Our Blog - August 2025 - England trip - Chiddingstone Castle and Village

Chiddingstone Village is a little odd ... Chiddingstone is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was given to Bishop Odo in 1072 after the Norman invasion as part of his Earldom of Kent. The village itself is listed as a National Trust property, and is basically a 1-block village with 15th-century buildings. On Main Street, there is a village shop, a church (there was a wedding taking place when we were there), a couple cafes, and a store or 2. I didn't want to take pictures of the wedding party itself, but I did think the car that the bride arrived in was really nice.

The castle was a short walk away but we could only go around the outside and have a drink in the cafe because dogs are not allowed inside, which is now a museum containing various art collections from the last owner. It was built in the early 16th century and remained in the same family until the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the current building dates from the early 19th century.