Cranbrook

Cranbrook, known as the Capital of the Weald, is a pretty town with a medieval layout of streets and alleys – many buildings dating from the 15th century through to the 19th century. Once the bustling centre for the region’s medieval cloth weaving industry, Cranbrook today is still a bustling market town full of interesting shops. The newly restored Union Mill, Cranbrook’s most famous landmark, is one of the finest smock mills in the UK and still dominates the skyline. St Dunstan’s Church, known locally as the ‘Cathedral of the Weald’, Cranbrook Museum with its fascinating collections of local history, and the George Hotel where Elizabeth I is reputed to have visited in 1573, are all fine examples of the many splendid old buildings in the town. Famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden is just 2 miles from Cranbrook, making the town the perfect base for exploring this and some of the many other great castles and gardens in the surrounding Kent countryside.