Chiddingstone Castle

Chiddingstone Castle stands in the village of Chiddingstone, Kent, in the upper valley of the River Medway. The present building dates mainly from the early 19th century but incorporates parts of earlier houses on the same site. The Streatfeild family owned the property from the 16th century until 1938, when it was sold to Lord Astor. After the family left in 1900 the castle served as a school before being bought in 1955 by Denys Eyre Bower. Bower filled the castle with his collections and left it to the nation when he died in 1977. The castle is worth visiting for its Grade II* listed building and its varied collections. Bower’s Japanese collection includes important lacquerware and armour, while his Egyptian displays span the civilisation’s history. His Stuart and Jacobite holdings feature royal portraits and hidden symbols, and the Buddhist section shows thangkas and Buddha images. The castle also keeps local records and keeps the 19th-century kitchen with its original ovens and an ice chest. Visitors find rooms such as the servants’ hall and bedroom, the library with antique books, and the tea-room serving refreshments. The grounds include an orangery and a 3.5-hectare lake stocked with wild carp, bream and perch. The lake separates the castle grounds from the village and once held the record for the largest bream for 37 years. Events and activities take place throughout the year, and the trustees include descendants of the Streatfeild family.