Today I decided to go to Chiddingstone Castle, there were mixed reviews on Tripadvisor, so the only way is to go there and see for myself. The weather was touch and go, but it did eventually rain. I have never been there before, but I did eventually find it down a number of very narrow country lanes.
The car park is supposed to of had an honesty box, which was missing! The stand was there but no box, but the cost of £9.50 for one adult I thought was high, so they can take the car park fee out of that, I'm just being honest with my opinion.
So first I went into the Castle, actually, it's a castellated manor house, in other words, can't afford a real so make one up. The first room is a Japanese collection of various items, like vases, Samaria armour, guilt boxes with gold inlay etc… There were other rooms including an Egyptian collection, Denys Eyre Bower became interested in the subject in 1922 when the tomb of Tutankhamen (At that time every rich person took an interest) was discovered by Howard Carter.
Amongst the objects now exhibited is a letter from the Great British archaeologist William Flinders Petrie to Denys in response to his conservation enquiry. There is a copy of Nefertiti's head, The real one is in the Berlin museum. There are other objects like a pyramidion from a pyramid, that is the top stone, it looks like a mini pyramid and death masks but nothing from Tutukarmun tomb.
After looking through all the rooms I was feeling a bit peckish and decided to have a sandwich, it was a bit expensive at £5.50, but the coffee came in a pot at £1.50, which made two cups of coffee, so overall it was nice drinking and eating from proper china. Once ordered and eaten, you go and pay in the gift shop. The house took about an hour and the restaurant took about half an hour and with the garden say another half an hour, so it doesn't take long to see it all.
I walked to Chiddingstone village, through the garden, over the lake and through the woods which opens out to the Village, the church is very nice to go around, local pub, school and a few shops, which include an arty shop for the visitors, but that is it.
On the way back to the castle I went via the Orangery where they hold weddings, it's a nice spot with the roses, lawns etc... I bet it will cost a pretty penny or two to get married there. I would have like to of seen more gardens, they have the room for it. Overall, once you have been you can cross it off your list, but that is about all at Chiddingstone castle.
For more pictures, you can visit my Flickr page or Click Here for my MediaFire album.
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