Discover Brookland

If you’re looking for a hotel in Brookland, the church and local history may be just as important to your plans as the landscape around the village. St Augustine’s Church and the farmland around Brookland offer different points of interest.

Church, bell tower and history

The freestanding wooden bell tower of St Augustine’s Church was built as an open structure in the second half of the 13th century. In the 15th century, it was raised to 18 metres and clad with shingles. Its construction history therefore comprises two distinct stages: the medieval open structure and its later extension. The Church of St Augustine is listed as a Grade I building.

The church contains a cylindrical lead font dating from around 1200. It is decorated with signs of the zodiac and scenes of the labours of the months, bringing together celestial signs and activities from the yearly cycle. A wall painting depicts the martyrdom of St Thomas a Becket and is dated to the early 14th century. These details illustrate different chapters in the church’s history, from the medieval font to the later wall painting.

The bells, too, are part of local history: the oldest bell in Brookland Bell Tower is more than 400 years old. A literary connection is captured by the phrase “Brookland Bells” in Kipling’s “Brookland Road”. In Kipling’s time, it referred to the five bells of St Augustine’s Church. St Augustine’s Church also has a self-guided tour. Check whether it is currently available before your visit.

Local history and the menu

The Woolpack Inn is a former 16th-century beacon keeper’s house and is now an inn. Its former purpose and current use mark different phases in local history. The Royal Oak in Brookland uses local, fresh and foraged ingredients for its menu. As the selection may change, check the current menu information before visiting.

Fields, paths and landscape

The farmland around Brookland is characterised by long, narrow, regularly laid-out fields and a successive road system. Narrow paths run along the tops of the banks, lined with mixed hawthorn and willow hedges. Both the field pattern and the vegetation along the paths therefore form part of the village’s landscape.

The “Rambling across Romney Marsh” walk takes in three footpaths in Brookland near the inn. The middle path runs towards Woolpack Bridge. If you’re planning this walk, check the path conditions before setting out. The directions to the middle path provide a specific point of reference, while checking the paths helps you adapt your plans to local conditions.

Putting the railway’s past in context

Brookland was the first station on the Lydd Railway Company’s branch line to New Romney. Train services began there on 7 December 1881. The station is no longer a passenger railway facility. The railway is therefore a historical part of the village’s story, not an indication of a current rail connection. When planning your hotel and stay, you can weigh the local stories, church features and landscape according to your interests.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ash, Shepherdswell, Cliffs End, Hadlow, Goudhurst, Northfleet, Boughton Aulph, Biddenden

For the main travel overview: Kent.