Anke: Royal Tunbridge Wells

Foraging in Nature's Larder

Garlic growing on the banks of the River Grom.

A lovely Spring morning, the wife wanting a foodie angle for her next blog post and me wanting a nice photogenic walk came together in the form of a woodland forage. What were we after? Well we are right in the middle of wild garlic season so we headed to where we knew there would be some growing.

You'll find wild garlic in semi-shaded, moist conditions, near or among bluebells, and usually on the banks of a river. This pretty much describes perfectly the banks of the River Grom in Friezland Wood, the pretty bluebell wood you walk through from town on your way to High Rocks.

Alas the bluebells the wood is famous for were still asleep when we arrived but that wasn't what we were after so we followed our noses along the river banks. We'd almost reached High Rocks when the wife spotted some of the distinctive wide green leaves on the opposite bank, unfortunately across eight feet of water, as luck would have it as we looked for a way to safely cross without getting wet we walked right into a pungent clump of the stuff. Perfect.

We opened up our bag and picked as much as we needed from lots of different clumps and soon we had filled our small bag. Whilst we were down there the wife thought it would be a good idea to pick some nettles for another recipe she had in her mind, although she later came to regret that after forgetting her gloves. Ouch.

Mrs Anke picks some succulent leaves.

If you don't fancy foraging down in the woods to pick some like us, but we heartily recommend you do, you should also consider going along in a month or so to see the garlic flowering when it's reaching the end of its season. It should be the perfect time to see the delicate white flowers nestled amongst the flowering bluebells. Truly beautiful.

So, what did we do with our wild garlic, you'll have to pop over to my wife's blog to find out.

Rock of Ages

A mile and a bit from the centre of town, which is a nice summer's strolling distance, is the fabulous ancient sandstone outcrops of the High Rocks. And it just so happens that today was a nice summer's day and the wife and I fancied a stroll.

Taking the route out of town via The Pantiles to pick up some refreshments, we headed out along the banks of the Spa Valley steam railway. For anyone that hasn't walked this way before it is truly a hidden gem of a walk, as you join up with the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk and follow the River Grom on its way towards Groombridge.

Entering Friezland Wood you are greeted by the most wonderful smell of bluebells which gives way to the surprisingly wonderful aroma of wild garlic after reaching the river banks. After just a couple of hundred yards the huge ancient rocks begin to peer out from the dense trees, first just a few small ones on the ground covered in tactile mosses and lichens but then the big boys start looming from the canopy.

Stone Age man was said to have walked the very ground that we walked today, amongst these rocks, and you can probably still find some markings amongst the I woz ere's from the 1980's and the One Hath Rested Here's of the 1880's.
Even Iron Age man thought the rocks were great, as there has been evidence of an Iron Age fort found amongst the rocks.

But the most recent history of the rocks began in the 1670's when they first became a tourist attraction, and although they still are, they were sold to a private owner in 1987 so now the only way in is through a small victorian turnstile via a £2 donation.

As you climb the stairs through the undergrowth you are greeted by something like a scene from an Indiana Jones set as stone steps are carved into the natural rocks taking you skyward towards the wooden bridges that span the tops. Of course not everyone climbs to the top via the steps as the rocks are listed as one of the top 100 places to climb in the UK, they were even used as practice for an early Everest expedition. The views from the rocks can be breathtaking as you can see nothing but trees and gently undulating hills for miles and miles and miles across the Kent and Sussex countryside.

Alas some parts of the tourist resort's heyday are missing today. James the Second would have wandered around the rhododendron maze, bowled on the bowling green and gambled in the gaming rooms nestled amongst the rocks, but you can still enjoy some of the ancient traditions, such as the famous Bell Rock which it has been said that if you strike it the chime can be heard in the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

Go on, give it a go, take a walk there this weekend, but keep it a secret between us. I'll be listening out for the chimes.

To see a gallery of photographs of our High Rocks walk, then click here.