Pluckley and the surrounding area
Read next month's little adventure
I’ve been watching the poll results with interest over the last few weeks and have to say I’ve been very excited, if not a little frightened by the prospect of a ghost walk around England’s most haunted village. It looked like this was to be the favourite from fairly early on so I had plenty of time to prepare for it.
In order to give you a feel for Pluckley (England’s most haunted village) and the surrounding area I made a day of it and visited four very different attractions – Biddenden Vineyard, The South of England Rare Breeds Centre at Woodchurch, the Kent & Sussex Steam Railway at Tenterden and as the evening drew in, the haunted village of Pluckley!
Biddenden Vineyard
The first port of call was to the pleasant Biddenden Vineyard located near Ashford in Kent. Although it is called a vineyard and produces wine, it also specialises in producing cider and apple juice. This carries on the Kentish tradition of apple growing and cider production – no wonder Kent is known as “The Garden of England”.
The Biddenden Vineyard, located just 1.2 miles from the Village of Biddenden is one of the country’s leading wine and cider producers. When the vineyard was started in 1969 by the Barnes Family it was just one acre; nowadays it is twenty two!
Tours are arranged for groups of ten or more people but fewer numbers are still free to wander around this beautiful vineyard where they can enjoy the spectacular views of the Kent countryside. The self guided walks are clearly labelled and show the different degrees of walking ability required.
Also on site, there is the potential for wine and cider tasting in their beautifully designed shop. The shop sells a wide range of products from wine and cider to cider fudge. For those driving or under the age of eighteen there is also the opportunity to try pressed traditional Kent apple juice. A visit to The Garden of England would not be complete without tasting its produce!
More about Biddenden Vineyard
South of England Rare Breeds Centre
Eight miles on from Biddenden is the South of England Rare Breeds Centre where major efforts are being made to preserve some of the rare breeds of English farm animals.
The South of England Rare Breeds Centre can be found just on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Woodchurch. This fully accredited centre is full of rare breeds of farm animals that are being cared for and conserved so that the species do not die out.
Not only is this centre educational but it also provides a wonderful opportunity for children to get “hands on” with the animals. This centre is also home to the celebrity pigs Bunch and Sundance who are better known as the ‘Tamworth Two’. Their exploits were renowned and were national news after they escaped from the lorry that was transporting them to an abattoir.
More about South of England Rare Breeds Centre (www.enjoyengland.com/Attraction/Woodchurch/Farm/137487/South-of-England-Rare-Breeds-Centre.htm)
Kent and East Sussex Railway
After leaving Woodchurch, it is only 4 miles to the pleasant village of Tenterden to visit the Kent and East Sussex Railway.
The Kent and East Sussex Railway is one of the largest steam engine tracks still existing in England. The train starts from one of the quaintest villages in Kent called Tenterden and meanders for almost eleven miles through unspoilt countryside before ending its journey at the historic castle of Bodium.
The railway is manned by volunteers so the trains only run at peak times. However, no matter if the trains are running or not plenty can be seen at the Tenterden train station. As you walk along the traditional concourse all the trains are on view and you can look inside the carriages of yester year.
More about Kent and East Sussex Railway (www.enjoyengland.com/Attraction/Tenterden/Railway/136851/Kent--East-Sussex-Railway.htm)
The Haunted Village of Pluckley
As evening drew in the next place on the itinerary (and the main purpose of this trip) was the haunted village of Pluckley. Located some 10 miles from Tenterden, a pleasant trip down leafy lanes leads to this famous village. The idea of spending a short time with spectres from the past seems to be a good way to end a pleasant tour of the heart of Kent.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Pluckley in Kent is the most haunted village in England. With a recorded twelve ghosts it is no surprise that many a ghost hunter has been spotted in this picturesque Kentish village.
Although, there is no official guided ghost tour of the village a comprehensive self-guided tour has been developed telling the intrepid ghost hunter the important locations and stories attached to them. This self guided tour covers a circuitous route of approximately four miles which winds its way around the village and adjacent countryside.
The starting point of the tour is St Nicholas Church and its graveyard. As you stand in this church you get a sense of the full ghostly history that permeates the village. Not least are the women ghosts of the Dering family, who are said to haunt the church due to their broken hearts, from the White Lady who tragically died at an early age to the Red Lady who wanders around the churchyard looking for her long lost child.
As you leave the church you proceed down the country lanes stopping at many historical places such as the Blacksmith’s Forge Tea Room which houses the ghosts of a maid and a cavalier soldier and then on to the Dering Woods commonly known as Screaming Woods. The last point of call on the tour is the fourteenth century Black Horse Inn frequented by two unknown ghosts; one who moves the pub’s cutlery and a lady ghost in a red dress.
Unfortunately, no ghosts appeared on this tour but the stories created an atmosphere where anything seemed possible and a no-mans-land was created in the mind where imagination and doubt inter-mix. This heightened air of expectation was definitely felt when the unexpected emergence of the local rector as an apparent apparition from the side door of the church sent a sudden chill down the spine.
Although no ghosts appeared this quaint village and the wonderful history attached to it brings back memories of stories told to susceptible children around glowing fires. Speaking of which, the food and drink in the Black Horse Inn was typical of a country pub; delicious food with a welcoming atmosphere where a bright fire burnt in the hearth. All in all it was an incredibly enjoyable evening.
More ghost tours in England
Related links