Home Page | Map | Pubs & Restaurants | Accomodation | Village Diary | Clubs & Groups | Footpaths | Local Businesses
Doddington is a rural English village set in a valley in the heart of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Coming into the village from the west (from the direction of Lenham and the A20) the view below is travelling down Wychling Hill where you have the first view of Doddington. The row of terraced houses set back from the road are 'The 'Retreat' on the lower left. Houses stretching up Duly Hill at the top of the hill, (top left foreground) is Gloucester House.
As you arrive at the bottom of the hill the road bends to the right and into "The Street" (the road through the centre of the village and the valley in which Doddington nestles)
On the left is Primrose Cottage, followed by the terraced row of cottages called 'Westend Cottages'. Before Primrose cottage on the left is 'The Retreat', a row of terraced houses setback from the road (out of view).
In 2006 traffic calming work was completed with several road narrowing 'gate ways' through the village to slow down vehicles. The first 'gateway' can be seen in the bottom of the picture with the 'Give Way to Oncoming Traffic" sign.
Obscured in the shadows on the right of the road is the Westend Doddington Millenium Sign made by local blacksmith Charlie, at Sandhurst Farm Forge to celebrate the year 2000.
There are identical signs placed at the 3 main entry points into Doddington.
As you continue along "The Street" passing on the left Westend Cottages and the entrance to Dully Hill, there is a straight patch of road. The picture right shows local farmer Colin Gaze, driving sheep through the village.
The Playing Field |
As you travel down 'The Street' on the left is the playing field . Next to the playing field is Doddington Service Station which provides fuel, servicing, car repairs etc and a small shop. Beyond is the cul de sac of 'Sunnyside'. To the right are fields until Laurel Farmhouse just round the next bend Doddington Service Station & Sunnyside |
As you turn round the left hand bend (with new traffic calming measures) on the left are 'new' bungalows, on the right is the turning for the 'Old Lenham Road' with 'Newlyn House' on the corner. In the far distance at the end of the street is The Chequers Inn and just after the large trees is 'The Old Postoffice' (which closed in 2000 )
 |
As you continue down 'The Street' towards the Chequers on the left is Doughty's the Butchers which has been run by the Doughty family since 1918 and is an awared winning butchers with their own slaughter house. Almost opposite the Butchers is Doddington Village hall next to the turning for 'Hopes Hill' opposite the village hall is the house called 'Rapsons'. Doddington Village Hall |
You now find yourself at The Chequers Inn which marks the centre of Doddington. There is a 'T' Junction of 'The Street' with 'Chequers Hill'. If you turn left up Chequers Hill the road takes you to the next villages of Lynsted and Kingsdown and on to the A2.
On the corner opposite the Chequers is 'The Corner House' next to Dewsons continuing up Chequers hill is Down Court Road where Palace Farm Hostel is located.
Continuing on down The Street towards the east and Newnham, after The Chequers Inn on the lift there is a row of new bungalows on the left called Forge Gardens. These are built on the site of the old forge, in the distance is Nufil House 
which was formerly a bakery.
On the right is the cul de sac of Northdown and then fields until Newnham. On the left after Forge Gardens is Doddington School which is sadly due to close by 2007.
As you continue out of the village passing church lane on the left (leading to Doddington Church 'The beheading of John the Baptist) there are last buildings on the left (to be named) then the parkland of Doddington place which has gardens open to the public (See Website) and events through the year including an opera (see the village diary) in the half mile or so between Doddington & Newnham. Halfway between the two villages, situated on the right, is the war memorial remembering the dead of two world wars. The names of the fallen are inscribed on the face towards the village from which they came. Shortly on you enter the village of Newnham.
