The Eden Valley

The Eden Valley is almost as idyllic as its name might suggest. There is no real Garden of Eden here, but the gentle valley does include some of the most pleasant countryside in the county that has rightly been called the Garden of England. The Eden rises in Surrey, so this route takes you just over the border to view the headwaters before returning to Kent for most of the route.

The Swan Inn lies north of Edenbridge proper in Marlpit Hill, which was once a separate village but has now run together with Edenbridge as housing has expanded. Find the Swan just off the high street about 50 yards north of the railway station.

Leave the Swan and head south along the B2026 to Edenbridge. It is worth stopping here to view the eponymous bridge over the Eden. About a mile south of Edenbridge, turn right along the B2028 through Marsh Green and Dormans Land to reach Lingfield. This small town is famous for its racecourse, but the 15th century Church of St Peter and St Paul is open more often and has more to offer the visitor than a way to gamble. When this church was rebuilt, the tombs of the earlier church were retained. Of particular interest are the tombs of the 1Street, 2nd and 3rd Baron Cobham dating from 1361, 1403 and 1446 respectively. Each shows their occupant dressed in battle armour and allow historians to track changes in the armour of a medieval knight during these years.

from Pub and Teashop Drives in Kent by Rupert Matthews

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