Hotel review: An Inspector Calls in at Thurnham Keep in Kent
Rating:
Kent is well-known for its idyllic, historic towns - but Maidstone is not one of them. If the county is the Garden of England, then Maidstone, with its ring roads, superstores and fluorescent take-away shops, is the thistle in the middle of the lawn that no amount of pesticide is able to remove.
But we didn't need to stray far from the town centre before reaching the Chaucerian countryside. Thurnham Keep, built from the ruins of a castle, is just four miles away in the hamlet of Thurnham and only 45 miles from central London. Turning up at the grand Jacobean facade felt like stepping into the scene of a Susan Hill ghost story.
Garden of England: Thurnham Keep
Through the iron gates, we meandered slowly up the drive before arriving at the front door in misty darkness. The wind and rain was hammering down on the seemingly deserted house, which stood boldly isolated on top of a hill looking out over the North Downs.
Then suddenly we were greeted at the entrance not by haunting organ music, but the dulcet tones of Peter Andre's Mysterious Girl and the surprisingly young and energetic owner, Amanda Young, in tight jeans, and her dog.
She had grown up at the house before buying it from her father, and runs it with her husband, Mark, a full-time computer software designer and part-time beekeeper. 'I never see Mark during the week as he's working. I love having guests to stay. It keeps me entertained,' she said. Unlike many B&B owners, I sensed she believed it.
Immaculately designed: The Keep's traditional rooms
'We've got a lovely young couple in the end room. They took our dog for a walk this afternoon. You can have either of these two rooms.'
Both were traditionally but immaculately designed, of the kind you'd hope to find in a top country house hotel. Amanda demonstrated the turn-and-push technique of using the plug in the Edwardian bathtub, which was the size of a double bed. 'My son and husband have cooked me Chinese so, if you don't mind, I'll leave you a glass of wine downstairs by the fire and let you get on with it,' said Amanda.
Though supper is not available at the house, the local pubs and restaurants offer some pleasant choices.
'The pubs do get booked up very quickly, so would you like me to make you a booking?' Amanda had asked. We declined her offer - which was a mistake. After calling the fourth pub, The Dirty Habit, three miles up the Pilgrims Way, we managed to get a table. It had been a resting place for James II on his travels to France. We ate well.
Classical: The gardens look out over the North Downs
After breakfast the next day - when we shared the dining room with the 'lovely young dog-walking couple' - we left feeling guilty that we had been so dismissive of what Maidstone has to offer.
Thurnham Keep, aside from playing pop music for much of the time, turned out to be a delightful, if slightly eccentric, hideaway.
Travel facts
Thurnham Keep
Castle Hill
Thurnham, near Maidstone
Kent ME14 3LE
Double room £120 B&B
Tel: 01622 734149
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