Set in the heart of White Cliffs Country, the village of Finglesham is surrounded by beautiful Kentish countryside as well as a rich diversity of heritage, nature reserves and recreational pursuits. There are many interesting things to see and do within easy reach of the village, and you may like to explore some of the following options during your stay with us at Orchard Lodge.


The following are just some of the places you may wish to visit in our local area, and there are many other things to do within easy reach of East Kent. You can learn more about several of the places listed here by clicking the appropriate link, which will take you to the relevant web site.


Culture & History

Finglesham has a long and interesting history, with records dating back at least as far as the 7th Century AD. In 1964, excavations at the site of the Anglo-Saxon Finglesham cemetery revealed a find of great archaeological importance - a rare gilt bronze buckle, found in the grave of a male skeleton accompanied by a small collection of other artefacts. Quite different from other Kentish buckles of its time, the Finglesham buckle is believed to be unique amongst Anglo-Saxon archaeology. Understood to have Swedish origins, the buckle comprises the figure of a man (probably a warrior) holding two spears and wearing only a belt and two-horned helmet. 'The 'Finglesham Man’ is today depicted in our village sign, which can be seen opposite The Crown’s garden in The Street. In the 1500s, The Street itself was the main drovers’ route from north to south in these parts, and The Crown has been an integral part of the community down the centuries. As early as 1208, The Crown comprised two farm dwellings and has subsequently been used as a private dwelling, a knight's property (a reward by the Bishop of St Augustine for bravery in war against the French), a posting house, and an inn with a market garden. Elsewhere, many of the houses and other buildings in The Street have interesting histories, with some being former shop premises and one an old Wesleyan chapel. The picturesque villages of Betteshanger, Ham and Northbourne are all within a few miles, and there are many other historic villages within a short drive of Finglesham.

The pretty seaside town of Deal has a rich and colourful history ranging from its once thriving smuggling trade through to the antics of Lord Nelson, who conducted his illicit affair here with Lady Emma Hamilton in 1801. Today, Deal is a more conventional seaside community which enjoys one of the prettiest seafronts in England. Take a stroll down the pier to fully appreciate the wonderful panorama of the coastline, with its pebble beach and interesting mix of buildings. Like neighbouring Sandwich, the architecture of Deal offers an array of narrow streets, pretty lanes, and tiny alleys. No two buildings are the same here, and beneath the 'modern' Georgian façades lie many heavily timbered properties representing an earlier age. For hundreds of years, the treacherous Goodwin Sands off the shoreline of Deal have been the cause of many a shipwreck, some still visible with the changing sands. Deal Castle was one of Henry VIII's coastal fortresses and there was also a second castle at Sandown in the north of the town, though this is now a ruin. To get an idea of how Sandown Castle may once have looked, you need only go as far as Walmer Castle at the southern end of Deal, for it is identical to Sandown in design. Walmer Castle is home to the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and is famous for having been a residence of the Duke of Wellington (his famous boots are on display here!). The beach near Walmer is thought to have been the landing place of Julius Caesar's Roman fleet in 55 BC. You can learn more about Deal's history in both present day castles as well as Deal's Maritime & Local History Museum.

Once a cinque port and the most important port in England, Sandwich is today a fine example of a well preserved medieval English town, featuring many half-timbered buildings and other historic structures. Sandwich in fact boasts a history dating back longer ago than medieval times, and the present town includes two former hospitals/almshouses dated as early as 1190. One of Sandwich’s three ancient churches is still in congregational use, and the two remaining deconsecrated churches are today used for various exhibitions and other cultural events. Sandwich boasts a number of historic inns, houses, a tollgate/barbican, and the Roman fort at neighbouring Richborough. Sandwich had many early royal visitors (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Charless II), and the town's unique connection with modern times was John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who gave his name to the meat filled bread snack he requested during a gambling game in 1762. Today, the old town walls of Sandwich provide a leafy and peaceful circular walk around the town boundary.

Dover is a place full of history, with much to see and do of interest. The famous castle offers over 2000 years of history, while the Roman presence can still be seen in The Roman Painted House, with its wall paintings and sophisticated under floor heating system. Of particular historical note is the Bronze Age oak boat which was discovered deep under Dover's streets during a major roadworks project. This fascinating 3,550 year old artefact has been painstakingly preserved and can be seen in the town's interesting museum. Maison Dieu, Dover’s magnificent town hall, recently celebrated its 800th anniversary and is well worth a visit.

The castles of Deal, Dover and Walmer are all within 15 mins’ drive, and each offers something unique to the visitor. Owned and maintained by English Heritage, the castles are open to the public and host regular seasonal events and festivals. Richborough Roman Fort (10 mins) is also an English Heritage property and provides a fascinating insight into the days when Sandwich was the entrance port to Roman Britain. The impressive fort retains extensive stone walls and defence ditches, as well as ground level ruins of floor layouts.

Aside from the many castles and museums to be found in East Kent, some other historic buildings you may wish to visit include Chillenden Windmill, the last remaining open trestle post mill in Kent, and Crabble Corn Mill, which is a restored Georgian watermill near Dover still in regular use (both mills approximately 10 mins).

Minster (15 mins) is important for its religious significance (the first English monastery was founded on the Abbey site in 670 AD), and the current working abbey today provides a peaceful backdrop for this pretty village. Other notable nearby features are St Augustine's Abbey in Ramsgate (20 mins), St Augustine's Cross at Cliffsend (15 mins), and a replica viking ship also at Cliffsend.

Canterbury is the seat of the Church of England and is under 30 mins' drive from Finglesham. This historic cathedral city offers more options than can be included on this page, and further information can be found by clicking the above link.


Tourist Information & Shopping Facilities

Tourist Information Centres are located in Deal, Dover and Sandwich. When you visit these three towns, you can explore them very easily on foot by following the town trail maps available from tourist centres. You may also like to look out for the many informative history panels to be found in local villages and towns, each depicting the history of the local area. These display boards are usually found on village greens or by notable buildings and other points of interest.

Finglesham is serviced locally by the historic towns of Deal and Sandwich (10 mins). Both towns have a good choice of individual and specialist shopping (such as antiques auctions, art galleries and craft shops, as well as town markets and farm shops selling local produce), together with many familiar high street stores. Extended shopping facilities are available at nearby Canterbury, Dover and the Thanet towns of Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate (all within 20 mins). Dover's De Bradelei Wharf provides a good mix of house wares and designer label clothes shopping, while more major shopping centres can be found further afield at McArthur Glen in Ashford (40 mins) and Bluewater at Greenhithe (50 mins).


Libraries & Museums

Public libraries can be found in Deal, Dover and Sandwich, while the following museums are all within a 20 minute drive of Finglesham:

Deal Maritime & Local History Museum
Dover Museum
Dover Transport Museum
Minster Museum
Richborough Roman Fort
Sandwich Museum
South Foreland Lighthouse
St Margaret’s Museum
White Mill Folk Museum

There are many other museums in the surrounding East Kent districts, and the castles at Deal, Dover and Walmer also provide a wealth of information about our local heritage by way of exhibitions and seasonal events.


Arts & Music

There are cinemas in Deal, Dover and Sandwich, as well as several local venues where you can enjoy various artistic and musical performances.

The Astor Theatre is an arts centre in Deal (10 mins) and, a little further away, the arts can also be enjoyed at Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre, Margate's Winter Gardens, and Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre.

Free music concerts are held at the Deal Memorial Bandstand on Walmer Green (10 mins) every Sunday afternoon in summer, and provide a mix of Kentish brass, military or big bands. Many hotels, pubs and bistros in the local area offer regular live music, and an annual jazz festival is held in the grounds of Goodnestone Park Gardens.
    

Food & Drink

With a thriving fishing industry on our doorstep, locally farmed meats, as well as plentiful East Kent fruit and vegetables, it’s no wonder that fresh produce is widely used in our interesting variety of local restaurants, inns, bistros and cafes. The Crown is next door to Orchard Lodge here in Finglesham, and offers good lunch-time and evening meals seven days a week. There are many different types of cuisine available in Deal, Dover and Sandwich, ranging from British and continental European dishes to Asian dishes originating from India, China and Thailand. Seafood is a local speciality, and good use is made of locally caught fish such as Dover sole.

East Kent enjoys a climate conducive to fine wine making, as evidenced by the three local wineries in the area. Ash Coombe, Barnsole and Staple wineries are all open to the public and offer cellar door sales, vineyard tours and free wine tasting sessions. The three wineries are located approximately 10 mins’ drive from Finglesham, while the wineries at Ealham Valley and Tenterden lie a little further to the south-west. Kent is of course famous for its hop gardens, and you may like to visit one of the many hop farms open to the public in the area.
 

Leisure & Sporting Activities

The Crown is truly the heart of Finglesham community life, and is popular with locals and visitors alike. This ancient inn is home to a variety of traditional games, including an enthusiastic local cribbage society in winter and two Bat & Trap teams in summer. What is 'Bat & Trap'?  This centuries old activity is a traditional Kentish game played on an outdoor grass pitch between two teams of eight people. For an entertaining evening, why not come along and support the local side?  Games are played each Wednesday throughout summer, at the rear of the pub. The Crown's pretty garden includes a good selection of children's play equipment and a BBQ area. The pub is a certified Caravan Club location, and offers an extensive field for campers and holiday-makers.

The golf courses of Royal St George's (home of the 2003 British Open tournament), Princes and Royal Cinque Ports lie between Deal and Sandwich (10 mins), with many other East Kent courses also within easy reach of Finglesham. Nearby, you can also enjoy cricket, football, tennis, bowls, snooker, horse riding, fishing, boating and swimming. For cycling enthusiasts, the National Cycle Network is only a mile or so from Finglesham, providing a picturesque and safe cycling route to the north and south. For walkers, the White Cliffs Country Trail is on our doorstep and there are many other public footpaths to be enjoyed all year round, offering some fine views of the East Kent landscape and out across the English Channel. If you enjoy riding the railways, you might like to try the East Kent Railway, a light railway tourist train at Eythorne (10 mins). Prefer boating?  River Stour boat trips are available from the quay in Sandwich, and boat trips are also available from the De Bradelei Wharf, Dover. Leisure centres offering various facilities can be found in Deal, Dover and Sandwich. Elsewhere, the pretty pebble beaches of Deal, Kingsdown, St Margaret’s Bay and Walmer are contrasted by the rugged coastal landscape of the neighbouring White Cliffs. The White Cliffs at Langdon (15 mins) provide spectacular views across the port of Dover and English Channel from high up on the cliff.
   

Gardens & Homes

Goodnestone Park Gardens (10 mins) offers around 14 acres of exceptionally beautiful 18th Century parkland and established gardens, and is located between Wingham and Chillenden. The Pines Gardens provide a pretty and tranquil landscape specialising in pines, herbaceous plants and perennials. The beautifully landscaped setting is centred around a large pond and includes a statue of Winston Churchill, amongst other features. Walmer Castle's pretty gardens are set against a peaceful woodland backdrop and include well established formal gardens, a large pond and a productive kitchen garden. Aside from the castles and other historic buildings mentioned earlier above, there are many historic homes in the vicinity, offering enjoyable days out for all the family. We will be happy to provide you with brochures and any other advice that may be of assistance during your stay.


Fauna & Flora

Howletts (15 mins) is an wildlife breeding and conservation park set in ancient parkland, while Wingham Wildlife Park (10 mins) also provides an enjoyable day out for all the family. The internationally important Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve is an English Nature wetland site attracting many wildfowl and marshland bird species, and is located to the east of Canterbury (20 mins). The National Trust coastal areas to the north of Sandwich (15 mins) encompass Sandwich Flats and Pegwell Bay, which together provide an important haven for bird life. The area is sign posted from the A256 north of Sandwich and you can visit this area to enjoy the interesting array of wildlife, or simply to relax with a picnic and take in the pretty scenery looking out towards Ramsgate's white cliff. Adjacent to Sandwich is the Monks' Wall Nature Reserve (10 mins) which features many interesting plants, rare wildfowl and other bird species, a hide, footpaths, riverbanks, marshland and hedgerows. Access permits for the reserve are free and can be obtained from the Sandwich Information Centre. Samphire Hoe, just south of Dover (20 mins), is a remarkable place created from the material excavated from the Channel Tunnel. This Kentish land 'add-on' now provides a haven for wildlife and is an important area for many different species of grass and other plants, including the interesting samphire, a cliff plant with aromatic saline leaves.
 

Travel Connections

The port of Dover (15 mins) provides cross channel ferry services to France and Belgium, with frequent sailings throughout the day and evening. The passenger train Eurostar connects Ashford (40 mins) with continental Europe, and is complimented by its vehicle carrying counterpart, Le Shuttle, based just outside of Folkestone (25 mins). These train services offer several daily departures and cross beneath the English Channel via the the Channel Tunnel.

The area is serviced by a good network of roads and motorways, conveniently connecting East Kent with London, Sussex, Essex and continental Europe.

The railway stations at Deal and Sandwich (10 mins) connect the area with the rest of Britain.  Approximate journey times from Deal are Ashford International (50 mins), Canterbury (40 mins), London (2 hrs).

The airports of Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted are just under 1.5 hours’ drive from Finglesham, and commercial flights are available to the Channel Islands from the smaller airport at Manston (approximately 20 mins).