House Accommodation Bodiam Park Farm Caravan and Camping Sandhurst Old Post Office B & B, Lamberden Ho., Travel see Itineraries Hoads Farm B&B www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk Sissinghurst Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse B & B, Parking The Milk House Bodiam Castle NT Car Park Cranbrook Sandhurst - on street Accommodation to suit all tastes at Benenden - on street www.cranbrook.org Sissinghurst Castle NT Car Park Nearest Towns Hastings, Cranbrook Reflections Possibly the most beautiful castle in all of England, rising up from its moat, Bodiam guarded what was once the Appledore Estuary against a French Invasion. The path follows the flood plain of the River Rother and crosses the Kent Ditch. Meadow and pasture join with mature trees and woods. Isolated houses and farms are the only habitation until Sandhurst with its school, bus links, tea shop, shop and pub and then it is a walk through meadow, pasture, orchards, hopfields and a vineyard! The wealth of Sandhurst was not built on iron, but on farming, sheep and wool and later, no doubt, smuggling played its part too. The same can be said of Benenden, with its beautiful green, one of the best and biggest in Kent, it resounds to cricket in the summer and lazy days. Path profile Flat and then a gentle rise up to the ridge at Sandhurst. Descent from the ridge leads to a low level undulating walk and there are some stiles to negotiate. The final 15

walk to Sissinghurst Castle is a true Wealden walk through a low undulating landscape dominated by Hemsted Forest and some longish forest tracks. A little road walking, along country lanes and clear footpaths through meadow and pasture are a feature with just a few stiles to climb. Geography The walk to Sissinghurst Castle is mainly lowland agricultural devoted to sheep and cattle, orchards and hops. Hemsted Forest dominates the final section, a large mixed but mostly coniferous wood that covers some 981 acres and links tenuously with the Sissinghurst Castle Estate. A little way to the east of the path are the remains of an iron furnace and to the west of Benenden there is evidence of Roman occupation close to the Roman road. Route Profile Walking Bodiam Castle to Sandhurst This romantic castle, surrounded by its moat, never saw war and the threat from the French was never forthcoming. Now, on summer days, the invasion of Bodiam Castle is from legions of coaches on tours of castles and gardens, their passengers stretching after hours spent sitting, milling and jostling for tea, coffee and cake. It is an unruly army with a mind of its own fighting against the orders given by the tour guide, ignoring times and getting lost much to the driver’s impatience – it can be fun to watch. The Romans knew of Bodiam and they were also aware of its importance as a potential port. A strong case can be made for the existence of a Roman Imperial estate that controlled the Wealden iron industry locally and also the transport north to Rochester. Bodiam lay on that Roman road north, where it crossed the River Rother, but there is little sign now of their occupation except for the line of Roman road that can be seen on the hillside approaching the Castle. Continue to Page 35 16

The Walk Distance: 2.90 miles Time: 1 hour Maps: OS Explorer 125 & 136 Starting at the Bodiam Castle NT Tea Rooms, head east through the car parks to the very end and follow the path, left, towards the Castle and then bear right and continue along the track, following the waymarks by the cattle grid for around 20 minutes, past Marsh Cottage and on to the Kent Ditch in front. At the Kent Ditch Pumping Station cross the bridge, turn right and left to follow the waymarks beside the ditch towards the redbrick house ahead. Through the gate and walk past Marsh Quarter Farm, along Marsh Quarter Lane, for around ten minutes and through a small wood with trees overhanging the lane. Out into the open and there is a stone public footpath sign on the left. Into the field but do not take the path straight ahead instead, turn right and follow the hedge to the right, parallel to the lane for around 70 metres to the waymark post and then bear left across the field towards Cledge Wood. Down, over the stile and continue through the wood, across the bridge, up the steps and follow the waymark across the field towards Sandhurst Windmill on the horizon. Down again, over the bridge and turn left to follow the path to Sandhurst village (do not follow the path ahead between the paddocks – if Sandhurst Windmill appears even closer, you will know that you have missed the turn). The path leads through the trees ahead and up into a field to follow the waymark 17

towards Sandhurst. The path is clear and well waymarked and at Bodiam Road, turn right towards the village green. To continue to Benenden, bear right down Back Lane and the footpath continues opposite the petrol station. By the petrol station is Johnsons of Sandhurst, a small but important local supermarket renowned as the place to buy bottles of Sandhurst Beer, an important and memorable beer on the route of Three Castles. Reading on into the next walk, you will have the privilege of walking through Sandhurst Vineyard’s vineyard and then their hopfield. I waved a cheery hello to the farmer not realising that the hops under which I would be walking would wake up bottled in a Kentish beer and, looking back, I wish that I had stopped and talked of beer of which he must have been proud and I vowed to sample the beer before I walked to Benenden again. It was well worth the effort. If Sandhurst is your goal or you intend to return to Bodiam, continue straight ahead along Bodiam Road to Queen Street and turn left. The Swan is a little way down on the left, close to the bus stops back to Bodiam and Hastings or on to Hawkhurst for Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone. Benenden Green and St George’s Church Continue to Page 109 18

Bibliography A Saunter though Kent with Pen and Pencil, Sir Charles Igglesden Anglo-Saxon England, Peter Hunter Blair England, HV Morton Exploring Woodlands in the South-east, The Forestry Trust Footpaths of Kent and Sussex Border , Joseph Braddock Fuller of Sussex, Geoff Hutchinson High Weald Walk, Mike Smith Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, John Marius Wilson Kent, Sussex and Surrey, ed L Russell Muirhead 1936 Parish of Benenden, Rev Haslewood Smuggling in Kent and Sussex 1700-1840, Mary Waugh The East Sussex Village Book, Rupert Taylor The Four Men, Hilaire Belloc The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, Edward Hasted The King’s England Kent, Arthur Mee The Place Names of Kent, Judith Glover The Place Names of Sussex, Judith Glover The South East from AD 1000, Brandon & Short The Violent Captain Swing, Carl Griffin The Weald of Kent Surrey and Sussex, The Weald.org Wealden Iron, H Cleere Wealden Iron, Wealden Research Group British Listed Buildings High Weald Annual Report The Mills Archive 19

About the Author David lives in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, and walks, talks and writes about walking, local history and all things 1066. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and considers that his membership of CAMRA, The Inn Sign Society, The Ramblers and the Long Distance Walkers Association to be a perfect match for walking. He is the author and creator of 1066 Harold’s Way, a 100mile long distance walk inspired by King Harold’s epic march to the Battle of Hastings, 1066. Long Distance Walks 1. 1066 Harold’s Way (2 Edition) nd 2. Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House (2 Edition) nd Books 1. The Saxon Times (2 Edition) nd 2. 1066 Harold’s Way – Beer Notes (Summer 2019) History Walks around 1066 Country 1. A Green St Leonards on Sea Walk 2. Walks around Battle (Battle Circular Walks) 3. 1066 Bodiam Castle to Battle Abbey 4. Walking Hastings to Rye, Rye to Hastings 5. Secret St Leonards Walking Trail 6. Pub Walks in Hastings and St Leonards 7. 1066 William’s Way, Hastings to Battle 8. Rock a Nore to De La Warr 9. Pub Walks in 1066 Country 10. A Walk around Rye 11. A Walk around Winchelsea 12. More Walks around Rye 20

21

22