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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.

Quiet Command

A family home that keeps things cool, calm and collected  Sometimes it’s not what you put into a house that makes it special – but what you leave out. In the Staplehurst home of interior decorator Esther Bauer and her...

See my vision

Meet Reinhard Alexander Weiss, director of 3s, the architects behind this award-winning Greek paradise Can you tell us about a memorable project that you’ve worked on?  As well as individual houses in the UK, we sometimes design holiday homes abroad....

Finding the Plot 

So you’ve decided to set out on the adventure of building your dream home. Step one, before you can begin designing and building, is finding your land. SJD tell us how When should I think about using a professional land...

Case Study: Prefabulous

We find out what goes into building an eco-friendly, low-energy home like this Sussex prefab haven    A luxury Baufritz villa sitting on the edge of the South Downs National Park, built using pioneering, prefabricated construction technology. Skyhouse Sussex is...

Easy being Green

Mark Sait, CEO and founder of sustainability and money-saving experts, SaveMoneyCutCarbon (SMCC) shares advice for building new homes or doing renovations in a way that will benefit the planet and your bank balance The placement of the thermostat has a...

Follow the leader

We talk to Neilson Projects, a long-established property consultant practice to find out what makes a project manager so valuable What are the benefits of hiring a project manager?   Most clients begin their focus on the intricate design of...

Case Study: The Chocolate Factory

Because who wouldn’t want to live in a chocolate factory? This new development by Sunningdale House is a real treat Where is it located?  In Quarry Road, Tunbridge Wells within the exclusive TN1 postcode, on the old factory site of...

What’s the plan?

The experts at SJM Planning explain how a planning advisor can assist your project Why hire a planning consultant?  Anyone can make a planning application to a local planning authority, but the application process system can be very challenging and...

Meet the Trade: Managing Director of Brook Security Limited

Meet Terry Roffey, Managing Director of Brook Security Limited What do you specialise in?  Brook Security has a wealth of knowledge and experience in creating layered security solutions. We specialise in the design, installation, maintenance and monitoring of electronic security...

Case Study: Restoration

Two projects running in tandem on joined properties provided an irresistible challenge for LJ Fletcher Builders What was the project brief?   We were actually working on two joined properties at once, so we had two sets of clients, both...

Adoorable!

Claire Manton, furniture artist and founder of Claire’s CraftHouse, shares her guide to sprucing up your front door A front door isn’t cheap to replace but, whether you have a solid wood door or composite, you can freshen it up...

Beam us up!

Many an old English home is filled with glorious characterful beams, but this also means that, for rejuvinating an old property, beam restoration is often top of the to-do list. We have spoken to A T Palmer Ltd, specialists in...

New Shores

Social worker Ashia Redhead explains how her house renovation has been the outlet for her creative energy, embellishing her passion for interiors and antiques into a warm family home with character It was the start of the hottest weekend of...

Nourish to Flourish

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau recommends small changes for a more sustainable diet A sustainable diet is one with a low environmental impact and helps contribute to the security of food and nutrition for the present as well as...

Meet the Head: Louise Lawrance, Headteacher of The Granville School in Sevenoaks

Meet Louise Lawrance, Headteacher of The Granville School in Sevenoaks What inspired your career in education? Being able to make a difference. I grew up in South Africa and used to volunteer at a school for street children. I saw first-hand...

Strike a Balance

Family legal issues can be complicated and emotive, so it’s always good to put a face to the name of the expert who is guiding you through the process. We get to know a little more about Joanna Pratt, Senior...

Garden Glory

If you’re planning a garden visit or two this year, then be sure to explore the wealth of horticultural delights the South East offers, as recommended by Sue Whigham Kent Gardens Trust is affiliated to The Gardens Trust and was...

On the Wild-ish Side

Jo Arnell gives her tools a well earned rest and lets the garden do what it does best – embrace nature  Stop weeding. Stop mowing. Dig a pond and plant a tree – then relax while the wildlife looks after...

Dressed to Thrill

Artist and designer Louise Hamlin-Wright’s vibrant home is a wonderful riot of colour, pattern and craft   I drive straight past Louise and John’s house. I think I’m looking for a larger or more outlandish building. Turning around, I see that...

Kitchen Drama

Interior designer Ben Stokes’ family cottage, painted in deep, rich shades and accessorised with natural woods and sumptuous textiles, is a wonderful example of the bold transformation of a small space   There’s no introduction to this three storey cottage....

And the winner is…

Award winners only here! Let’s find out what makes them so popular with the judges Karen McClure What is your approach to sustainability and the environment? Our approach is focused on internal team education, our specification of materials, mindfulness of...

The Big Questions

When taking on a landscaper, it’s important to know what you want ahead of time, so we asked Tim Sykes of Gardenproud for a list of key questions we should ask ourselves and have answers for What are the must...

Small but Mighty

Jo Arnell makes sure mini spaces pack a productive punch Give me land, lots of land under starry skies above…’ Well, sadly most of us do have to have fences and aren’t able to ride through the plains on a...

Heaven Scent

Maximise on fragrance with Sue Whigham’s sweet-smelling picks So what are aromatic plants and how do they differ from plants with fragrant flowers? Yesterday, I layered up and meandered out into the garden in a search for any aromatic plants that...

Nourish to Flourish

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau brings some calm to morning routines For many of us the relentless cycle of going to bed too late, hitting snooze on repeat and rushing out the door feeling highly stressed, is all too...

Building Futures

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook is expanding to provide a through-school from 2 to 16-years-old Exciting news in from Dulwich Prep Cranbrook... the school is launching an expansion to include Years 9, 10 and 11, which will offer families an academically ambitious, forward-looking,...

Meet the Head: Emma Károlyi, Head of Junior King’s

We chat to Emma Károlyi, Head of Junior King’s, about her journey to becoming leader of the school What inspired you to teach?  I always wanted to make a difference to others and allow my creativity to flourish. The enthusiastic...

Perfect Partners

The New Beacon’s Headmaster, Mike Piercy, shares his thoughts on the school’s exciting merger with Tonbridge School Much has changed in recent years; from Brexit to pandemic to geopolitical instability. Through lockdowns, families have reviewed their lives, priorities and, in some...

New Victorian

Driven by a love of colour and vintage, Sarah Hazebroek has stamped her signature style on a Victorian cottage, whilst her passion for interiors paid off during lockdown with the creation of her home accessories range, Huddle Collection  Situated right...

Should you consider a prenuptial agreement?

Joanna Pratt, Head of Family at Thomson Snell & Passmore, explains how they work A prenuptial – or premarital – agreement is a written contract a couple enter into prior to their marriage, to set out their intentions as to how...

Part time Veg

Get into the growing groove with Jo Arnell’s tips for fuss-free vegetables No time to grow vegetables? Not much space? Feeling daunted? Well – you don’t have to be rich to grow some veg, you don’t have to be cool...

Sow Magical

There’s endless treasure to be found amongst the pages of this year’s seed catalogues, as Sue Whigham explains It is so lovely to receive a seed catalogue in the post and especially when it is as tempting and full of...

Family Comforts

We take a look inside the home of the creative founders of Maker & Son Despite the picturesque central front entrance and wonderfully rustic path, flanked on either side by some cloud pruned box trees, we are entering through the...

8 Ideas to Bring the Indoors Out

It’s a new age of garden rooms – filled with indoorsy luxuries but also seamlessly integrated into the outdoor world Lockdown left us all itching to get outside more, wishing our homes had a little more space, and desperately looking...

Windows on the World

Karen Hahnel’s grand apartment on the St Leonards seafront has views as impressive as its interior It’s always fascinating to visit someone’s home and see all the lovely things they have and find out where they got them from (that’s...

Meet the Head Student: Shaun Pexton, Brighton College

What are the responsibilities of being head student? My most important responsibility is as ambassador for the school in many walks of school life – from sports to the arts. I’m also striving to deepen student connections with other Brighton...

Meet the Head Student: James Dunford, Hurstpierpoint College

What are the responsibilities of being head student? As head boy, I must represent the thoughts and feelings of the students to the headmaster, in particular any minority views should be acknowledged and heard. In addition to this I am...

Rising Star

Manor House School tell us about one of their promising pupils Lola Fellows joined Manor House School as a Sports and Art Scholar in Year 7, and threw herself immediately into all that senior school life offers. Now in Year...

Eco Warriors

We discover how two schools are fighting for the planet The head’s mantra is ‘Make It Happen’, and never has this been so important now that Parkside is preparing to protect our planet. Greta Thunberg said “…you are never too...

Better Together

The Granville tells us how they are creating success for all in a non-selective setting  A preparatory school is charged with preparing its pupils for senior schools. Firstly, preparing them for entrance exams but also, and perhaps more importantly, for academic,...

Fame Academy: Eddie Izzard

Emma Garrett, Development Director, Eastbourne College tells us about ex-student Eddie Izzard The Eastbournian Society (ES) is all about building relationships that last a lifetime across our two schools – starting from as early as nine months old at St...

Camilla Le May

Introducing Camilla Le May a famous sculptorand ex Mayfield School student Camilla Le May is a sculptor living in Ticehurst, East Sussex, specialising in animals and wildlife. Her work has been exhibited by established galleries since 2000 and bought by...

Finding your way: Getting on Board

Benenden School tells us about the benefits of boarding Benenden Boarding brings enormous benefits for every pupil: she has the time and space to try new activities, develops great social and emotional skills, and makes friends for life. Boarding is...

Finding your way: Starting School

Head of Pre-prep at Vinehall School, Nicky Whittaker, explains how to help children begin their school life Starting school can be an emotional time for both parents and children, but with the right preparation it can be a time of...

Helping children settle in when starting school

We speak to Dulwich Prep Cranbrook’s Georgie Labram about helping children settle in when starting school What advice would you give to parents before children start at your school? Children love to be independent and encouraging your child to practise...

Building a Brighter World

Fosse Bank School celebrates 130 years of outward-looking pioneering education  This year Fosse Bank School in Hildenborough marks 130 years of pioneering educational leadership and provision, with at least 130 events planned throughout 2022. The aim of these celebrations is...

Meet the English Teacher: Dr Leo Mitchell

Introducing Dr Leo Mitchell, Head of Year 7 and English Teacher at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook What is your favourite school memory? My favourite memory is performing in Blood Brothers. I was cast as Eddie, the posh one. I was immensely...