Hi, and welcome to our video of Westerham in Kent
as well as a look at Quebec House
Westerham sits in the north west corner of the county of Kent
between junctions 5 & 6 of the M25, London's orbital motorway
We'll be starting our journey in the east of the town at Quebec house next to the town car park
We will wander to Westerham Green, through Market Square along the High Street onwards to the Long Pond at the western edge of town
So without further ado let's get started at Quebec House
and this was the childhood home of Major General James Wolfe - victor at the battle of Quebec in 1759
It was his home from birth until the age of around 11 years when the family moved to Greenwich
The house was originally known as Spiers, and renamed later after Wolfe's victory
The exterior dates from the mid 17th-century, but the interior is said to be from the early 16th-century - possibly as early as 1501
The property is maintained by the National Trust, and I'll pop a link in the description to their site so you can get details of access and opening times
The house is decorated as it may have been in the 17th century, with addition mementos remembering the life of James Wolfe
The son of a distinguished General, probably schooled from an early age to follow in his father's footsteps
So who is Major General James Wolfe?
and I am surprised he is not so well know as Lord Nelson or the Duke of Wellington, maybe history hasn't been kind to him
He became a volunteer in his father's regiment at the tender age of 13
Later seeing action in the War of the Austrian Succession, Flanders and in Scotland
where he took part in campaigns to restore order after the Jacobite Rebellions of 1745
In 1747 he return to Europe and the War of the Austrian Succession.
It was the peace Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, also known as the Treaty of Aachen in 1748, that would put the brakes on his blooming military career
Hang on! we've been to the Peace Hall in Aachen where that treaty was signed - but that's another video, and another story.
Major General James Wolfe will be best remembered for his victory at the Battle of Quebec in 1759, which was his last battle.
On our visit, due to COVID, the house wasn't fully open, but that doesn't mean the story ends
A wander around the house and its beautifully maintained gardens leads you to the coach house.
Here you'll find a further exhibition on James Wolfe and Quebec house
By 1754 we were at war again, this time with France, and by 1758 Wolfe had been sent to modern day Canada.
His victory on the Plains of Abraham, led to the capture of Montreal, ending French control of the region
However, Wolfe was shot and killed by musket fire on the battlefield
In 2010 we visited Quebec city, and the Plains of Abraham, overlooking the Saint Lawrence River
We also saw the memorial, placed at the spot he is said to have fell.
His body was returned to Britain, and he was laid to rest in his family vault in Saint Alfege's Church, Greenwich
Which is coincidentally where Janis's parent married some 200 and a bit years later
Within Saint Alfege's you will find a brass plaque noting the place his body was laid to rest at the tender age of 32
And if you wander to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park
the statue next to it, overlooking Canada Tower in Canary Wharf, is that of James Wolfe
Now, let's explore more of Westerham
It sits on the busy A25 trunk road, and we're just over half a mile south of the M25
It is filled with historic buildings like the 18th Century Grosvenor House
We have the Wolfe Cottages, and there's The Breaches, the last home of Alice Hargreaves, the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland
And then there's Westerham Green, which in my road trip video I jokingly referred to as the village green
and that's because Westerham feels like a village to the outsider, okay, with a busy road running through it, but still a village
And then there's the statue to Sir Winston Churchill, who lived nearby at Chartwell - Did you catch our video on that? I will add a link at then end
Westerham Green is a beautiful place to visit, with great little shops, a tearoom and the Grasshopper on the Green
Don't ask, but it would have been rude not to...
You will also find a statue to Major General James Wolfe on the Green
And now we reach Market Square. Okay, I know it's not what you was expecting, but still some fine shops
Here you'll find the King's Arms and the George and Dragon. I'm hoping the George keeps pulling pints
There's plenty of places to get fed and watered in Westerham, with a wide choice available for all tastes
and one we must try on our next visit is Napoli, it looked so traditional
But then there's also French Brasserie, and a lorry that's going to park in front of it to make its delivery
We're now officially in the high street, and there's still plenty to see as we continue to explore Westerham
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And now we find ourselves in Lodge lane, with these cottages dating back to the 16th century
And the path leads to Squerryes Lodge, which dates from the 13th-century, but the exterior is much later - the 17th-century
In fact Squerryes is a name synonomous with Westerham, and a history dating back to at least the 13th-century
Now let's continue along the High Street
Westerham sits at the northern end of the Weald of Kent,
but you knew that because you caught our Westerham and the Weald of Kent Road trip didn't you?
You didn't, I add it as a link at the end too
In short, Westerham makes a great base to discover the wider region.
So I'll add some links in the description you may want to check out
On our right is the former 16th-centry Old Forge, as we pass Brewery cottages on our left
And then there's the historic 16th-century General Wolfe Inn, that's now a private house
And then we come to Pitt's Cottage, which a Blue Plaque describes as 12th-century, but Historic England describes as 16th Century or earlier.
Either way William Pitt the Elder, British Prime Minister, lived here.
On the opposite side of the road is Brook cottage, again dating from the 16th-century or earlier
Flowing in front of it is the early stages of the River Darent, which we caught up with in our Darent Valley road trip
We're going to amble back to town now because there's a couple more things I want to show you
The first is The Real Ale Way, a mirco pub that looks very tempting, and is giving me another reason to return to Westerham
What about you? Are you tempted to visit Westerham? Please leave us a comment, we'd love to know
Now, we are making our way back towards Westerham Green, actually we're heading back to the car
We parked in the town car park, just past Quebec House, and the great thins is, that at the time of recording, the first 3 hours are free
Parking in town is possible, but can be challenging
Anyway, the reason to bring you here is the view over the Weald from St Peter and St Paul's Church.
A big thanks to the local gentleman that pointed this out
Anyway, it's now time to bring this video to an end, don't forget to check out the road trip
Thanks so much for watching, stay safe, stay well and happy travels