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. 

Again, the local church never fails to impress with quality architecture.



The castle in town was also impressive. The Normans, who built the castle, 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. We picked a good time of the year to be here.


The River Medway passes through the town.


Another beautifully built church just up the road





Sevenoaks

Another beautiful 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 and a good opportunity for Max to meet him. 



Once Max had her fix of charity shops, the sightseeing could commence. Having said that, she has picked up some bargains along the way.

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




Almost all church grounds have very old graves on the grounds


A lot of the gravestones are wearing out. Vinter Keeble was buried here in 1733.



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



Just near the local school, which by the way is one of the most expensive schools in the country, is the local violin maker.


Knole Park is nearby with its resident deer.


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

Comments

  1. MaxineJune 5, 2023 at 8:34 AM

    Just for the record, I do more than just charity shopping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KayeJune 5, 2023 at 12:48 PM

      🤣😂🤣

      Delete
    2. NataliaJune 5, 2023 at 11:30 PM

      Of course you do…I’ve noticed a lot of pooch lovin’ too! 😆😆😆

      Delete
    3. Mary Lawrence June 6, 2023 at 9:39 AM

      Lol! I'm sure you do, Max 🤭😂

      Delete
  2. LesleyJune 5, 2023 at 8:47 AM

    Love love love your excellent adventure Max and Paul! And yes you def are in the Kingdom at the best time of all...Are you going to be in Glastonbury for Mid summer? The Solstice will be celebrated for sure.... Keep having fun. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Max and Paul's Excellent AdventureJune 6, 2023 at 1:27 PM

      We will be in Glastonbury next week as our next sit takes us in the area.

      Delete
  3. Mary Lawrence June 6, 2023 at 9:41 AM

    Loving the photos and stories. Keep 'em coming 😊

    ReplyDelete

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