Stargazing at Elmfield- a great location to see the sky!

We have often wondered at how clear the skys are here, and how little light polution we get.  So we will be watching the BBC Stargazing Live programmes with interest over the next week or two. I think we also need to take a couple of chairs out an sit in a field and stare up at the skys – I am not too sure what the Alpacas will think though!

If you are visiting Elmfield – you are of course most welcome to set up in the farmyard or fields to watch the stars.  Being on theeast coast of the country we geta lot of clear nights.  We are also sufficiently far enough away to avoid light polution.  If you want to learn more about the stars guests have recommended the South Down Planitarium in Chichester or take the fast train to London (only 35 Mins from Ashford to St Pancras) to visit the Planitarium at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The Five Bells in Brabourne – A great place to hide from the rain!

It has been a soggy few days here with only the ducks really enjoying the rain.  But to hide from the rain I can think of no better country pub than the Five Bells at Brabourne.

A really warm welcome, lovely local drinks and good local food.  There are locals beers, ciders, wines and fruit juices.  As well as good cooking there is a small produce shopwhich also serves coffee and delicious cake.

Recently refurbished the pub is definatley worth a visit and is less than 10 minutes from Elmfield.  We have maps in the cottages and it is worth taking one with you as you have to navigate your way down a few pretty lanes to get there – but its worth it!

http://www.fivebellsinnbrabourne.com/

Kents coast voted one of the top destinations in the world!

The Kent Coast from Whitstable to Ramsgate has been voted one of the top destinations in the world for 2011 by Frommers – one of the leading travel guide books.

With wonderful towns, glorious beaches and stunning countryside the editors said it “shone out as an area that would be of great interest in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics”.

Follow the links for more information:

Frommers Travel Guide

BBC News Article

We may be biased but we believe Kent is a wonderful place to visit.  If you ar elooking for peace and quiet – it has so much history and beautiful countryside and is so close to London and the channel crossing, but feels a million miles away! The coast mentioned in Frommers can be reached from Elmfield in 1/2 hour to Whitstable and 45 minutes to Broadstairs.

 

Port Lympne Wildlife Park

What a wonderful day we had on Monday going to Port Lympne Wildlife park.  Set right on top of the Kent Downs looking over Romney Marsh on a clear day it is stunning.  It is home to the largest breeding herd of black rhinos outside of Africa and also boasts the largest gorillarium in the world.  Port Lympne and its sister zoo Howlettes have been able to successfully reintroduce over 50 gorillas to the wild.

This meerkat caught my eye posing in the sunshine!

These zoos are a wonderul day out for all the family, and are both only 15 minutes from Elmfield.

Younger visitors may recognise the zoos are they are featured in the CBBC programme Roar.

Note: if you book tickets on line you get a 20% discount, or you can cash in your tesco vouchers!

More information: Port Lympne and Howletts

 

Visit Elham

Elham right in the heart of the Elham valley is a picturesque village with a wonderful history. It is only 10 minutes of beautiful driving away from Elmfield farm. Find things to do and learn about the history at http://www.elham.co.uk/

Blue flag beach at Broadstairs

Viking bay at Broadstairs was great fun today. A lovely little cove with ice cream and colourful beach huts. My photo doesn’t do it justice. We would recommend this beach and town for a family day out just 45 minutes from Elmfield farm cottages.

Roar on CBBC filmed at Port Lympne and Howletts Wildlife Parks

Series 5 of Roar is now being broadcast on BBC and CBBC.  This fantastic program follows the animals and keepers at Kent Wildlife parks.   Dedicated to conservation these 2 parks have great collections of animals from all over the world and aim to reintroduce many endangered animals back into the wild.  With outstanding gorillas, a safari tour and rhinos (my personal favourite!) it is a great day out.  Visit the website to find out more http://www.totallywild.net/.  You can book tickets online on their website for a 20% discount.

Elmfield Farm is about equidistant from both parks.  It takes around 15 minutes to get to each park from here.

Clean Beaches in Kent

Today the Marine Conservation Society announced its list of clean beaches. Although the news isn’t great, there are still some lovely beaches near Elmfield to visit. A full list of can be found at http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/

We would recommend sandy beaches at Dymchurch 20 minutes away, or Joss Bay near Margate 45 minutes. Hythe just 10 minutes away has a lovely shingle beach with sandpit play areas, and a promanade all the way to Folkestone.

The Hop Pocket Pub, Bossingham

Bank holiday Monday was supposed to be hot so we booked a table in the garden of The Hop Pocket.  About 4 miles from Elmfield, this pretty pub has recently been taken over by new owners.  The inside is bright but still has character, but as we had 4 children and 2 dogs with us the garden was the place to be! This has been revamped with giant Connect4, Chess and Jenga toys and a see saw.

The menu although short was really nice pub food, and everyone found something they liked – broccoli soup, juicy burgers, ham,egg and chips and curry.  Wherever possible the food is locally sourced and hand made to order.  I also loved the fact that children chose from the adult menu and had half size portions at half the adult price.  The food was tasty and very reasonable – we would certainly recommend it.

Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday Lunchtimes get very busy so it is worth booking a table.

The Hop Pocket,  Bossingham  CT4 6DY Tel: 01227 709866

Attraction Offers for the Credit Crunch!

Visit Britain have produced a list of discounts available for visitor attractions in Kent.  These range from Credit Crunch Lunch offers with the National Trust to where to get 20% discount on entry to the two closest wildlife parks Port Lympne and Howletts.  Click here for more information.