Quaint English village within 30 mins drive of Gatwick?

[JiveLad]

I have a Chinese visitor who is interested to see a typical English village within 30 mins drive of Gatwick.


Any suggestions?

[Twirly]

There's probably lots of places, but what about Westerham in Kent?

Technically it's a town, but it's still got a village green, and there's a lovely tea shop right by the green that does lovely tea and cakes

Plus there's the Winston Churchill connection (Chatwell is right by if you want somewhere to visit).

[Tessalicious]

Betchworth in Surrey is a lovely little village (slap bang in between two sensible sized but quite old-fashioned towns of Reigate and Dorking) with a green, a pond, a tiny post office and a church that was home to one of the weddings in 'Four Weddings...'.

Drive through it - blink and you'll miss it. But it is only about 20 minutes from Gatwick.

[TurboTomato]

Groombridge, Penshurst, Mayfield, Hartfield, Turners Hill, Petworth are all quite pretty.

[DD+]

Originally Posted by Twirly

There's probably lots of places, but what about Westerham in Kent?

Technically it's a town, but it's still got a village green, and there's a lovely tea shop right by the green that does lovely tea and cakes

Plus there's the Winston Churchill connection (Chatwell is right by if you want somewhere to visit).

I can definately vouch for westerham - I work there!

[clevedonboy]

brighton?

[batnurse]

Charlwood (has a nice old windmill) and Rusper on Gatwick's doorstep. Albury and Shere a little further out (Albury also has a church that was in FWAAF - the Scottish one )

[Bluey]

Originally Posted by Twirly

There's probably lots of places, but what about Westerham in Kent?

Technically it's a town, but it's still got a village green, and there's a lovely tea shop right by the green that does lovely tea and cakes

Plus there's the Winston Churchill connection (Chatwell is right by if you want somewhere to visit).

I second Westerham

[Bluey]

Originally Posted by clevedonboy

brighton?

did you Brighton is a city!!

[Bluey]

Originally Posted by Tessalicious

Betchworth in Surrey is a lovely little village (slap bang in between two sensible sized but quite old-fashioned towns of Reigate and Dorking) with a green, a pond, a tiny post office and a church that was home to one of the weddings in 'Four Weddings...'.

Drive through it - blink and you'll miss it. But it is only about 20 minutes from Gatwick.

You got me there I though the church was over at Abinger but then again there was FOUR weddings..


Great village is Storrington, West Sussex
Quaint village
Pond
The Downs

[Miss Flicts]

Lindfield in W.Sussex is an archetypal chocolate-box village with a pond, village green, old church etc. It looks beautiful but there isn't much to do. However, it's close to the Bluebell Steam Railway, which is a wonderful way to step back in time.

[Martin]

A bit more than 30 mins, probably 45 mins, but

Arundel is an amazing place... Oldie worldie, with a castle and a Cathederal (I guess the Cathederal makes it technically a city - in old terms, but it is still in size a village)

Mote round the castle and grounds at the back of the castle you can walk in and picnic in, also a wild life reserve and oldie worldie pubs, with great food.

Oldie worldie houses and streets.

Some great walks around there as well.

Plus it has old world cafe's that serve cream teas (with scones, jam and cream)

[Martin]

Originally Posted by TurboTomato

Groombridge, Penshurst, Mayfield, Hartfield, Turners Hill, Petworth are all quite pretty.

Petworth reminds me of my childhood... I always saw Petworth as "a big town" as I lived in Northchapel, a village a few miles north. It does have a national trust place to visit though and has oldie places (plus cobbled streets and loads of antique shops)... Arundel still kicks it's ass though.

[clevedonboy]

Originally Posted by Bluey

did you Brighton is a city!!

Blimey never spotted that in the four years my son has lived there

(but it is quaint)

[JiveLad]

Guys - thx for all the suggestions.

Well I wanted to try Westerham - but I was out voted by the Chinese girls maybe a bit of democracy is good for the Chinese soul) - who wanted to go to Hartfield (where Winnie the Pooh was written).

Not especially 'quaint' - still the Anchor Inn does delicious steak pies.

[Bluey]

Originally Posted by JiveLad

Guys - thx for all the suggestions.

Well I wanted to try Westerham - but I was out voted by the Chinese girls maybe a bit of democracy is good for the Chinese soul) - who wanted to go to Hartfield (where Winnie the Pooh was written).

Not especially 'quaint' - still the Anchor Inn does delicious steak pies.

Gatwick to Hartfield 18.51 miles (multimap)

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by Martin

A bit more than 30 mins, probably 45 mins, but

Arundel is an amazing place... Oldie worldie, with a castle and a Cathederal (I guess the Cathederal makes it technically a city - in old terms, but it is still in size a village)

Mote round the castle and grounds at the back of the castle you can walk in and picnic in, also a wild life reserve and oldie worldie pubs, with great food.

Oldie worldie houses and streets.

Some great walks around there as well.

Plus it has old world cafe's that serve cream teas (with scones, jam and cream)

Gotta go with Martin on this one if you want something a little more meaty than just chocolate box quaint. It is 45 mins, but well worth it - all that Martin says + the archytypal riverside pub (The Black Rabbit) that serves great food in a great setting. The castle and cathedral are open throughtout the year (check timings) and on the main street, up the hill on the left, there is a cafe with the most amazing ornate carved ceiling that was imported from Venice.

There are some good hotels and restaurants and it is also a great base for going further afield, in particluar, The Fishbourne Roman Palace about 15 mins up the road.

I have very fond memories of Arundel, as it was my first girlfriend lived - that, and the fact that I grew up in Littlehampton (I sense RobD waiting in the wings..), which was a sh1t hole by comparison...

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Rocky

+ the archytypal riverside pub (The Black Rabbit) that serves great food in a great setting.

Ahhh, the Black Rabbit.... I went there on my 21st Birthday... my mate had a speed boat, and we dropped it in at Littlehampton and cruised up the river, tying it up at the Black Rabbit.
On that same day 50 bikers turned up, with gleaming hard ar%ed bikes. As it happened me and my mate worked at a bikers bar in Worthing and so we knew them, we chatted, and after a while said goodbye - dropped off the wall, went down the side of the river and off we went in our speed boat... with 50 bikers looking stunned as we dropped off the wall to go home! It felt good...

I used to be a milkman in Littlehampton many many years ago Rocky, so we could have met.. fortunately I never lived there!

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by Martin

I used to be a milkman in Littlehampton many many years ago Rocky, so we could have met.. fortunately I never lived there!

LA, as the locals call it (Little 'Ampton..) Don't think we would have met as I was never up early enough to know who our milkman was - and moved to Brighton (Hove, actually) in 1988. You weren't one of those annoyingly cheerful milkmen were you... a whistle and a wave, and a hop, a skip and a jump....

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Rocky

LA, as the locals call it (Little 'Ampton..) Don't think we would have met as I was never up early enough to know who our milkman was - and moved to Brighton (Hove, actually) in 1988. You weren't one of those annoyingly cheerful milkmen were you... a whistle and a wave, and a hop, a skip and a jump....

I could have been your milkman as it was 1984

No whistle, wave, hop, skip or jump (maybe a jump if you had a small hedge)... I used to run the round, started at 4am and finished by 8 or 9 am.

It was supposed to be an 8 hour day... but if you ran it, you could half that time.