About the Farm

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Access to the farm:  Guests are welcome to use the farm for quiet relaxation and walks.

 

Stables and Horses:  The stables and horses are privately owned.  Please do not enter the stable areas

or any grazing paddocks.  This is for your own safety.  PLEASE DO NOT PET OR TOUCH ANY HORSE.

They are not pets and they do bite.  Please keep dogs on a lead past the barn until you reach the woodlands.

 

Route to the farm:  Out of the house and head towards the big white gates to your right. 

Enter the farm through the small gate and walk right towards the big brown wooden barn. 

Keep the barn to your left and follow the track beside the riding school towards the woodlands. 

Go through the gate at the end of the riding school and you then can walk left or right around the gallops. 

Watch out for horses exercising when you walk around, especially on the corners.  

 

The woodlands and gallops:  The farm is about 30 acres in a rectangle and has sort of oval shaped

grazing paddocks in the middle.  Around the outside is a ¾ mile gallop which is great for walking. 

In each corner you will spot paths going off into the woods and you are very welcome to explore those too. 

Please be aware that the gallops are used for exercising horses and they may appear at speed on a corner.

 

The woodland glade picnic spot:  In the woods we have created a sunny woodland picnic spot
with lots of seating and lovely views.  There is also a fire pit so if you want to make a campfire just use any fallen wood

you find, there is loads.  Maybe take firelighters and paper from the Barbecue box in the garden.

Picnic hampers and cool boxes are provided in the house for your enjoyment.

Great for children and safe for dogs.  Spent some time in nature.

 

History of the area:  Stede Court Estate used to be a massive farming enterprise.

It was once one of the largest farming estates in this part of Kent running to thousands of acres. 

Established around 1450 by the Stede family there were buildings on this site from that time on

and houses of note from 1570.  John Stede himself was buried in Harrietsham Church in 1463, over 550 years ago.

Building the main house started in 1578  The Courtyard used to be a walled stockyard and the cottages were stables. 

The Great Barn was built around 1630 as a farm store, and was still used for farming up to around 1985.

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The Hurricane 1987:  In the hurricane of 1987 this area was devastated.  Almost all the trees planted

by William Stede some 250 year ago were mature and so came down together in the storm.   

Your hosts planted 10,000 new trees in 1992 and this is the woodland you see today, almost mature. 

Ash Die-Back, the disease suffered by Ash trees in the UK has caused a lot of tree deaths and you will

see many dead ash, which will now be logged for firewood and new trees are already taking their place. 

You may also see our resident Buzzard, a really big bird with a wingspan of several feet. 

If you hear his call, like a piercing whistle, normally emitted two of three times, look up and spot him.

 

Walk to the Pilgrims Way:  On the map below you will see a blue arrow. 

This is a footpath down to the Pilgrims Way over our land.  Feel free to wander down there too. 

Our neighbours are a Kentish Horse Rescue who also encourage walkers and visitors

so do follow any obvious tracks on their land as well.

 

History of The Pilgrims Way:  The Pilgrims Way is a historical route taken by pilgrims

to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.  It starts in Winchester and runs for 120 miles to Folkestone. 

The name is a more recent addition (from the Middle Ages) as it was also an ancient trackway dating from around 500 BC,

so you really are following ancient footsteps.  The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, written 1387-1400,

are about one such group of pilgrims making their way from London.

Walk to the Ringlestone Inn:  A lovely 40 minute walk. 

 

Map of the farm

Red Arrows:  Route from the house to the farm.  Go through the small white gate in the Courtyard wall. 

Green Arrows:  The Gallops around the farm for walks and exploring.  The dotted lines are footpaths in the woods.
Yellow Arrow:  Gap in the fence to start the walk to The Ringlestone Inn and the Circular Walk.
Blue Arrow:  The path down to the Pilgrims Way.  Follow this path to the road and turn left.  About 100 yards along is a hand crafted statue of a monk on the bank, Created from a tree that fell in the hurricane in 1997.

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