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The website gets some questions (emailed) tthat are answered by other readers.
See below for querie on Queens Well, a hop farm owned by John Bridgeland, and fishing on New Pond. I visited Benenden yesterday and took a photo of the Queen's Well. I cannot find any information regarding the well and wonder if you know the history regarding it? Ernie Pollard writes .... You will find some information on the Queen's Well in "Benenden Trail" Julia Collard writes .... Two wells in Benenden are mentioned in "Benenden, A Pictorial History" compiled by Michael Davies and the following information is quoted in it. My husband as boy, just after the war used to go to Benenden hopping with his mother and grandparents. He remembers hop picking on a farm owned by John Bridgeland. My husband remembers that Mr Bridgeland was a very nice kindly man, and he has very happy memories of hop picking days. We cannot seem to find any evidence that the farm still exists, my husband also remembers the local pub he thinks it was called the Castleton Oak, is this still around. AM writes .... The Castleton Oak is certainly near Benenden, but not in the village itself. It is at the crossraods of Cranbrook, Tenterden and Benenden. Ernie Pollard writes .... This would be Beston Farm on Halden Lane, farmed by the Bridgeland family for many years although I think always part of the Hole Park estate. Castleton Oak not far away. Edward Barham writes .... Just to add my pennyworth to this, the farmers name was Bridgland (no "e") and they farmed at beston from approximately 1865 until 1976, always as tenants of the Hole Park Estate. Following the death of John Bridgland in 1975 (?) his 2 sisters surrendered the farm tenancy and remained at Beston until old age forced the last survivor to move to a home in about 1997. the house was then renovated and still remains part of the estate. Mrs Neve, of Coggers, prepared a brief history of the family which I think was published on the net which your hop picker may find interesting to locate.
I was wondering if perhaps you may be able to shed some light on the New Pond. I have always wished to have a local place to fish, however there are lots of private water and "NAC" signs around the pond.
Rod Lebon writes (collaborated by Peter Blockley and Steve Hockney)... Presuming that the New Pond referred to, is the dammed lake at the bottom of the hill north of Benenden cross-roads, as far as I know it's still part of the Manor House land. I knew Caroline Richardson, the previous owner of the Manor House, whose family owned it going back about 50 years, since our childhood; she sold it c2005 so and I have no idea who the present owner is - heard it had been sold on a second time, but that may be rumour. In Caroline's time there was definitely an active angling club on the lake, which presumably leased the use of it from her, and I think kept it stocked. Patrick Conway writes ... The previous owner (Caroline Richardson) of the Manor House permitted Northiam Angling Club (NAC) to fish the lake one Sunday per month.
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