Exterior of the Chequers Inn. A 14th century coaching house, Smarden, Kent. Home to the ghost of Dick Turpin.
Smarden is an attractive Wealden village. The name Smarden comes from the Saxon 'smeredaenne' for 'butter valley' and 'pasture'. It is built on a dog-leg construction and lined with half-timbered and weatherboarded cottages. It is very much a village now, but in 1332 Edward II granted Smarden the right to hold a market; a right that was reaffirmed by Elizabeth I when she granted the right to hold a five-day fair. At one time it had a substantial trade in linen and woollen goods. There are several examples of medieval Wealden hall houses in Smarden, including Chessenden, on The Street. On the Headcorn Road is one of the finest surviving cloth halls in Kent, distinguishable by a projecting hoist for lifting bales, still attached to the gable end of the house. The 14th century church of St Michael the Archangel in the centre of the village is known as the Barn of Kent, on account of its extremely wide scissor-beam roof, unsupported by pillars, which spans an aisleless nave that is 36 feet in width. One of the oldest buildings in the village is The Chequers Inn, a 14th century coaching inn on The Street. The Chequers has its own resident ghost; a Napoleonic War soldier who was stabbed to death in one of the bedrooms. By comparison, The Bell on Bell Lane is a relative newcomer to Smarden, built in 1536. Park in The Street and walk up through the village, enjoying the contrasting weather boarded cottages & half-timbered houses. Start at the parish church and look at the numerous plaques awarded to the village, particularly ‘Best Kept Village in Kent’ that are fixed to the wall under the lichgate. En-route spot the old water pump dated 1897 and also look out for the bright façade of the Zion Baptist church.
Size: 5629px × 3758px
Location: Smarden, Kent, England, UK
Photo credit: © parkerphotography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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