South of London in March, ancient trees and Daffodils?
Jan 27th, 2018, 02:13 PM
#62
Wrenwood - I just put Painshill and Polesden Lacy into google maps, and the route that they suggest back from Polesden lacy to Hever is more or less the one I was thinking of i.e. from Polesden Lacy head across the Surrey Hills skirting north of Dorking to Brookhurst then follow the old A25 [not too bad now that the M25 takes all the heavy traffic] to Bletchingley [used to be a prime Antique shop place] and then take the A22 south for a short time until you reach the B2029 which will take you through Lingfield and Edenbridge back to Hever. Haxted Mill [just before you get to Edenbridge] is very picturesque. It used to be a restaurant which did very good Sunday lunches but so far as I can tell it's shut now. Shame. But the spot is still very pretty.
Jan 27th, 2018, 06:00 PM
#64
>>Dorking to Brookhurst then follow the old A25<<
>>annhig, I couldn't find Brookhurst, went via Westhumble to go north of Dorking, where's Brookhurst?<<
Perhhaps annhig meant Buckland which is on the A25 just east of Dorking -- but in any case the A25 will be your best bet for avoiding the M25.
>>annhig, I couldn't find Brookhurst, went via Westhumble to go north of Dorking, where's Brookhurst?<<
Perhhaps annhig meant Buckland which is on the A25 just east of Dorking -- but in any case the A25 will be your best bet for avoiding the M25.
Jan 28th, 2018, 09:17 AM
#65
oops - it was Brockham - just to the east of Dorking.
BTW re when daffs start to come out, I noticed that we have a nice clump blooming in what we call our orchard, though it is mostly not fruit trees. We also have loads of snowdrops showing through and some in full bloom. Now I know that this is Cornwall and you are talking about Kent/Sussex but this would bode well for your stay, I think.
BTW re when daffs start to come out, I noticed that we have a nice clump blooming in what we call our orchard, though it is mostly not fruit trees. We also have loads of snowdrops showing through and some in full bloom. Now I know that this is Cornwall and you are talking about Kent/Sussex but this would bode well for your stay, I think.
Jan 28th, 2018, 11:13 AM
#66
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annhig, we have Snowdrops blooming in VA, but they are kind of 'marred" by the Hellebores as I think every Hellebore leaf got toasted in early January when we had over a week of nightime temps in the single digits and down to 0 degrees F (almost -18 C) All with no snow cover. They'll be fine but we'll have to cut off pretty much every leaf 
As long as we have decent weather, the gardens in England are always great. I think you remember we hit Caerhays prefectly 2 years ago in March, it was amazing! And the fields of Daffodils in Cornwall, wow!
When we visited Kent years ago in March it was also beautiful. Between Snowdrops, Primula, Cyclamen, Scillas, Crocus naturalized in grass, Hellebores, Pulmonaria, Daffodils, how can we go wrong? I will however keep my fingers crossed for an early Spring in Kent!
Here is the plan for another day, not exactly sequential to above, I'm kind of jumping around depending upon what area I'm reading about at the moment.
Please let me know thoughts, scenic roads etc.
When I mention Villages they are not neccessarily for stopping, but have been suggested as being pretty villages. (Although that doesn't mean we won't stop and get out if we see something interesting)
*Day 10 Wednesday ~ we'll be staying in Rye
Drive to Winchelsea to visit The Church of St. Thomas the Martyr
** Going to Bodiam Castle from Winchelsea ~ should we drive the main Rt B2089 through Broad Oak, or should we go up to Bodiam by way of Westfield and Sedlescombe? Bodiam doesn’t open until 11AM
Bodiam Castle 11-5
The Great House in Hawkshurst for lunch 12-3
Scotney Castle ~ garden & old Castle 10-5, House 11-5
Drive through Goudhurst, Cranbrook
Biddenden Vineyards
Chapel Down Vineyards
Smallhythe ~ 11-5 (closed Mon and Tues)
Drive through Wittersham back to Rye
We might stop at Sissinghurst if a beautiful day, we have been there once before, but I never mind going to great places more than once.
And if a beautiful day and time is running short, we'll skip the Vineyards and hustle to Smallhythe.
The Vineyards are only 20 minutes from Rye, and we're not interested in a tour, just maybe picking up a few bottles of English wine.
Unfortunately Great Dixter doesn't open until March 30
As long as we have decent weather, the gardens in England are always great. I think you remember we hit Caerhays prefectly 2 years ago in March, it was amazing! And the fields of Daffodils in Cornwall, wow!
When we visited Kent years ago in March it was also beautiful. Between Snowdrops, Primula, Cyclamen, Scillas, Crocus naturalized in grass, Hellebores, Pulmonaria, Daffodils, how can we go wrong? I will however keep my fingers crossed for an early Spring in Kent!
Here is the plan for another day, not exactly sequential to above, I'm kind of jumping around depending upon what area I'm reading about at the moment.
Please let me know thoughts, scenic roads etc.
When I mention Villages they are not neccessarily for stopping, but have been suggested as being pretty villages. (Although that doesn't mean we won't stop and get out if we see something interesting)
*Day 10 Wednesday ~ we'll be staying in Rye
Drive to Winchelsea to visit The Church of St. Thomas the Martyr
** Going to Bodiam Castle from Winchelsea ~ should we drive the main Rt B2089 through Broad Oak, or should we go up to Bodiam by way of Westfield and Sedlescombe? Bodiam doesn’t open until 11AM
Bodiam Castle 11-5
The Great House in Hawkshurst for lunch 12-3
Scotney Castle ~ garden & old Castle 10-5, House 11-5
Drive through Goudhurst, Cranbrook
Biddenden Vineyards
Chapel Down Vineyards
Smallhythe ~ 11-5 (closed Mon and Tues)
Drive through Wittersham back to Rye
We might stop at Sissinghurst if a beautiful day, we have been there once before, but I never mind going to great places more than once.
And if a beautiful day and time is running short, we'll skip the Vineyards and hustle to Smallhythe.
The Vineyards are only 20 minutes from Rye, and we're not interested in a tour, just maybe picking up a few bottles of English wine.
Unfortunately Great Dixter doesn't open until March 30
Jan 28th, 2018, 01:08 PM
#67
Hi wrenwood,
Thanks for prompting sweet memories about the Spring in Cornwall and Caehays - Bill and I went there one beautiful day last year and had a wonderful time. While we were out in the garden doing the Great garden bird watch I spotted both snowdrops and daffodils as well as the first very early flowers on our cornish giant rhododendron - I love this time of year. BTW I always chop off the old leaves of the hellebores so as to allow the flowers to be seen better.
I'm afraid that it's too long since I was in the Rye/Sissinghurst/Cranbrook area for my information to be reliable, but the map is telling me that the northern route via Peasemarsh and Northiam would be the way to go but if you are going first to Winchelsea, then Icklesham looks like the obvious next place. I suspect that there are no really bad answers to this question. The rest of the route looks fine.
Thanks for prompting sweet memories about the Spring in Cornwall and Caehays - Bill and I went there one beautiful day last year and had a wonderful time. While we were out in the garden doing the Great garden bird watch I spotted both snowdrops and daffodils as well as the first very early flowers on our cornish giant rhododendron - I love this time of year. BTW I always chop off the old leaves of the hellebores so as to allow the flowers to be seen better.
I'm afraid that it's too long since I was in the Rye/Sissinghurst/Cranbrook area for my information to be reliable, but the map is telling me that the northern route via Peasemarsh and Northiam would be the way to go but if you are going first to Winchelsea, then Icklesham looks like the obvious next place. I suspect that there are no really bad answers to this question. The rest of the route looks fine.
