NESTLED away in the countryside of Kent is the village of Headcorn that has its own Shakespeare House and you might even see a big cat.
The village is just an hour away from London – but with its quaint charm and Tudor houses it will feel like you’re even further from the city.
Headcorn is a village in Kent with a high street and Tudor houses[/caption]
Around the village are large Tudor-style houses[/caption]
Headcorn has even been listed as one of the 100 best commuter towns by The Telegraph, being praised for its “picturesque setting and rich history“.
Direct trains from London go from Charing Cross, stopping at the likes of Marden and Staplehurst – and it only takes an hour and five minutes.
The village has a number of Grade II listed buildings and one of the more recognisable is called Shakespeare House which was built in the 16th century.
In actual fact, it has nothing to do with Shakespeare, and was originally used for cloth production.
Surprisingly, there’s also the opportunity to see big cats like lynx, cheetahs, lions and leopards.
Luckily, they’ll be in enclosures at The Big Cat Sanctuary which is a registered animal charity dedicated to global conservation.
For anyone who is curious about the sanctuary, you can even organise a stay there at one of their eight lodges.
Nearby is also the Lashenden Air Warfare Museum, which for aviation enthusiasts, has an extensive collection of aircraft relics, mostly from World War Two.
Headcorn dates back to Neolithic period and very near the local church are the remains of the Headcorn Oak tree.
The huge tree was around 500 to a thousand years old when it was severely damaged by a fire in 1989.
It continued to grow until 1993 but only the remains of the old oak are left.
As for what to do there, the Headcorn Farmers Market has stalls selling food, fruits and vegetables, homemade jams, honey, cakes and pastries too.
Local artists selling handcrafted goods also set up shop so you can have a wander around.
The market hits the streets on the second Saturday of every month.
There’s also three pubs, George & Dragon, The White Horse and Tap 17 Micro Bar.
Tap 17 micro-bar, located in Headcorn won the “Pub/Bar of the Year” award at the Kent & Medway Food & Drink Awards. earlier this year.
One visitor even called it the “best micropub ever” on Tripadvisor.
The nearby village of Sissinghurst has a famous castle[/caption]
Headcorn is just 15-minutes away from the village of Sissinghurst which has its own castle.
It’s found in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent and it has been included in the Telegraph’s 10 prettiest villages in Kent 2024.
Sissinghurst is best known for its famous gardens and castle that is run by the National Trust
The village’s tower was never actually a castle, but got that title from the 3,000 French sailors who were imprisoned there during the 1700s.
You’ll find Headcorn in ‘Royal’ English town which has one of the UK’s fanciest Wetherspoons, and was named one of the top place to live in the UK.
And another castle in Kent that people say looks like a Disney film.
Headcorn has Tudor houses and it’s near a famous castle[/caption]
