Things to see and do in Chiddingstone Village

Post office and stores at Chiddingstone village, Kent — Post office and stores at Chiddingstone Village | © National Trust Images/Jo Hatcher

Along with its picturesque houses, the best-preserved Tudor village in Kent also offers a 15th-century inn, a 17th-century church, tea-rooms, a shop and the mysterious stone that gives Chiddingstone its name. Discover what you could do on your visit.

Stroll down Chiddingstone high street

With its authentic half-timber Tudor buildings and cobbled pavements, strolling down the narrow high street of Chiddingstone Road is like stepping back in time.

Look out for the local shop and tea-rooms.

Admire the Old Manor

A prime example of one of Chiddingstone’s original Tudor buildings is the Old Manor, with its decorative timbers, windows and adornments signalling the wealth and status of the people who once lived there.

The Manor has recently undergone vital conservation work by the National Trust, using traditional carpentry techniques and original materials, such as lime plaster.

Visit St Mary’s church

Almost destroyed in a lightning fire in 1624, the parish church of St Mary the Virgin is thought to be the fourth church built on this site. The font inside was carved in 1628 from local sandstone and has been described as the best example of the period in the county. The pulpit dates to the same time, while the organ was added in 1881.

The Chiding Stone at Chiddingstone Village, Kent — The Chiding Stone at Chiddingstone Village | © National Trust Images/David Sellman

Ponder the Chiding Stone

This distinctive outcrop of stone at the heart of the village is shrouded in folklore. It is variously thought to have been a druid altar, an ancient Anglo-Saxon boundary marker and a place where judicial affairs were conducted.

There’s even a legend that says the village gets its name from the stone, thanks to the medieval practice of bringing wrongdoers here to be chided as punishment by an assembly of villagers.

Look out for filming locations

If Chiddingstone looks familiar, it may be because it’s been the location for a number of films keen to take advantage of its period charms. It can be spotted in the 1985 Merchant Ivory production A Room with a View, Michael Winner’s 1983 drama The Wicked Lady and the 1996 version of The Wind in the Willows, directed by Monty Python’s Terry Jones.

Pargeted façade at No.4 High Street

As you walk down towards the Castle Inn, take time to stop outside the Grade II* listed No.4 High Street. Admire the beauty of the pargeted façade dated ‘1697’, a later addition to the timber framed structure. The façade was painted white in the 1960s and became partially covered with ivy. In 2022, specialist work began on a refurbishment project, removing the ivy and uncovering the pargeting.

The façade required extensive repairs and research began to map out the history of the building and understand the changes to its appearance over time. The team consulted a detailed sketch of No. 4 by the renowned Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh as well as paintings and old photographs.

Above the door to the house, you will notice a panel with ‘A’ and ‘W’. It was originally thought to refer to Ann Woodgate, a previous owner. However, we now believe this to be Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used as a Christian symbol. Since completion, this project has received national recognition for conservation from the Civic Trust Awards.