| Ide Hill |
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 Ide Hill is a very attractive small village which has a pleasant green in its centre. There is a small Victorian church perched on the edge of a wood. From just below it a path leads past the old Rectory to a National Trust viewpoint. Beautiful countryside surrounds the area and there are spectacular views from Ide Hill of Weald and the Bough Beech reservoir. There is a small village shop, a pub and some attractive housing. The History Ide Hill is a remote upland village, the highest spot in Kent, being 800 feet above sea-level. During the 16th century the village was noted for its fine hunting, and the old Hunting Lodge was the secret rendezvous for Henry VIII and his future queen, Anne Boleyn of Hever. South-east of the village is Hanging Bank, the site of old gallows where justice was administered. It is said to be haunted by a poltergeist which levitates a bench-seat in the area. During times of trouble, a beacon stood on the hill and transmitted alarm signals from the south coast Downs to Shooters Hill on the outskirts of London. This would certainly have occurred when the Spanish Armada were amassed in the Channel in 1588. |
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