Charming garden apartment in wild Sussex countryside, yet close to villages, pubs & Tunbridge Wells

The Lavendrye is situated in between the villages of Wadhurst, Lamberhurst and Bells Yew Green.

Transport:
Train: 2 minutes’ drive to Frant station in Bells Yew Green - direct trains to London Bridge and Cannon Street.
Bus: the 256 to Lamberhurst or Tunbridge Wells stops in Little Bayham, 200 yards along from the junction of Bartley Mill Lane and the B2169 - the Bayham Abbey straight road between Bells Yew Green and Lamberhurst.
Road: the A21 is accessible via Hook Green and the Clay Hill Road to the east, or via Tunbridge Wells 5-8 minutes to the west.
Airport: our nearest airport is London Gatwick, which is 45 minutes to the west via Tunbridge Wells, Langton Green, East Grinstead or the A21, M25 and M23.

Petrol: the closest petrol station is in Wadhurst village (up the hill to the south) or on the A21 at Kippings Cross roundabout. Alternatively there is Sainsburys in Tunbridge Wells.

Food: there is a small village shop called Lambs Larder in Bells Yew Green which is 2 minutes towards Tunbridge Wells. There are some nice food shops such as a deli and a healthfood shop in Wadhurst at TN5 6AA, 5 minutes away up the hill. Otherwise there's a Sainsburys located in Tunbridge Wells at TN2 5QL, which is roughly an 8 minute drive from the property. Waitrose, Tescos, Sainsburys can all do home delivery.

We can also arrange for a good local caterer to do some freezer meals, flapjacks, brownies and so on for you if you wish. She is called Lisa and her website is here: www.elliottcatering.co.uk. Her work number is 01892 784 822.

Parking: please park in your own designated 2 spaces in front of the Lavendrye and use the front door by the key code box as your main entrance. Please do not park on the driveway as you may be blocking others using the garage or the other spaces.

Neighbours: the Farmhouse next door is a 4 bedroom house which is also let out on a short let basis, so there either may or may not be people next door. If you have ANY issue with excessive noise, please let me know straight away, as we are a quiet neighbourhood and are particularly careful about noise.

Patio/garden: Your exclusive space is the patio behind the Lavendrye. You may use the raised lawned area above the patio but it is a shared space.

Security: we are generally very safe here but it’s always best to be aware of a new location. Please feel free to keep outside lights on during the night if you wish. They may disturb you if you have the light on outside the bedroom - this switch is to the right hand side of the patio door if you want to turn it on/off.
The main gate opens without a keypad so please keep your car locked when unattended. This is currently under repair.
Please keep the garden gate between the front and rear garden closed.
Please supervise children at all times as the mill pond, while fenced, is accessible to a determined child, and is cold and deep in places.
Please do not feed the cattle or other animals on the farm.

Appliances: manuals can be accessed online - please ask for the link to be emailed to you

Kids: If you have booked a cot, highchair etc, but we have forgotten to put it out, please do ask! There’s also a camp bed available as another extra, for a child over 2 but under 12.

Pets: If you have paid for and booked to bring pet(s) then please: do not let them up onto the furniture or allow them into the bedroom. Do not let them foul outside without clearing up after them. Do not let them foul inside and if they do by accident, please report it. Please keep dogs on leads at all times outside as we are in the middle of farmland and farmers will shoot dogs worrying their sheep around here. Do not let them bark incessantly or make any noise audible outside the property at any time. We have dogs next door.

Footpaths: there is a circular footpath which starts in the farmyard next door (between the Mill and its garage) and leads you over the river bridge up to Great Shoesmiths. You can then turn right (north) and walk up over the hill towards Little Shoesmiths. Once at Little Shoesmiths, you can turn right (east) along the hard track and you will end up at the crossroads on Bartley Mill Road just north east of where you started. Turn right again (south) and walk along Bartley Mill Road, over the small river bridge and you are back where you started. Have a walk - you will have been sent our local footpaths on your welcome email, but see also www.footpathmap.co.uk

CHECK-IN: As we operate a no-contact check-in we need to take some additional details from you now. We'll send a separate booking form to verify your identity for our records. This information also helps us to get the property ready for any special requirements you may have.

Also, this platform only acts as our Agent in this booking but your Contract is with us. Therefore you must read and agree to our Terms and Conditions before we can accept your booking through our Agent. (A copy of our terms and conditions can be requested by messaging us on this platform.)

REFUNDABLE DAMAGE DEPOSIT: We hold a REFUNDABLE Damages Deposit (RDD) against your credit card in case of damage to our property. This is held for 7 days on your card but not charged unless there is loss or damage to the property on check-out. You will need to provide your card details when you fill out our booking form OR we can schedule a phone call instead if you're uncomfortable filling out a form.


Layout

Enter in via the hallway which has a dining area and a kitchenette located off it. The Kitchenette contains a microwave/combination oven, electric 2 hob hotplate for cooking, coffee machine, kettle, toaster, washing machine/dryer, small dishwasher. Around the corner is a small lobby with hanging area, storage, small fridge/freezer, noticeboard. Off the hallway to the other side is the south-west facing double bedroom with double aspect windows. Also off the hallway is the wet room with walk-in shower, WC, basin and heated towel rail. The other side of the hallway is the sitting room, with windows facing North east and French doors out to a patio facing south-west, with seating at a table and chairs. The shared garden overlooking the mill pond is beyond, with a lawned area and space for a kick around with a football, or a picnic. In the front of the Lavendrye there is parking for 2 cars, plus a secluded landscaped garden area.


Sleeping Arrangements

Bedrooms: 1
Bed: 1
Sofabed: 1


Exterior

The Lavendrye used to be the old laundry building for the Miller’s house at Bartley Mill - hence the name (which derives from Middle English lavendrye, from Old French lavanderie, and from Latin: lavandaria). Situated in a brick annexe to the Miller's house, now known as Bartley Mill Farmhouse, the Lavendrye has its own parking area and private patio/seating area at the rear. The building is set back from the road with landscaped gardens in front, and so is secluded and quiet, yet only 5-8 minutes drive from the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

The exterior is lime washed in off-white, with typical Georgian casement windows and roses and lavender growing by the front door. There is parking to the front for up to 2 cars. At the side is the Farmhouse, which can be rented together with the Lavendrye and sleeps up to an additional 8 people. The rear garden is shared space with the Farmhouse, and looks over the Mill pond to the Mill (fenced). There is a patio area at the rear of the two properties with outdoor seating for 12 (barbecue on request). The Lavendrye is situated on Bartley Mill Farm, with 30 acres of re-wilded grassland and woodland behind, with a public footpath leading to the river and beyond. Fishing is available on request from our ponds (trout and coarse).


Local Area

The Lavendrye is located within 2 minutes' walk of a network of local footpaths and bridleways in the lovely Wealden countryside. There is farmland and woodland all around. We have a couple of vineyards nearby which can be visited by appointment. There are great local pubs - the Brecknock at Bells Yew Green, the Elephant's Head at Hook Green, the Vine in Cousley Wood, to name a few. Scotney Castle and Bayham Abbey ruins are the nearest National Trust and heritage properties but there are lots of other places to visit - Penshurst, Hever to name a few as well as Glyndebourne and Bayham (for opera), Trinity Theatre, and the gardens at Sissinghurst and Great Dixter. Schools nearby include Vinehall, Marlborough House, St Ronan's, Homewood House.

The Lavendrye is part of Bartley Mill Farmhouse, which is situated in a small hamlet, close to the centres of three small villages, and about eight minutes drive to the centre of Tunbridge Wells, yet in deep, quiet countryside. It is situated in the base of the valley through which the River Teise runs, on a 'beyond organic' re-wilded farm.


Getting there

What3Words: ///sand.smoke.script. postcode: TN3 8BH

The property is 2 minutes' drive from Frant train station, 8 minutes' drive from central Tunbridge Wells or from the A21. Trains are approximately 50 minutes to London Bridge, Cannon Street or London Charing Cross. There is also a bus service (the 256) which runs along the nearby B2169. We are located 40 minutes' drive from London Gatwick Airport.

Directions to The Lavendrye at Bartley Mill Farmhouse:

Either drive from the direction of Lamberhurst from the A21 on the Bayham Abbey B2169 road in the direction of Bells Yew Green village. Once past Little Bayham village with the Forge Garage on your left, after about another 150 yards you will see a turning to the left down into the valley signposted to Cousley Wood. Turn left here - this is Bartley Mill Lane, leading to B M Road. At the bottom of the hill turn left again at the signpost for another 200 yards for Bartley Mill and the Farmhouse. Then see below.....

Alternatively, and probably quicker, is to come from Tunbridge Wells on the Bayhall Road to the B2169, direction Bells Yew Green. Going straight through the village of BYG with first the Frant train station and then the Brecknock pub on your right, you continue out towards Lamberhurst for about 1.25 miles. You will then see the turning marked Bartley Mill Road on your right. Take that road down into the valley and then:

The Farmhouse is the second driveway on the right after the small stone river bridge on Bartley Mill Road. You will pass a white cottage on your right, the Farmhouse is then after, on the right with a medium sized Beech tree in the front garden. Drive in through the automatic gate just before the beech tree, and park on the right towards the back, in front of the Lavendrye which is the first part of the building opposite the garage. The key code box is to the right of the oak front door into the Lavendrye. Please see our other listing for the Farmhouse which we also let, which is the front door by the knot garden, and is located further around to the left, towards the next door property.

If you start going up the hill the other side of the valley, you've gone too far.


Accessibility

The Lavendrye is unsuitable for wheelchair users as there is a small step up into the hallway, and doorways are not wider than normal. However, it would be suitable for people with limited mobility, as the Lavendrye is all on one level once you are inside. The walk-in shower does not have a step up into it; it is all on one level.