‘Prettiest village in England’ with mysterious stone attraction that featured in very famous Disney film
A SMALL village in Kent has been labelled as one of the prettiest in England with hundreds of years of history well preserved throughout its buildings and attractions.
The quaint little place is an example of a Tudor one-street village, with houses with half-timbered sides, gables and stone-hung red-tiled roofs.
Chiddingstone in Kent is mostly owned by the National Trust, who purchased it in 1939 to further its preservation.
On their website, the trust describe is as "one of the prettiest villages in Kent, and perhaps England" and explain that the majority of the buildings there are more than 200 years old.
The village gets its name from the Chiding Stone, which is one of its most famous sights.
The mysterious lump of sandstone was formed about 135 million years ago, explains , who said that part of the world would have been "a swampy mess" at that point.
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They also revealed some of the theories behind the rock's purpose, but said that no one is really sure what it would have been used for.
They continued: "Nagging wives and other wrong-doers were brought here and rebuked – or chided – by the massed villagers. Regrettably – no one knows whether it is true, or not.
"Other suggestions are that the stone was a Saxon boundary marker, a place where the ancient Britons conducted their judicial affairs, or that it had an interesting part in a Druid ritual."
The rock isn't the only reason people head to Chiddingstone however, with film buffs often stopping by to see the shooting location of a 90s Disney film.
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The Wind in The Willows: Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is loosely based on the Kenneth Grahame novel.
British comedy greats like Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Michael Palin and others turned up to film scenes in the village.
explained: "The story follows Mole whose home is bought up and marked for development by the evil Weasels. Working with his friends, Mole attempts to win back his home.
"The Old School in Chiddingstone (now the post office) features as the Welcome Inn where Toad dines before stealing and crashing a motorcar."
That post office building is among the most historic buildings in Chiddingstone, with the National Trust saying there are recorded mentions of it dating back as early as 1453.
Other historic buildings include the castle, which is more than 400 years old and home to a collection of Ancient Egyptian, Japanese, Jacobite and Stuart, and Buddhist objects.
It has more than 35 acres of grounds to explore, including woodland trails and a fishing lake, for which day permits can be bought all year round.
Its tea room serves traditional English lunches and afternoon teas.
One visitor described the castle as "a fascinating and eccentric place" on TripAdvisor.
They added: "The castle is fabulous, especially the stained glass, and the exhibits are extremely varied and extremely interesting."
Its not the only castle in the village that people like to visit either, with the Castle Inn one of a few historic inns still serving visitors.
According to , the first mention of the pub dates as far back as 1420, adding that the Chiddingstone is a village "frozen in time".
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Meanwhile, this village with just 140 locals is one of the most beautiful in the country.
And this village is home to a Hollywood celebrity who can often be found in the local pub.
