Read Wealden Times online

Wealden Times Magazine is the monthly lifestyle magazines for Kent & Sussex. Discover beautiful homes and interiors, read about their owners, find recipes for every occasion and delve into our pages on horticulture. Feel inspired by our fashion features and get the latest on health and beauty.

Artful Restoration

Utilising the skills of a hand-picked team of talented local trades, Tim and Eve have realised their dream of a home to grow old in with the carefully considered renovation of a pair of cottages with huge potential Down a...

The House That Instagram Built

Kooky, unique and oh-so-memorable, Margate Suites’ collaboration between local artists, interior designers and tradespeople has resulted in a vibrant collection of holiday apartments which provide the perfect place from which to explore this seaside town, alive with creativity For some...

Case Study: The Time Warp

Clague Architects recall one of their favourite Kentish restoration projects, a house trapped between two eras, brought into the 21st Century Our first impression of the Parsonage was that of a 17th century home that had once been extended with...

Case Study: Vintage Outlook

Urban & Grey talk us through a fabulous project installing vintage style windows into a Surrey home Claire McFadyen, owner of Louisa Grace Interiors, approached us with an exciting brief, a clear vision, and some design requirements, for the glazing...

Form & Function

A classic verandah is a stylish and worthwhile feature to add to a renovation, striking a pleasant first note for all those entering a property Porches were originally created hundreds of years ago to offer shelter when entering a property....

SCL’s 6 steps to take
before starting a new project

SCL Groundworks share advice for getting a clear idea of what it will take to get you your dream new-build or extension, before you start out sclgroundworks.co.uk 1 To prepare land for a new-build or extension, the preferred starting point...

How to: Personalise a new build

Transforming a white-walled, brand-new tabula rasa of a new-build can be a real mission! So we asked SGS Architectural Interiors for some expert advice We are fortunate enough to work with clients who are constructing architect-designed new-build homes, but it...

Karl Terry’s Top 10 tips
to revamp your roof

Renovating your roof can really transform an older property, but it’s worth making sure you get advice and work from trustworthy sources, so we asked Karl Terry for some tips kentpegs.com Check with your local conservation officer if Listed Building...

Case Study: Bringing Back the Barn

Architects Theis + Khan tell us the tale of a recent masterpiece of a barn conversion Burwash Barn was a real project right from the offset, it had enormous potential but was obviously going to require lots of work to...

Body Loving Goodness

Sarah Maxwell stresses the importance of learning to take care of yourself The idea of what constitutes the perfect body has changed frequently over the decades, from Kate Moss (90’s chic) to the touched up images of perfectly sculpted bodies we...

Nourish to Flourish

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau explores the link between food and mood... The brain, a powerful but fragile organ that accounts for just 2-3% of our body weight yet makes up for around 20-25% of our daily energy requirement....

Forget-Me-Not

Jo Arnell explores how biennials are the often overlooked heroes of a successful planting scheme Imagine a plant that looks after itself, one that will flower early, that will grow in difficult shady situations, that after flowering will quietly, sometimes...

Let’s go Wild!

Sue Whigham takes a look at the charity Plantlife’s initiatives to study the nation’s wildflowers This week I managed to book myself into two Zoom lectures at the same time. I’ve obviously been at home too long. But the one...

Meet the Head: Marlborough House School

Mr Eddy Newton, Headmaster of Marlborough House School, reminisces on his own school days and how they’ve shaped the Head he is today What did you enjoy most at school?  Maths, Latin and History, as well as all sports –...

Slow, Grow, Eat

Hairdresser-turned-shepherdess, Zoë Colville farms nearly 100 acres of land near Maidstone with her partner, Chris Woodhead. With prime focus on their animals’ wellbeing, together they rear cows, sheep, goats and pigs, eventually selling their meat through The Little Farm Fridge....

Agri Culture

The carefully thought out transformation of a derelict barn has resulted in a unique and sophisticated new home for a couple who were keen to preserve its agricultural history and heritage Driving past a derelict barn every day and dreaming...

Story Teller

Find quirky styling and artworks aplenty at one of the most interesting and magical places to stay in the South East, The Bell in Ticehurst   “The Bell’s ancient bricks could talk, they’d have a tale or two to tell.”  In...

Meet the Head: James Thomas

We chat to James Thomas, the new headmaster of Sutton Valence School near Maidstone, Kent What was your favourite subject at school? I chose A Levels in Italian, Music and Religious Studies which struck a great balance and appealed to my...

Early Learning – Claremont Nursery and Pre-Prep

Claremont Nursery and Pre-Prep’s Head, Rachel Potter, talk through their early years offerings and how their younger pupils are prepared for joining big school How integrated is the nursery with the rest of the school? Our happy and very busy...

Early Learning – Hilden Oaks Nursery

The team at Hilden Oaks Nursery, talk through their early years offerings and how their younger pupils are prepared for joining big school Can you tell us a bit about your nursery?The Hilden Oaks Nursery offers outstanding, unique and flexible...

Stepping Stones

Sue Whigham investigates the appeal of gravel gardening  In the spring of 1986, Derek Jarman, film maker and life long gardener, was on the hunt for a bluebell wood to use in a film that he was making (The Garden)....

Ready, set, grow!

Keen to ensure 2021 is filled with a bountiful supply of home-grown edibles, Jo Arnell gets cracking in the veg garden with super-speedy early crops Phew! It’s April. The days are filling with light and new growth – and possibly...

The same, but different

With her eclectic vintage style Susan Chester put her own mark on a Victorian terrace house – while allowing it to keep its own character It never fails to amaze me, that while 26% of British houses are terraces –...

Island Escape

With a focus on sustainability and conservation, Georgina Fulton and her husband, Gareth, ensure that Elmley Nature Reserve and its working family farm preserves the natural habitat on the Isle Of Sheppey, sharing their portion of beautiful marsh landscape with...

Pesty Problems?

Sue Whigham gives handy tips to tackle garden pests without harming the wildlife that feeds on them One of my ancient greengage trees was uprooted during one of January’s downpours and so I thought that this was a good excuse...

Feed Me!

Jo Arnell gives her soil-enriching recommendations to ensure your garden plants never go hungry Above: Sweet peas are greedy plants Restore, Replenish, Renew This is not the beauty page, or an advert for skin cream, but I do want to...

Lockdown Lessons

Spring Grove School explains what its families and teachers have learnt from lockdown One year ago, as we grappled with the startling realisation that schools were about to close, little did we think that restrictions would still be affecting our...

Welcoming Day Boarders

Benenden School explains how, from September 2021, day pupils will also be able to enjoy the school’s offering alongside its boarders Benenden School, one of the UK’s leading boarding schools, is introducing day boarders for the first time. In an...

Meet the Head: Mike Piercy, Headmaster of The New Beacon boys

We chat to Mike Piercy, Headmaster of The New Beacon boys’ school in Sevenoaks Why did you choose a career in teaching? It is more a question of teaching choosing me! My father was in the navy in WWII and it was...

Pretty in pink

Treasure hunter Cat Ridley knows what she likes – and if it’s pink, glittery, neon or gold, she’s in (preferably all of them) My first glimpse of the gloriously pink, glittery, neon, petal-strewn world of Cat Ridley was when I...

The Archivist

Jules Haines set up her online business, Haines Collection, to offer leftover stocks of beautiful high-end fabrics, preventing them from ending up in landfill and providing the chance to snap them up with substantial savings. Her environmental awareness naturally extends...

9-5 In Style

If you’ve made the decision to continue to work from home, why not invest in a beautiful outdoor space that will allow you to take control of your working life, maintain work/life balance and provide a gorgeous focal point in...

The Right Foot

After a year of home schooling and social distancing, sport represents a unique challenge. How will we get up and running with a new-normal after lockdown? As the winner of the Sporting Achievement award in the 2020 Independent Schools of...

Adapt Adopt Improve

The last year has been anything but an easy ride, especially when it comes to education, but our schools have worked tirelessly to keep their students engaged and maintain a sense of normality – and this is how they’ve achieved...

Meet the P.E. Pros

We get to know two P.E. teachers that were once professional sports people – Mark Howell, Director of Sport and Head of Rugby at Sutton Valence School and Emily Starr, Assistant Director of Sport at Mayfield School Why did you...

Meet the Head: Cranbrook School

The Cranbrook School student who grew up to be its headmaster, we get to know Mr Will Chuter Why did you choose to go into teaching?  I was late to teaching. After university, I worked in offices and found it dull. I missed...

We need to talk about tech

In a world filled with more online socialisation than ever, how do parents and teachers keep up? We found out with the help of Battle Abbey School At Battle Abbey School we very much see parents as partners in a...

Taking Responsibility

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook explains how they’re fostering planet-friendly values throughout the school The majority of the eco initiatives introduced at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook have been very much child led, we have found that the children genuinely care and want to...

Meet the Head: Sevenoaks School

Mr Jesse R Elzinga reflects on his career so far, how Sevenoaks School has overcome the challenges of 2020 and what he looks forward to in the year ahead Why did you choose a career in teaching? I have always...

Beyond the Student Council

Ed Dickie, Head of Claremont Senior School, explains how prioritising communication with students is key to a school’s evolution Experience has taught me that the success or failure of new initiatives, designed to transform an area of the school perceived...

Ask the Expert

Hayley Hobbs, founder of Griffin Teaching, explains how your child may benefit from out-of-school academic help How will I know if my child needs external help with their academic work? In this area, where we have some excellent schools, your...

Help’s Only A Click Away

For dyslexic students, learning from home can pose a variety of extra challenges. Sally Welch, Head of Frewen College Prep in East Sussex, explains how they’re easing the pressure Helping students receive an accessible education in 2020/21 has proved a huge...

Meet the Head

Bryan Nixon, Head of School at TASIS The American School in England, talks us through his own experiences of school What was your favourite subject at school? My favourite subject at school was history, which is topical for me because...

Bursaries: what you need to know

Sarah Guri explains how the key to a future at Kent College, Canterbury could be applying for a bursary The opportunities that Kent College affords its students are special and it is absolutely right that we make that accessible to...

Professional Standard

Rising to the challenges of running a drama department during a global pandemic, ACS Cobham enlisted the help of industry professionals to create a film together High school students at ACS International School Cobham have created an uplifting prom-themed film...

A Very Bright Future

Headmaster of Babington House School, Tim Lello, explains how the school strives to provide its students with the support, advice and expertise needed to secure a successful career when they finish school With the news full of “mishandled A Level...

Welcome to real Tunbridge Wells

When Cathe and John Wheatman moved into their generously proportioned Victorian town house four-and-a-half years ago they were only the third family to live in it, since it was built in 1870.  That must be a pretty rare record –...