I’ve visited Chiddingstone village and castle on one Sunday in late spring and it was such as great day out. I’ve enjoyed visiting the castle museum and rooms, walking in the park and exploring the village and the church. In the afternoon we had just enough time to take the Eden Valley Walk to Hever Castle village and back through fields and woodland, trying not to get caught in the brewing storm and even saw some cute lamas!

Chiddingstone village, which dates back to the early 1500s is one of the best preserved Tudor villages in England and it’s truly a hidden gem. The village has a small main street lined with Tudor houses with lovely half-timbered frames, leaded windows, and thatched roofs.

There is also medieval St Mary’s Church from the 14th century, Chiddingstone Castle built in the 1500s, and The Tulip Tree which is the oldest shop in England dating back to the 1600s.

Chiddingstone might be a small village, but there is definitely plenty to see and do if you want to spend a whole day here, especially if you combine it with a visit to the castle, walk in the park and afternoon tea in the castle tearooms.

Chiddingstone Castle

It’s hard to imagine, but Chiddingstone Castle began as a humble Tudor timber-framed house in the early 16th century. At that time it was known as High Street House because until the mid-19th century, the main village street was right in front of the house.

The house was built by the Streatfeild family (sometimes spelled Streatfield), who made it their main residence from the early 16th century.

The house was first rebuilt in 1670, but the most dramatic change came in the early 19th century when the house was utterly transformed into the castle-style building that you can see today.

The Streatfeild family remained at Chiddingstone until 1900 when they left the property. However, they didn’t sell it until 1938 when it was purchased by Lord Astor, who never actually lived there. During World War II, the castle housed Canadian soldiers. After the war, it passed through several hands and was used for different purposes.

The last private owner was Denys Eyre Bower, who was an art dealer and collector and by all accounts lived an interesting life. He turned most of the ground floor of the castle into a museum and opened it to the public in 1955.

Denys Eyre Bower (1905-1977): A Collector’s Extraordinary Life

The last owner of the castle, Denys Eyre Bower had a fascinating life and I’ve enjoyed learning his story as I walked around Chiddingstone Castle.

Denys Eyre Bower was born in 1905 into a middle-class family. From an early age, he developed a passionate interest in art and antiquities and he had a real instinct for collecting the right type of art. Before his career as an antiques dealer, he worked as a bank clerk, but didn’t really enjoyed it. But this job provided him with the initial capital that would later fund his collecting ambitions.

Bower’s life seemed to be driven by a singular passion: collecting. Over the decades, he focused on sourcing four types of artefacts into his collections, namely Japanese lacquerware and swords, Ancient Egyptian artifacts, Stuart and Jacobite memorabilia and Buddhist objects and art.

His knowledge in these disparate fields was remarkably deep, despite having no formal academic training in any of them. Saying that, on occasions he bought an item (such as the Egyptian bust) that later proved to be 20th century replica of the genuine article.

In 1955, Bower made the most significant purchase of his life when he acquired Chiddingstone Castle. He bought it for £ 6.000 and he had to borrow the whole amount from the bank. His dream was for the castle to be not only his residence but also a public museum where he could share his collections with others.

But, Bower’s life took a dramatic and tragic turn in 1957 when he became involved in a scandal that would forever alter his life. He was convicted of the attempted murder of his girlfriend, a young woman who was claiming to be a “Countess” to keep Bower interested in marrying her. The circumstances of the shooting were complex and controversial, but Bower was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Bower served approximately four years in prison before being released in 1961. His early release came after substantial evidence suggesting he may have been wrongfully convicted. Following his imprisonment, Bower returned to Chiddingstone Castle, though his reputation had been irreparably damaged by the scandal.

Despite the setback of his imprisonment, Bower remained dedicated to his vision of turning Chiddingstone Castle into a museum. He continued to live in the castle, surrounded by his collections, though with increasingly limited financial resources. He lived somewhat reclusively in his later years, focusing on cataloging and preserving his collections rather than expanding them. He would give people tour of the collections, but usually wouldn’t tell them that he was the owner.

Denys Eyre Bower died in 1977, alone in Chiddingstone Castle. He wanted to donate the house to the National Trust, but because he didn’t have any actual money to leave in his will, the trust refused. Fortunately a separate charitable trust was founded to preserve Chiddingstone Castle and its contents, fulfilling Bower’s lifelong dream of creating a museum open to the public.

What to see inside the castle – rooms & collections

Japanese Room

This room includes Bower’s extensive collection of Japanese art, lacquerware, and swords. You can also see several samurai armors and weapons, including Samurai swords. There are also delicate porcelain pieces and intricate lacquerware and Japanese prints and other decorative items.

The Great Hall

This used to be the main main entrance hall to the castle. It has high ceiling and staircase that takes you to upstairs rooms and the library.

The White Rose Room

This room name was inspired by Jacobite history and includes the Stuart and Jacobite collection, including portraits, miniatures, and memorabilia associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Rebellion.

The Library

This is a fairly large room with wall to wall bookcases filled with Bower’s collection of books. Lot of these are reference books that related to Bower’s collecting interests.

The Study

The study is set up how it would have looked like during the time Bower’s lived at the castle. Here is where you can find out more about his personal life and see personal items, photographs, newspaper cuttings and other memorabilia from his life.

Four Poster Room

This room is comfortably decorated with flower wallpaper and has a single four-poster bed with two comfortable chairs and table lamp.

The Victorian Kitchen

This room is preserved as it would have been in Victorian times and includes large range cooker, traditional kitchen utensils and cookware. Right next to kitchen, there is also a little scullery, which has original sink and workspace for preparing food.

Egyptian Room

This room includes Bower’s impressive collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, including includes mummy cases, ushabti figures, amulets, and other burial items.

Buddhist Room

This room has Bower’s collection of Buddhist artefacts and art, including statues of Buddha and other Buddhist figures, religious items, prayer wheels, and ceremonial objects.

Chiddingstone Village

The village was thought to be founded before the arrival of King William and the Normans in 1066 and at that time it was owned by Earl Godwin father of King Harold.

Later on the willage was given to Bishop Odo after the Norman’s invasion. The first mention of the village church is in the Domesday Book from 1070, where the church is recorded as part of the Canterbury Diocese.

The Streatfeild family played a dominant role in Chiddingstone’s history, they owned the Chiddingstone estate from the early 16th century. Their influence shaped much of the village’s development and until the early 20th century, when the family left the village.

The Village Shop

The village shop is believed to be the oldest shop in the country. The historic shop has served the community for centuries and continues to operate today as a village store, gift shop and post office.

The shop is also what connects Anne Boleyn and Chiddingstone. Her father Sir Thomas Bullen(Boleyn), who lived at nearby historic Hever Castle bought property (which the shop front was part of) in the village during the early 1500’s. This was before the whole family’s fell from Henry VIII grace after his second wife Anne was executed for adultery and treason in 1536.

National Trust Ownership

In 1939, the National Trust purchased most of Chiddingstone Village (excluding the church, castle, and school) and took on the task of preserving the buildings for future generations. Over two-thirds of the buildings are more than 200 years old. But despite being a historic treasure, it remains a living, working village with a small community.

The original High Street of Chiddingstone (and it’s diversion)

I find it absolutely fascinating, that before the 19th century, Chiddingstone’s High Street followed a different route than it does today. The original High Street ran directly through what is now part of the Castle grounds. Historical records show that this old route had been the main thoroughfare of the village for centuries, with Tudor and earlier buildings on each side of the street.

In this original layout, the predecessor to Chiddingstone Castle, known as High Street House, was standing alongside the High Street rather than standing in the middle of the park as the Castle does today.

But in 1805 Henry Streatfeild decided to turn the High Street House into a Gothic-style Castle. As part of this grand redesign, he made the bold decision to block the High Street and diverting it in a large loop around his newly remodeled residence. You can see where to High Street would have continued as you walk along the main road and see the pub on one side and then gates to the castle park. Just imagine that the street continued through there.

St Mary’s Church

The earliest record of a church in Chiddingstone dates back to 1120, but it’s believed that that there was a religious building here before. Over the centuries, there have been at least four different versions of the church, but all were dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin.

The present church structure has 13th-century origins, but the building was substantially expanded in the 14th century, to pretty much how it looks now. At that time, the tall west tower was added.

Inside the church, you can also see a font made in 1628 from local sandstone, described by experts as “the best production of its period”.

The Chiding Stone

You can find the Chiding Stone just outside the village, a short walk which is signposted from the main road. It’s a large, naturally formed sandstone, which looks like two stones on top of each other. This imposing rock formation is about 18 feet high and according to the legend, it’s the reason for the village name.

The name “Chiding Stone” is thought to come from the verb “chiding” which means scolding or reprimanding.

Some sources believe that the stone was used as a “scolding stone” where wrongdoers (particularly nagging wives or disobedient women) were brought for public criticism and humiliation by village elders.

But there are also other sources, that think that the stone may have served as a druidic meeting place or altar for pre-Christian ceremonies. Others suggest it functioned as a boundary marker between ancient territories.

Tearooms & Pub

The Tea Rooms (at the castle)

The tea rooms at the castle are really pretty with tables decorated with fresh flowers. The food is served on vintage china and the whole atmosphere is very relaxing. There is seating inside and outside in a little courtyard. The tea rooms do light lunches, homemade cakes and traditional cream teas (which needs to be pre-booked). The castle shop staff also makes a great take away coffee or tea.

• Opening days: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
• Opening Hours: 11am to 5pm
• Last orders are typically taken at 4:15pm

The Tulip Tree Café (at the village)

The second tearoom is in the village, tucked away behind the village shop in a little courtyard.

The tearooms serve homemade breakfasts, lunches, wonderful homemade cakes, cream teas with clotted cream and Kent jam and wide range of tea and coffee

• Opening Days: Open most days through the whole year
• Opening Times: 9:00-16:30

The Castle Inn

You can find the Castle Inn at the end of the High Street, just before the gate to the castle park. It’s a traditional English village inn with great food and drink and cozy interior.

Opening Days & Times: Open all year round

Castle Park & Walks

Chiddingstone village is a great starting point for local walks. Last time I visited, it was in mid April, which gave me enough daylight to visit the castle and the castle park, walk around the village and later in the afternoon take the Eden Valley Walk to walk to Hever Castle and back. As you can see from the photos, we were chased the whole day by a big clouds, but in the end we managed to escape the rain.

Chiddingstone to Penshurst Walk (on Eden Valley Walk)

• Distance: 4.5 miles (6km)
• Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
• Highlights: Takes you through pretty countryside to historic Penshurst Village where you can also visit Penshurst Castle. You can follow the Eden Valley Walk there and come back using the public right of way paths, so that the walk is more circular.
• Terrain: Some gentle hills, can be muddy after rain

Chiddingstone Village to Hever Castle and village Walk

• Distance: 6.1 miles
• Duration: Average of 2.5 hours
• Difficulty: Moderately challenging
• Features: Beautiful countryside views, passes Hever Castle, historic woodland paths, and connects two historic villages. You can return the same way back, using the Eden Valley Walk, which is the shortest way there and back. If you want to turn it into a circular walk, you’d need to follow few local roads and take quite a long detour as Hever Castle grounds are quite large and also include the Hever Golf Course.

You can also walk towards the Chiddingstone Causeway village, which is great if you don’t have a car and want to catch a train back to London or elsewhere in Kent. There are also public right of way to take you to Bough Beech Reservoir and Bore Place (farm & local farm produce shop, tearooms). You can also just walk around the village and the castle park which can take up a good hour.

How to get to Chiddingstone Village

The most convenient way to reach Chiddingstone from London is by train:

• Take a train from London Bridge station to Edenbridge Town, which takes approximately 40-45 minutes.
• From Edenbridge Town, you’ll need to take a taxi for the final leg of the journey (about 3 miles) as there is no direct public transport to Chiddingstone Village itself. You can also walk from Edenbridge following the Eden Valley Walk through the fields and woodland.

Alternative train options:

• You can also take a train from London to Penshurst station and then take a taxi or walk on local roads and public paths to get to Chiddingstone Village.

If you prefer to drive:

• The journey from London to Chiddingstone Village takes approximately 1.5 hours, depending on traffic and your starting point in London.
• The most direct route is to take the A21 from London, then follow local roads to the village.
• Chiddingstone Village is about 40 minutes from the London border by car.

Public bus service to Chiddingstone is limited:

• Take a train to a nearby town such as Edenbridge or Tonbridge.
• From there, check for connecting local bus services, though these may not run frequently.

Where to Park in Chiddingstone Village

The most convenient and also recommended parking option is to park at Chiddingstone Castle’s large car park, which can accommodate both cars and coaches. The castle car park operates on an honesty box system rather than charging a fixed fee and recommended contribution is £3.

The castle car park is directly at the castle and it’s only a short walk through the park to get to the village after that.

The on-street parking in Chiddingstone village is very limited and I’d really recommend to park further from the centre so that you don’t inconvenience local residents.

This blog post was originally published on 17 April 2025 and last updated on 17 April 2025