Groombridge
To describe Groombridge as a picture postcard village would not in any way do justice to the village. Groombridge is a place of dreams; it isn’t very often that something physical lives up to the high standards set by ones imagination but Groombridge manages to exceed expectations. Set on a south facing hillside that slopes steeply down to the valley of the River Grom, a small tributary of the River Medway. The sandstone on which the village sits is responsible for the popularity of nearby Tonbridge Wells; it is from this ridge of sandstone that the chalybeate springs emerge stained orange from the iron and other minerals that give its health inducing properties.
The surrounding landscape further enhances the village. It is one of pastoral views, a landscape that has been farmed by man since time in memorial. It still retains the old hedgerows, deciduous woods and sunken lanes that one would expect in rural England. The area is contained within the Green Belt and the High Weald Area of Natural Beauty. The former reminds you that despite the idyllic scenery you are not too far from the City that provides the very means for many of the inhabitants to live in such a place.
Unlike other Wealden villages that were built on the ridge tops of the valleys, Groombridge in close similarity to the nursery rhyme about
“The grand old Duke of York” is neither up nor down. In this placement it has protected itself from the prying eyes of newcomers by its position on the hillside and the protection offered by the deciduous woods that prevent the village being revealed in all its glory until one almost stumbles upon it when approached from the north.
Trees are not confined to the landscape surrounding the village they are also very much a part of its centre. Looking upwards from the old sandstone bridge that spans the river that divides Kent from Sussex your eyes are drawn to the triangular green and then on to the pollarded lime trees. The trees are as much a feature of the village as the weathered buildings at its heart. The very presence of the trees impart a rural feel to the village, this is further enhanced by the use of local building materials which gives the impression that Groombridge has evolved from the surrounding landscape. The building materials are not unusual in this part of Kent and Sussex, the light brown sandstone and the earthy browns and reds of the local clay made bricks and tiles have mellowed with time and allow an incongruous mix of historic buildings to sit harmoniously together. Groombridge is unusual however by the very fact that it teeters on the border of both Kent and Sussex. Should it be absorbed wholly by one county? I don’t think so, the equilibrium would be ruined if the village was either split in two or swallowed as an entirety.
As with Feng Shui everything must be balanced, every Yin must be accompanied by a Yang and the dream like beauty of Groombridge covered a very ugly past. Smuggling isn’t something that you would immediately associate with Groombridge, set in the heart of the English countryside far away from a hidden cove or dimly lit beach. The Kentish smugglers had a violent reputation and customs officers were treated in the same way a horse flicks a fly with its tail, they were merely a minor inconvenience until 1737, when the army was eventually sent to Groombridge to restore order. Documents first record the Groombridge Gang in 1733, when thirty of them were in the process of ferrying tea inland from Romney Marsh via Iden. A convoy consisting of 50 horses and the gang was making its way back to Groombridge when three customs officers, two dragoons and a foot soldier made the mistake of challenging the convoy. The customs men were disarmed and their guns made useless; they were then marched at gun-point for four hours to Lamberhurst, where their weapons were returned to them after they had promised not to renew the pursuit
Much of the contraband smuggled into London by the Groombridge Gang came via Lydd, Fairlight and Pevensey. It used to be assumed that the goods were hidden in the Ashdown Forest but in reality they were more likely to have been hidden in Groombridge Place. The house had been empty for two decades and by 1734 was almost derelict and was a very likely “smugglers hide”. When the gang was finally brought to justice one of the leaders, John Bowra escaped and decided upon a career that some would say is almost as bad, he became the equivalent of an estate agent today – a land agent and a map maker. In fact he used his knowledge of Groombridge to draw up a plan of the estate which can be found preserved in Groombridge Place.
Unlike today Groombridge was an estate village where many of the houses were rented by people working on the estate. The homes of the poor lowly workers have become sought after properties for wealthy individuals who recognise the unique qualities of the village and are responsible for helping to preserve the village for future generations. As with most things that have evolved slowly over the generations it is fragile and will need the utmost care to prevent anything from threatening the character of this unique place.
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
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