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Lamberhurst
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(Scotney Castle and Gardens)
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General Details
Lamberhurst is found about 10 miles to the East of Royal Tunbridge
Wells on the busy A21, the main London to Hastings road.
The first record of Lamberhurst is in Saxon times during 998
when the church was consecrated, but this was probably a wooden
structure. The current church was started in the 14th century,
and the tower in the 15th century.
Lamberhurst was once central to the Wealden Iron Industry, and was
a main coaching stop on the long ride from London to Hastings.
Scotney Castle lies on the south east side of the village, it
was built in the 14th century by Rodger de Ashburnham , it
features a beautiful round tower, the ruins of a Tudor house,
and is surrounded by a moat filled with water lilies.
On the western edge of Lamberhurst is 'The Owl House'. Built
in the 16th century it is tile hung and half-timbered. It
was named because of its association with wool smugglers , known
in those days as owlers . It has lovely gardens which include
rhododendrons, azaleas and rare shrubs, and is open to the public.
Thomas Hussey bought Lamberhurst furnace known as Gloucester
Forge - named after a visit by the Duke of Gloucester. The forge
became one of the most famous Wealden ironworks , being the
main contractor for supplying railings for St Pauls Cathedral.
In 1976 the Dean and Chapter of St Pauls returned a section
of the railing to be preserved in the village by the Village Hall.
In the churchyard can be seen a couple of examples of
the terracotta grave plaques by Heathfield stonemason
Jonathan Harmer .
In 1837 - 1843 a new house was built in the grounds of
Scotney Castle by Edward Hussey, using stone quarried there.
He also laid out the gardens, and used the quarried area to
create a charming Alpine style garden.
Until 1894 the Kent and East Sussex boundary ran through the
village, when it was decided that the village must belong to
either one county or the other. As hop growing was the main
industry of the day, and hops in Kent were fetching a better
price than in Sussex, Lamberhurst became part of Kent.
Other nearby attractions are Bayham Abbey one of the most
complete monastic ruins in the South of England, and
Bewl Bridge Reservoir which now hosts sailing, fishing and
many other activities.
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Services
 Lamberhurst is on the main A21 London to Hastings road, and
for this reason there are a number of Public Houses in the
village. A few shops still remain off the A21, which provide
the necessities.
The nearest trains run from Bells Yew Green about 5 miles to
the West.
The nearest shopping centre is Royal Tunbridge Wells about
7 miles to the west.
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Views
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Scotney Castle is beautiful, and is run by the National Trust so
is open many days in the year.
