Hi, and welcome to our video of Faversham in Kent
This historic market town is home to
Britain's oldest brewery - Shepherd Neame
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Faversham can be found in the south-east of England
In the beautiful county of Kent
It's just over an hour from London by high-speed rail
and it's close to the M2 motorway
on today's visit we'll be looking at the Market Place,
take a stroll along West Street
and a little detour
before heading back and taking in Abbey Street
Standard Quay, before looping back
and exploring the creek
So let's start with the Market Place
or not as you'll see in a second
So here we have our little tracker map
that will follow us as we explore Faversham
So here we are, in Court Street
and that's Market Place in the distance
The Charter Market is held every
Tuesday, Friday & Staurday
and there's an antiques market on the first Sunday
of the month except in September
when there's a hop festival in town
The real jewel in the crown for Faversham
is it's 17th-century Guildhall
that takes centre stage in the Market Place
It's along here you can almost image the horse & carts
clattering across the cobbles
and remember on market days
these streets are lined with stalls offering
fresh produce & local crafts
but today we have got people enjoying
a little bit of al fresco dining
Look quite tempting, doesn't it?
As I stand here enjoying this view
I want to introduce you to a gentleman
whose plaque I am standing next to
Sir Philip Neame
Now this guy's got a story
He was awarded the Victoria Cross at the age of 26
for his efforts in the First World War
In 1924 he won a gold medal for shooting
at the Paris Olympics
Was a P.O.W during the Second World War
And was finally knighted in 1946
Now let's take a look at the Royal Cinema
That's the building in the centre
Built in 1936 to a Tudorbethan style
Nope, no idea either
So this Guildhall was originally built in 1603
but what you see before you is a remodelled version
from about 1815
Due to some over boisterous youths
accidentally setting fire to the original
Whichever way you look at it, it's pretty impressive
and Faversham should be truly proud of it
You're going to notice in this video
there are one or two pubs
And here's the first of them - the Bear Inn
a Shepherd Neame house
And it's now time to discover West Street
Now you don't have to go a million miles
to get to West Street
It joins Market Street, just off Market Place
Now the observant amongst you
may have just noticed the Ship Inn
yep, another Sheperd Neame pub
I love wandering down West Street
with its eclectic mix of shops & stores
it's a nice place to discover, and it's pedestrianised
of course, it won't be long before
you come across another Shepherd Neame pub
And this is the Sun Inn
which dates back to the 14th-Century
I love this street for its mix of architectural styles
and the sense of history that flows along it
And talking of history I just want to take you
on a little detour along South Road
to a place we often see as we drive in
and these are - Faversham's Almshouses
Originally built in 1723 for six poor men
what you see before you was extended in 1863
and now houses seventy flats
I've got to say it's an impressive bit of
Victorian architecture
To get us back on track I now turn into Tanner Street
Once again history is all around you
And of course another Shepherd Neame pub
this time the Three Tuns
and when I said get us back on track
I may have lied a little bit
I spotted a lovely little pond just as we came into town
so here we are - at Stonebridge Pond
Now come on, who can resist a few ducks & swans?
okay, back on track now
and heading back towards West Street
we come across the Bull Inn - circa 1409
so this is us back on West Street again
and once again, history behind every door
Our trusty map again
showing us looping back, to pick up Abbey Street
of course, when I say Abbey Street
I, of course, mean Court Street
and the white building in front of us
is the Shepherd Neame visitors centre
where you can organise brewery tours from
I'll drop a link in the description below
so you can check out the availability
The white building in front of us
with the green decoration
is the headquarters for Shepherd Neame brewers
and finally, we make it onto Abbey Street
What I love about Abbey Street is that it covers
a mixed period in Faversham's history
here we have another repurposed brewery
and as you head down Abbey Street
it becomes lightly more gentile
and then you come across something of a rarity
a pub that's not a Shepherd Neame
This one's a Tim Tailor
This is such a beautiful street to walk along
there's so much history behind every door
and talking of history, the street gets its name
from the Abbey that once stood nearby
it was sadly lost in the dissolution of the monasteries
in the 16th-century
Now there's a reason we brought you down this street
other than the picturesque homes and the quaint charm
and that's to take us all the way to Standard Quay
Now, when you get to the end of Abbey Street
you join Abbey Road - no, not that one
before turning left to head towards Standard Quay
So what is Standard Quay?
Well, it's on the Quayside
and it's a collection of bric-a-brac stores
antique stores, as well as cafes
there's a restaurant
and it's a great place to explore
Once again there's history all around us
from the Victorian warehouses on our right
to the historic sailing barges
The old customs house
and at the far end, the Oyster House
it's also rather special to Janis and her family
particularly her father
over to the left-hand side, in the distance
you may just be able to see Ham Farm
a farm that was once worked by the family
add that to the tugs on the Quayside
and Pete's in heaven
He was a Lighterman on the River Thames
for many, many years
Also on the Quayside is Herman's Plaice
a fishmonger, of course
and also the Butcher's of Brogdale
which sounds more like a bunch of serial killers to me
but that's just me
So if you come to Faversham do make sure you
check out Standard Quay, it's certainly worthwhile
after a good look round
it's now time to head back to the centre of town again
once again via Abbey Street
we're taking a slightly different route
before we reach the Upper Brents
and a view over the creek
but for now we take a detour up Abbey Place
following the pathway along
towards the church of St Mary of Charity
we pass this Elizabethan building
Built in 1567
this was the original Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
It's now a Masonic hall
You'll then get to the church of St Mary of Charity
and you'll be impressed by its spire
said to be the second-largest in Kent
and indicative of how important Faversham is
in Kent's history
We take ourselves down Church Street
until we reach Abbey Street
and then head down past the Shepherd Neame brewery
towards - Faversham Creek
and now a time for honesty
Faversham Creek is very tidal
to get it at it's best, you need to be there at high tide
at low tide, it's a little muddy
and a little less picturesque
I'll drop a link in the description
for where you can find out the high tide times
we're at the Upper Brents
and this gives you a lovely view back over Faversham
and of course
there's a Shepherd Neame pub you can stop at
to take in the view
now that brings us to a close
but this is only part of a journey
we have a whole Kent road trip based around Faversham
so why not subscribe so you don't miss that
and our future adventures around the county?
and why not leave us a comment?
Thanks so much for watching - take care - safe travels