Biddenden Kent recommendations based for eight nights in May, please ~

A good starting point would be to look at the visitkent.co.uk website as this gives many options for day trips. East Sussex is nearby too.

I live about 15 miles from Biddenden. It's a nice village with a few tea shops, pubs and restaurants. There are plenty of National Trust places nearby worth exploring. Other than villages and gardens, you don't say what your interests are, so it's difficult to advise. Villages/small towns worth a look include Tenterden, Headcorn, Cranbrook, Smarden, Burwash, Robertsbridge, Hythe and Wye.

Larger worthwhile places include Canterbury, Whitstable, Tunbridge Wells, Faversham (the country's oldest brewery run tours, it's an interesting town and the walks over to Oare Marshes are good), Hastings (traditional fishing port), Dungeness (unique coastal habitat), Hythe (walk along the canal built to repel Napoleon, but never required), Sandwich/Deal/Dover/Walmer for seaside and castles.

Gardens - plenty NT plus Great Dixter, Groombridge, Penshurst Place and Pashley Manor. Check out the National Gardens Scheme nearer the time for local gardens that are open for charity at ngs.org.uk.

The Kent Battle of Britain Museum near Folkestone is interesting.

Castles - Leeds, Hever, Bodiam and Chiddingstone.

Personally, the area that I find the least interesting is around Margate.

You will be near one of the best pubs in Kent, The Three Chimneys. A lovely old building, excellently served beers and superb food.

Tudeley Church. All its stained glass windows are by Marc Chagall. A fantastic small church.

I'm so grateful for such a generous initial helping of wonderful particular material above to carefully study for inclusion. (We too have a small Chagall windowed church here in a proximate N.Y. , good to visit another.)

To amplify further on " general interests" as requested: village walkabouts, country roadway itinerary ideas, outdoor markets, distinctive food shops and bakeries for particular not to miss items.

For fuller dining, we'll cook in as well as seek atmospheric trad pubs with value meals (e.g. coming in around L35 for two with one beverage each, a shared appetizer, two entrees and no dessert needed (can be midday or evening meal). Please suggest, while engaged in above, local middle to dark beers and ales not to miss.

Gardens are fairly well covered there with National Trust once again and possibly Heritage a second time (still deciding). Their inclusive booklets and online sites offer multiple wonderful ideas.

We seek properties of interest, not excluding those of character including rustic, everyday reproductive and especially those cosy in one way or another in addition to estates as well as both quirky and traditional museums,

Finally, I'd be remiss to exclude the regular daily pleasurable hour's walk here or there.

Look at kfma.org.uk for details of Kent farmers markets. Many are held once a month. I know there are farmers markets in Tunbridge Wells and Ashford that I have been to, but there are many more.

Drink - Biddenden Vineyard is your closest.

Food shops - the award winning Heath Stores in Horsmonden is excellent. Weald Smokery in Flimwell for takeaway smoked food and a cafe. Weeks Bakery and cafe in Goudhurst is popular. Hartley cafe and farm shop in Cranbrook.

The Peacock pub in Goudhurst is good and full of character.

Tunbridge Wells is the coffee capital of Kent with many excellent cafes including Claudia's and Fine Grind.

Ever so helpful tips Jennifer. I'll be sure to get info on each for potential inclusion.

I'd recommend having a look at the Good Pub Guide https://thegoodpubguide.co.uk/ for inspiration on what pubs to visit. It's difficult to advise on particular beers as many pubs will offer a varied selection many of which will be local brews that may not be widely available elsewhere in the country. Having looked briefly at some of the pubs in the local area there are references to beers and breweries that I have never heard of or sampled. Your best bet is simply ask the barstaff at whatever pub you're at for recommendations.

The Good Pub Guide has an excellent app, too.

The main Kentish brewer is Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest dating from the 17th century. Spitfire is their session beer, Masterbrew a little stronger. Smaller breweries are harder to recommend as they come and go, but you might find Westerham beers, which are excellent. The biggest Sussex brewer is Harveys of Lewes and you find a lot of that in Kent too.