Rebuilding a nursery - Copton Ash

[David Nicholson]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Tim Ingram]

Friends in the North, are you sitting down? Harveys bitter £4.10 per pint!

Pity the poor southern gardener! - all you Yorkshiremen and canny Scots

[Hoy]

My wife and I walked there on Saturday! It is indeed a lovely area, albeit cursed with the invasive Rhododendron x superponticum. The Rose and Crown is a nice pub, but expensive. Friends in the North, are you sitting down? Harveys bitter £4.10 per pint!

I will sit down! That is cheap by our standards

[Hoy]

Tim,

Perry Woods looks like a place I would have liked to take a walk!

[David Nicholson]

I will sit down! That is cheap by our standards

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh plus one

[Robert]

Tim,

Your countryside is extremely beautiful. I would enjoy hiking in those woods at any time! Thank you for sharing such beauty.

I have to admit that I am somewhat baffled by a pub out in the woods. 

I am sure that I am missing something. For me this is nothing new. Kinda' like I am a Thermian. I am sure everyone else understands completely

[johnralphcarpenter]

Robert, see here: http://whatpub.com/pubs/SWA/4411/rose-crown-perry-wood

It is on a road through the woods, and there are a few houses nearby.

[Matt T]

Some lovely old pics on their website from 'back in the day' where it really does give an impression of a pub in the woods: http://www.roseandcrownperrywood.co.uk/gallery Such an important part of our heritage and daily life for those working and travelling in the countryside in those days.

[Tim Ingram]

To be honest it still is now Matt. The village of Selling nearby has numerous outlying hamlets (we used to live at Hogben's Hill just down the road from it) and the whole region is a centre of fruit growing with a significant distribution centre on the edge of the village). Nowadays though most of the fruit pickers come over from eastern Europe rather than locally, but we know many of the local people who are and have been involved with fruit growing. Within Perry Woods is 'Longacre', a garden long opened in the past for the NGS, made by Graham and Elizabeth Thomas who have both contributed hugely to the village. Graham worked on hop growing and Elizabeth is one of the most respected of gardeners in Kent, organising garden groups, arranging garden visits, and simply a very remarkable lady. Near to their garden live Judith and John Badmin, and John is an entomologist who worked at Shell at Sittingbourne but has also been a lynchpin of the Kent Field Club and the community of naturalists in Kent. Judith helps run the Selling Gardeners and the local Flower Shows, along with a great deal else. Perry Woods stands very much as a focus of this long tradition of learning about, respecting and working on the land in the local region.

[Robert]

Robert, see here: http://whatpub.com/pubs/SWA/4411/rose-crown-perry-wood

It is on a road through the woods, and there are a few houses nearby.

Ralph,

If I understand correctly the pub can be reached by auto too - at least now. It seems in a historic context it was used by travelers as a place to rest and refresh on there travels. Now I get it.    It seems like it could be a fun place to visit - maybe even by someone like me that does not drink alcohol.

[Matt T]

Ralph,

If I understand correctly the pub can be reached by auto too - at least now. It seems in a historic context it was used by travelers as a place to rest and refresh on there travels. Now I get it.    It seems like it could be a fun place to visit - maybe even by someone like me that does not drink alcohol.

There's a unique quality to the atmosphere you find in old English country pubs, Robert. I've not had to describe it before, so it's hard to define, but for me (and in the good ones) it's a feeling that is full of a sense of history and tradition, welcome, comfort and cosiness, relaxation and retreat as well as joviality, sociality and nourishment. You really don't find it anywhere else and alcohol is not key to its enjoyment.

[Maggi Young]

alcohol is not key to its enjoyment.

indeed not - especially since some of these places have really good home-cooked food on offer!

[Robert]

I am sure it is impossible to capture the essence of an old English country pub into words. Most likely one needs to experience it. But......

What a fantastic concept! 

I far as I can determine there is nothing like this in the U.S.A. It seems as though a good pub can bring a healthy sense of community, something much needed in our part of the U.S.A. Our local "road houses" and bars are generally nasty places that no one would want to visit, at least if one is family or community oriented.


Anyway, maybe someday my wife, Jasmin, (pronounced Yas' meen) and I will visit the U.K. and we can experience such a place. Even better after a hike in the beautiful countryside!

Home cooked meals.... this makes it very tempting. 

[johnralphcarpenter]

To be honest it still is now Matt. The village of Selling nearby has numerous outlying hamlets (we used to live at Hogben's Hill just down the road from it)

There used to be a pub in Hogben's Hill too; closed now like so many pubs, alas.

[Tim Ingram]

Robert - this is another picture of the 'Rose & Crown' taken on Sunday. We walk here regularly so I will aim to show more pictures through the year when I can - it will be a great excuse, if excuse is needed to sample the local ale and game pie!!