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Kilndown in Kent

Google map showing area surrounding Kilndown
(Charcoal for the Furnace)
Location: 51.091662,0.426792
General Details
Kilndown in Kent lies a comfortable one mile from the A21 London to Hastings road, about 3 miles from Goudhurst to the north, and about 4 miles from Lamberhurst to the west.

The village is tied into the the Bedgebury estate which is one of the oldest in Kent dating from 815AD, lying between Hawkhurst to the east, Flimwell to the south, Kilndown to the west and Goudhurst to the north. William the Conqueror gave the manor to the de Bedgebury family who owned it until 1450 , when the Culpepper family acquired the land. Queen Elizabeth I knighted Alexander Culpepper in 1573 when she stayed at the estate. The estate was famous for its Iron Workings and furnace.

Kilndown was originally a village producing charcoal and workers to the estate, then in 1836 Bedgebury was purchased by Field Marshal Viscount Beresford, one of the field commanders of Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars. The church was built in 1841, to provide nearby religious services for the estate workers, prior to this they had to make their way up the hill to Goudhurst .

During the Second World War bombs landed in the village just south of the church and destroyed the south facing windows.
Views
Kilndown in Kent has a number of very pretty views, as the area around is very rural.

Take the Goudhurst road, and the views across the valley to the village on the hill is beautiful. This can also be seen from the cricket pitch which holds regular boot sales.

The road towards Bedgebury is very narrow, but very attractive and you can imagine Kentish roads from the past, as you drive up and down the hills.
Services
Kilndown in Kent has a local public house and church, the Quarry Centre provides a shop and Post office on a Wednesday from 9am till 12 noon and also an Organic Shop on Saturdays from 10am till 12 noon.

The nearest main shopping centre is Royal Tunbridge Wells which has many shops and supermarkets .

The nearest main line trains run from Marden about 8 miles away to the north, and provide regular services from Ashford to London .

An infrequent bus service runs to Tunbridge Wells twice weekly and also to Maidstone on a Tuesday and Rye on Thursday.
Map
Kilndown is shown as the red symbol on the map.

Nearby Villages

(click on symbol to see the village page)
Village= Town= Recorded in Domesday=
Bells Yew Green (The ruins of Bayham Abbey)5.70 miles
Benenden (One of Englands Top Girls Schools)
6.99 miles
Brenchley (A beautiful Kent village)4.16 miles
Cranbrook (Christmas Cards and Union Mill)4.84 miles
Flimwell (300 local people beheaded)2.71 miles
Goudhurst (Smugglers, Iron and Forests)2.01 miles
Hawkhurst (A Notorious Gang of Smugglers)
4.77 miles
Horsmonden (The largest Wealden Iron Works)3.31 miles
Lamberhurst (Scotney Castle and Gardens)1.63 miles
Matfield (Largest Village Green in Kent)4.72 miles
Pembury (The ghost of Hawkwell)5.77 miles
Sissinghurst (The magnificent garden of Vita Sackville-West)5.94 miles
Ticehurst (Anne Boleyn and Pashley Manor)3.26 miles
Wadhurst (Last bare fisted Prize-Fight in England)4.40 miles
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Local Businesses
The Rudes as lots of people call us, are an outdoor touring theatre company specialising in taking new & original theatre to mainly small rural communities and a few towns across the South of England. We were founded in 1998 & first toured in the Summer of 1999. Currently we tour only in the summer performing 50+ times nightly during June, July & August. https://therudemechanicaltheatre.co.uk
Battle Brewery our local excellent micro brewery
Tenderheart Childrens Charity
Talk in Code fabulous new Album
The Bald Explorer for local documentaries
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