Anke: Royal Tunbridge Wells

Joy of Silence

It was supposed to be a quick walk to Hawkenbury to Fullers Butchers for some chicken and a slice or two of streaky bacon. It turned into a five hour trek across country to Pembury and back.
We had promised ourselves a diversion home through Dunorlan park for some wildlife watching but my eye was caught by one of our many Circular Walk signposts. "Hmm, we haven't done that walk in a while, shall we?" So we did.
We walked past the Hawkenbury Allotments, and down past the Bowling Club with a cheery hello from two older members who stopped to ask for their pictures to be taken.
Leaving the houses behind the road narrowed to a single track, a Land Rover forcing us to stand in a hedge to get past, with a cheery wave from the driver.
The track led us into High Wood and then like emerging from a tunnel, into the vast panorama of open countryside. We stopped walking for a minute, stood still and listened. Absolute silence. Not even the wind made a sound, I swear that all you could hear was the distant sound of sheep chewing on the cud. Spinning round and round there was nothing to see but rolling hills of green and trees of wood.
We were only fifteen minutes amble from the centre of town but a million miles away at the same time. "Whirr, splutter, chug chug chug chug", until the farmer started up his tractor. A flock of Jackdaws began crowing (one of my favourite noises in the world) and zeroing in on the farmer spreading muck over his fields. (Why exactly does poo smell nice in the countryside anyway? What is disgusting in the City suddenly becomes "Ahh, the smell of the countryside").
Here we saw, slowly creeping through the short newly harvested crops, a pair of red-legged partridge, until they saw us and took flight. A sight we'd never seen before.
Inquisitive cows poked their heads out of the milking shed and mooed a greeting as the track ran right through the centre of a farm, even the farmer gave us a smile.
Exiting the farmyard though a rusty gate, remembering to put the chain back when closing of course, we continued along a hillside and into some trees. Trudging through the thick oozing mud of this sheltered part of the trail, it was at this point that the spontaneity of the walk took its toll on my wifes pristine non-walking shoes.
"What was that?!!" my wife said with an almost maniacal scream. Pulling my binoculars to my face I saw there sitting in the tree ahead of us, a Goldcrest, Britains smallest songbird flitting about with his great yellow stripe so vibrant in the spring sunshine. Beautiful.
Its from here that the track leads back to civilisation and on towards the bridge over the A21, but hang on what was that huge bird flying into that abandoned barn? Quietly we crept along until suddenly appearing in the doorway was a stunning Barn Owl, you could have knocked us over with a feather. Three amazing bird sightings in one day and topped off with a wild Barn Own, what a walk!! You can bet this route be a regular in our walking schedule. Go on get out there and give it a go.

An AMewsing Search

How would I explain to my wife that I wanted to drag her out looking for a buried 150-year-old horse toilet? This was the quandry I found myself in after reading a chapter from Decimus Burton esq: Architect and Gentleman (1800-1881) by Dr Philip Whitbourn. A great book by the way, go and get yourself a copy.
I was pouring over a plan of 1829 of Calverley Mews, a long since past development of stables that sat behind the once lovely houses of Calverley Terrace and Calverley Parade. My attention was grabbed by some dung pits, a peculiar thing to notice but it sparked my curiosity and I wanted to know more.
The late Georgian era's main mode of transportation was the horse. The horse was a hugely important part of Georgian life and just like the problems we are having with CO₂ emissions from vehicles today, the Georgians worried about DO₂ emissions, that's dung to you and me. It therefore was a necessity to have a dung pit. I wondered if I could find where or indeed what was now in place of this smelly piece of history.
I was then taken by the sentence which read "a short length of stone walling is all that remains of the mews". The detective gene in me (detective, not defective!) was aroused, I had to find this piece of wall.
So off we trekked to behind the Library which now sits in place of Calverley Terrace. Hmmm, could it be in the Police impound? Is it in that car park? Could it be behind that wooden hut? Yes, there behind the wooden outbuilding next to the oil storage tank is the last remaining stone walling of Calverley Mews! I pulled out my camera and began snapping off a few pictures, my wife standing half a mile away pretending not to be with me, and feeling rather pleased with myself for finding it looked at the old plans to see if I could work out where the pit might have been. Alas it seems they are now long since buried beneath the town hall, that would explain a lot I hear you cry.
Sometimes I wonder if I think too much...

Tour de Wells

Its not often I take a day off work, but this is an event I couldn't miss and neither should you. I'm not even a fan of cycling, but being surrounded by the atmosphere and excitement of the Tour de France when it comes barreling through our neck of the woods on Sunday 8th July is something you just cannot pass up.
Yes, the world's most famous race is beginning its two and a half thousand mile journey through the streets of the south east of England.
Although the route misses some of our more famous landmarks and most beautiful areas and unfortunately doesn't dip into the Weald enough to get the full flavour, it was perhaps a bit much to expect 200 bicycles to rumble along the Pantiles, I shall be staking my piece of ground very early Sunday morning to try and get some photographs.
The route will travel into town down St Johns Road, along Mount Pleasant then right into Crescent Road and then finally leaving town through Calverley Park Gardens out onto Pembury Road. I think the best chance of getting some good views of the cyclists will be along the final two roads, but for atmosphere its probably best to be in the town centre. What a dilemma. Where shall I stand? Where are you planning to stand?
Now just a couple of months to think up a witty comment to write on the road in chalk? I bet Disgusted is out there furiously scribbling already.

A Road Less Travelled

How many of you walk the same A to B route every day with perhaps a detour to C on a Saturday? Tomorrow morning why not change your walk to work, school or to pick up the groceries. Discover a new corner of Tunbridge Wells.
My wife and I decided to do this very thing this morning on our way out to lunch and discovered a hidden end of Bishops Down Park Road and the joys of an unadopted Poona Road. Okay yes these roads are quite far apart but we got carried away and just kept walking.
Firstly we decided on working up a little bit of an appetite so walked down Molyneux Park Road to post a letter and generally admire the houses, and noticed tiny Bogey Lane. Attracted by the green Footpath sign, which usually means there is something green at the end, we emerged into Bishops Down Park Road and a cacophony of sound. We were totally surround by the twitter of birdsong, there wasn't even a second of silence as we meandered along the lane surrounded by budding trees and unfolding spring blossom.
We also sploshed our way along Poona Road, one of those private roads that have no tarmac surface maintained lovingly by the local council, just nice deep puddles to wade through, but along with the terraced cottages it does give the road a certain olden charm.
Go on, change your direction, turn left from outside your front gate instead of right one day or go the other way round the block for that pint of milk, you never know what wonders you'll find.

Column Inches

Thanks to The Courier for making me spill boiling hot coffee all down myself this morning, okay maybe not literally but a small amount of artistic license helps a story along sometimes. Can you imagine my surprise when I turn to page 12 and there is my blog mentioned in an article about local bloggers. Although I think I draw the line and being called "kindly and schoolmastery" and "like having a favourite uncle over for tea". My work colleagues will definitely get a lot of mileage out of that one thanks very much!
Go out, buy yourself a copy and enjoy.

Wooden Reservations

You may, or more than likely may not, know that my wife and I are quite avid birdwatchers, it being one of those pastimes that really gets you into the countryside to experience nature with both your eyes and your ears.
So it was therefore great news to hear that at the beginning of the year the RSPB announced the purchase of Broadwater Forest with the purpose to convert the area into a nature reserve and return it to its former glory.
The reserve, which will be known as RSPB Broadwater Warren, will cover 445 acres and will help provide a safe habitat for the nurture of scarce species such as the Dartford Warbler and Nightjars. The land was bought from a private landowner for £995,000 initially to prevent the area being turned into landfill and more recently to overcome the copious planting and growth of non-native conifers. It will be the largest habitat restoration project in the South East of England.
RSPB investigations have shown the potential for the reserve to be restored back to its original heathland form, with a healthy seedbank of heather remaining in the soil which will germinate once the conifers are removed. Heathland is a national priority habitat, with three quarters having been lost across the country since 1800. This vital regeneration will add to the rich diverse habitats that go to make up the "High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty", the protected region which surrounds Tunbridge Wells and stretches as far as Horsham in the west and Rye in the east. We can't wait to add another beautiful woodland walk to our already huge list and its going to be wonderful to have another RSPB reserve so close to home.
All this "wooden" talk brings me nicely onto our local museum's new exhibition, which is going to be utterly fabulous! It's called "Wondrous Rocks and Valleys" and is on from Saturday 3rd March to Saturday 28th April so there is plenty of time to catch it. It will celebrate the unique landscape of ancient rolling hills, small irregular fields, abundant woods and hedges, scattered farmsteads and sunken lanes that together make our surroundings so idyllic. There is a wonderful centrepiece by a local artist using local materials that has to be seen to be believed.