MAGIC, FOLKLORE & FAMILY FUN

Our Stag Hut and Cart Lodge each sleep 4 and make the perfect base for family adventures. From haunted castles and tales of famous battlefields to stories of sieges over medieval moats and smugglers who followed the river Medway to the dense woods and hidden valleys; this historical region is a timeless bubble where imagination can thrive.

We are so close to the heart of Winnie the Pooh country, you can walk to Hartfield Village where AA Milne wrote his classic stories. Play pooh sticks at the real Pooh Bridge or hunt for heffalumps and woozles in the 100 Acre Wood.

The region is as rich in folklore as it is in history. The landscape shaped by trees, glades and hidden clearings is a place where magic can flourish. The Celts and Saxons believed the sacred springs of Tunbridge Wells and hidden wells of the Weald were portals to other worlds. Even before the spa town boomed, the forest glades and springs had folk associations with healing, fairies, and the Green Man. The Wealden woods, around Ashurst and Blackham, are steeped in legends of hermits, outlaws, and Herne the Hunter a spectral huntsmen is said to ride through the forest at night. Groombridge Place is said to be haunted by a lady in white and by a ghostly cavalier from the Civil War era.

There are plenty of family friendly activities in the region.

Rent Bikes at nearby Forest Row or Canoe’s and Boats on the Medway and follow the river in search of kingfishers, herons and the ghosts of smugglers past.

Fly through the trees at Go Ape in Bedgebury.

Ride the steam railway on the famous Bluebell or Spa Valley Railway and keep an eye out for their seasonal events including Christmas and Halloween transformations.

Tulleys Farm  boasts Europes larges scream park, escape rooms, a tea rooms, and special Halloween and Christmas extravaganzas.

Drusilla’s Small Zoo is a special day out for the little ones with a wonderful collection of animals, from armadillos to ring toed limas, lots to learn about conservation; including walk throughs, feeding times and soft play.

Check out the seasonal calendars at the local castles such as Hever Castle, Bewl Warter and Leeds Castle, to find Halloween pumpkin trails, Christmas light walks, and family events all year round.

And Battle in Hastings is a must-visit to learn about that fateful day in 1066 when Harold took an arrow in the eye and William the Conquerer conquered.