Doddington combines a dry-valley landscape with a garden, medieval church architecture and a manor house with several building phases. For a trip focused on culture and landscape, it is worth getting to know these places and the stories of how each came to be.
Landscape and Garden
Doddington lies in a dry valley bounded by steep slopes, a characteristic feature of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Doddington Place Gardens lie in an area officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Both the shape of the valley and the gardens’ landscape designation therefore shape how the surrounding area is seen. Those considering the landscape and garden culture when planning a trip will find two specific points of interest here.
Doddington Place Gardens’ Woodland Garden has a distinctive story. It was created in the 1960s, after three acres of deep, acidic clay soil were discovered there. Underground springs keep the soil moist. The soil conditions and water are therefore integral to the history of how this part of the garden came about. For garden enthusiasts, this is a specific detail that goes beyond a general description of it as a woodland garden.
Church Architecture and Building History
The Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist is a 12th-century parish church. It was extended to the south around 1200, with a further extension in the 15th century. Its building history therefore spans several medieval phases. The materials also give the building its own character: it is made of flint, the tower is timber-framed and clad in wood, and the roofs are simply covered with tiles. Those interested in church architecture can take note of both its development over time and its different architectural features.
Another highlight is Sharsted Court, a manor house dating from the 14th to the 17th century. It was remodelled in 1711 and extended in the 1880s and around 1911. The main gates tell a distinct part of its history: they date from the 18th century and were re-erected there in 1882. The dates of the manor house and the gates thus speak to different building phases and bring the estate’s long development to life without reducing it to a single date of origin.
Woodland and Village on the Walking Route
The “A Tapestry of History and Wildlife” walking route passes through the woodland areas of Doddington Place. On the stretch through Doddington, it passes a church and churchyard maintained by local people to protect wildlife. The route description thus links woodland with a specific example of how nature is cared for locally. For travellers interested in history and wildlife, the route offers a fitting connection to its name.
A Local Food Business
S.W. Doughty is an award-winning traditional butcher’s shop in the village of Doddington in Kent. The business includes its own abattoir and a farm shop. Those wishing to include local food in their travel plans will find a specific named business here rather than a general selection of places to eat. Check the business details before you arrive.
Discover more destinations: Lydd-On-Sea, Petham, Birchington, Wrotham, Horsmonden, Newchurch, Hadlow, Vigo Village.
For the broader travel guide: Kent.
