47. Tonbridge and Sevenoaks - UK

Tonbridge

Once we were settled with the animals, we walked to the Tonbridge main street and had a look around. Once Max got her fix of charity shops, we could get down to the sightseeing. The days are now quite long with sunrise at 4.45am and sunset at 9.10pm so there were plenty of daylight hours to look around. 

The local church never fails to impress with quality architecture.

The Norman castle in town was also impressive. The Normans chose Tonbridge as a place of fortification because of its location. Looking over the river Medway, it guarded the road from Hastings to London. The first documentation of the castle appeared in 1088. Yet, it is likely that Richard FitzGilbert built it soon after the invasion of 1066.

There was a producer's market on the day we visited the castle grounds.

The local school

Many a garden was in bloom. A beautiful time of year to be here.

The River Medway passes through the town.

Another beautifully built church just up the road

Sevenoaks

A gorgeous town about 20 minutes away on a local bus is Sevenoaks. My cousin Trevor lives here and we got together for brunch and a wonderful catch-up. It had been over 20 years since I had seen him was a good opportunity for Max to meet family. 

After charity shopping, sightseeing could commence. Having said that, Max has picked up some great bargains along the way.

Plenty of sights are easy on the eye. The local church sits behind this fence.

Almost all church grounds have very old graves.

A lot of the gravestones are wearing out. Vinter Keeble was buried here in 1733. Who the heck is Vinter Keeble, you may ask...

The roads are narrow but have a distinct charm about them as they wind through the town.

Just near the local school, which happens to be one of the most expensive schools in the country, is the local violin maker.

Knole Park is nearby.  It's a lovely walk with plenty of deer, a cafe and gift shop. 

Back to London for a few days before our next sit in Swindon. It's on the western side of the UK and is close to Glastonbury, Stonehenge and Avebury which, incidentally, received the first crop circle for the year.