Never having lived in the country we were somewhat lost when we moved down from South East London, the lack of pavements, street lighting, no noise or smell of car exhausts from the A2 traffic we found unsettling but short lived and now when we return to our old neighbourhood we can’t wait to get back.

We have loved living the good life for almost 20 years. The taste of free range eggs from sellers nearby inspired us to keep our own hens as well as  rare breed pigs including Berkshires, Gloucester Old Spots, Tamworths, British Lop Ears, Saddlebacks and Large Whites. We have also kept Romsey Marsh lambs, Runner Ducks, Geese,  Turkeys and honey bees. Our children and grandchildren have loved and enjoyed all the animals we have kept over the years.

We walk into Brenchley by way of a public footpath signposted and accessed at the top of Fairmans. There are also numerous public footpaths and walks around Echoes and you can see quite frequently organised walking groups striding up and down our lane.

In Brenchley village there is a post office/ general store and the Little Bull coffee shop/wine bar /B&B, there is also an excellent doctor’s practice.

Paddock Wood train station is about ten minutes drive with a large amount of surface car parking and trains run into London Bridge, Charing Cross (45 minutes) and a Cannon Street.

Paddock Wood has a Waitrose supermarket adjacent to the station, a family run Department store Barsleys as well as a Tesco Express, Costa Coffee, Greggs The Bakers, Dominos Pizza, Post Office, a Nationwide Building Society and numerous hairdressers and smaller retailers.

We walk to The Half Way House which has won the CAMRA Best West Kent pub for most probably the last twenty plus years and the Hopbine  with a growing a reputation as one of the best gastropubs in the area. The pub also has a brick pizza oven and also supplies take away pizzas.

Further afield there are numerous attractive quality restaurants and pubs within a short drive such as “The Smallholding” restaurant which recently won a “Green Michelin” star for its menu of locally produced produce,  the Elite Public House chain in 12 locations around the area and of course Tunbridge Wells only 6 miles away with numerous drink and food establishments ranging from “ Alkin” a niche brewery and pizza food to “ The Ivy Restaurant” London chain.