Shorter notice 2

Took a wedding to get us to this one too, making two visits in as many days, once on foot along Cabbage Stalk Lane and once by car down Tea Garden Lane: the High Rocks Ancient National Monument.

A collection of sandstone outcrops overlooking a valley leading west out of Tunbridge Wells, the valley housing a tributary of the Medway which flows west for a bit before turning north to join the Medway proper. A collection of rocks where it is alleged the woaded aboriginals made a last stand against the Caligulan legions around 2,000 years ago. More recently the place has been an excursion destination.

So one had the rocks themselves in a wooded park and guarded by an ancient cast iron turnstile and watched over by a rather grand pub-restaurant, with the restaurant offering both banquets and cigars. There was also a railway station, possibly of the steam variety. All in all, the place would make a fine destination for a mixed herd of bright young things on a summer's evening outing.

Take a few apéritifs in the pub, take a stroll around the rocks and trees, maybe a bit of a flirtation behind the rocks. Back to the restaurant for a banquet, rounded out by cigars, brandy etc on the terrace.

Very quiet when we were there, with the park looking a little past its prime despite all the rocky attractions. Gates at the back of the park not meeting the National Trust specifications for such things at all with, for example, not a single heavy duty galvanised steel fitting in sight. But it would be interesting to visit on a summer's evening to see how it does then.

In the meantime, read all about it at http://www.highrocks.co.uk/.