Enjoy exclusive private tours of two secret houses hidden away in the beautiful Weald of Kent.

Explore Court Lodge, which lies at the heart of a traditional Kentish farm surrounded by a beautiful landscape of woodland and chalk valleys. Our owner guided tour of this small but quintessential Grade II 16th century timber framed manor will include the beautiful panelled rooms, many of which have grand fireplaces and four poster beds. The gardens, a feature of the property, consist of traditional herbaceous borders, orchards and a vegetable garden. Our tour will include the 17th century Black Barn, a beautifully restored tithe barn. The owners also have a small flock of Shetland sheep. 

Allington Castle image © Name withheld by request, CC BY-SA 4.0 <;, via Wikimedia Commons

Later, discover Grade I Allington Castle. The first castle on the site was an unauthorised fortification, built during "The Anarchy" (1135–1153) and torn down later in the century when royal control was reasserted. It was replaced by a manor house, which was fortified with royal permission in the 13th century. Various alterations were made by successive owners over the following two centuries. The property was developed into a fortified compound with six towers at irregular intervals along the curtain wall and domestic buildings in the interior, including one of the first long galleries built in England. In 1554 it was seized by the Crown in the course of dispossessing its owner, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger, after the failure of his rebellion against Queen Mary. The castle entered a state of decay that was accelerated by fires, neglect and vandalism, until it was largely ruined by the start of the 20th century. It was saved and restored by the efforts of Sir Martin Conway and his wife during the first half of the century. After nearly 50 years of occupation by a community of Carmelite friars and nuns, it returned to being a private residence in 1999.

Tickets £74 including a two-course lunch at the Angel Inn at Addington Green

Lunch options to be made available to attendees in August 2024