This guide helps you plan a day around Hawkhurst, a village in the Kentish High Weald near the East Sussex border. It covers The Moor and its church, the Victorian Victoria Hall, Bedgebury National Pinetum, and three nearby places with a story to tell: the churches at Goudhurst and Kilndown and the war memorial at Sandhurst. We have no distances between them, so use a route planner, and check each owner’s page before you go.
The Moor and St Laurence’s Church
Visit Tunbridge Wells describes The Moor as the oldest part of Hawkhurst, a large triangular green surrounded by St Laurence church, historic houses and cottages. Historic England lists the church at Grade I (list entry 1120819). The Kent Historic Environment Record says a flying bomb landed in the churchyard on 13 August 1944 and badly damaged the roofs, which were replaced in the early 1950s. The church’s own website says it is open for private prayer daily from 11am to 3pm, although the National Churches Trust page lists no regular opening times, so check with the parish before you go.
The Victoria Hall
The Kent record describes the Victoria Hall and its railed forecourt as a village hall of 1875 by the architect Alfred Williams, in red brick with a terracotta plaque reading “Lecture Hall”. It is listed at Grade II (list entry 1124182). Kino Hawkhurst, a cinema with a cafe-bar, now occupies the hall, and its website lists the cafe-bar open from 9:30am daily with screenings from 10am. Check its programme before you go.
Bedgebury National Pinetum
Forestry England gives the address as Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst, TN17 2SJ, and says the pinetum was established in 1925 as a partnership between the Forestry Commission and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It describes 350 acres of pinetum with over 12,000 specimen trees, and a 2,200 acre forest with walking, cycling and running trails. The site is open daily from 8am except Christmas Day. From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 it closes at 5pm, and from 20 November to 31 December 2026 it closes at 3pm for Christmas at Bedgebury. Forestry England lists parking per vehicle at £4.00 for up to an hour, £8.00 for up to two hours and £15.50 all day, with arrival without a car and motorcycles free. It lists a cafe, shop, toilets, play area, 16 accessible parking spaces and a Changing Places toilet. Dogs are welcome inside the atrium and visitor centre, and the cafe seating is dog-free. It says the nearest stop on bus route 1066 is at Flimwell, about a 30-minute walk away.
St Mary’s Church, Goudhurst
The Kent record lists St Mary’s at Grade I (list entry 1338671) and dates it from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the tower rebuilt in 1638 to 1640 after lightning destroyed the earlier one in 1637. It also records that in 1747 a battle took place in the church and churchyard between the Goudhurst Militia and the Hawkhurst Gang, a smuggling group. Visit Tunbridge Wells says Hawkhurst is part of a Smugglers and Heritage Trail between Goudhurst and the Sussex coast. We found no visiting details for the church.
Christ Church, Kilndown
The Kent record lists Christ Church at Grade I (list entry 1338690), built in 1839 to 1841 to designs by Anthony Salvin and later embellished by Alexander Roos for A J Beresford Hope. It describes the chancel as a showpiece of the Camden Society and Ecclesiologist group. We found no visiting details.
Sandhurst war memorial
The Kent record describes Sandhurst’s war memorial as a Portland stone cross designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, unveiled in August 1923 and listed at Grade II (list entry 1336752).
Choosing between them
- Outdoors for a half day or more: Bedgebury, with parking charged per vehicle.
- Quick heritage stops: the Victoria Hall, Sandhurst war memorial and the exteriors of the churches.
- The smuggling story: St Mary’s, Goudhurst, and the Smugglers and Heritage Trail.
- Winter visits: Bedgebury closes at 5pm until 28 March 2027 and at 3pm from 20 November to 31 December 2026.
Getting there
Arriva’s route 5 runs from Maidstone to Hawkhurst Moor via Staplehurst, Sissinghurst and Cranbrook, with stops at Highgate Hill and The Moor. Stagecoach lists route 1066 between Hastings, Battle, Robertsbridge and Hawkhurst and between Hawkhurst, Ticehurst, Wadhurst and Tunbridge Wells, and route 349 between Hastings, Bodiam, Sandhurst and Hawkhurst. Hawkhurst’s own railway station closed in 1961, according to the Kent record. Check the operators for current times.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bedgebury free?
Forestry England lists parking charges per vehicle, from £4.00 for up to an hour, and says arriving without a car carries no charge.
Can I take a dog to Bedgebury?
Forestry England says well-behaved dogs are welcome inside the atrium and visitor centre, and the cafe seating is dog-free.
What was the Hawkhurst Gang?
A smuggling group. The Kent record notes that the Goudhurst Militia fought it in 1747 in the church and churchyard at Goudhurst.
Is St Laurence’s Church open to visitors?
The church’s own website says it is open for private prayer daily from 11am to 3pm. The National Churches Trust lists no regular opening times, so check with the parish before you go.
Can I get to Hawkhurst by bus?
Arriva’s route 5 and Stagecoach’s routes 1066 and 349 serve Hawkhurst, according to their pages. Check the operators for current times.