Spring has sprung - the Hopbine, Pettridge

Petteridge is a tiny and quiet Kent hamlet which lies roughly halfway between the villages of Brenchley and Matfield, but slightly to the south of them. It would remain as just an anonymous spot on the map were it not for the fact it contains a rather nice little pub.

The Hopbine is an attractive, part weather-boarded, and part tile-hung building built into the side of a hill, at the top of a leafy lane opposite a row of cottages. Although its exact age is uncertain, the Hopbine has only been a pub since 1949, when it was converted from two cottages; one of which had traded as an off-sales outlet, selling beer and cider to local agricultural workers. Evidence of this can be seen internally, by the fireplace which partially separates one part of the pub from the other.

After operating as a free house for many years, the pub was acquired in 1984 by the Horsham-based brewers, King & Barnes, becoming the brewery’s first and, as it turned out, only tied house in Kent. In 2000, Dorset based Hall & Woodhouse, announced a takeover of King & Barnes; the Horsham brewery was closed and the company’s 65 pubs became part of the Badger estate.

Nearly six years ago, the long serving landlord Mike and his wife "B"  (we never found out her actual name), announced their retirement after clocking up 25 years behind the bar. I remember Mike saying at the time that Hall & Woodhouse were planning to sell the pub, once the couple had stepped down, and today the Hopbine is now in private ownership serving two local beers along with two guests and a cider. 

I first became familiar with the Hopbine during the mid 1980’s, shortly after I began work at a small pharmaceutical company, based at nearby Lamberhurst. Because of the cramped nature of the Lamberhurst site, the company purchased a plot of land at Petteridge, where they erected a storage and distribution centre.

It was on a visit to this facility that I first became acquainted with the Hopbine I have been a visitor to the pub ever since, although not as frequently as I would have liked,  particularly in recent years, so on Friday I decided to renew my acquaintance with the Hopbine. I’d booked the day off as my car was due its annual service and MOT, so after leaving it at the service centre I took the train, one stop down the line from Tonbridge, to Paddock Wood.

The route I took was one I have walked on several past occasions, back in the day when a walk to the Half Way House at Brenchley, for one of their twice yearly beer festivals, formed part of the West Kent CAMRA social calendar. I had a detailed map with me for guidance, but I recalled most of the way. The sun was shining and the temperature rising, and I remember thinking to myself that I should have worn a sun-hat.

The other item I should have worn was a pair of stout walking boots, because whilst the recent spell of warm dry weather had dried up much of the route, the first off-road section out of Paddock Wood was very muddy in parts, which meant normal shoes were quite unsuitable. Fortunately I did have a walking stick with me – something I find essential as age creeps up on me, and this steadied me through the slipperiest sections and prevented several falls. (A stick is also useful when negotiating styles and, should the need arise, would come in handy in warding off any fierce dogs).

This first off-road section involved a steady climb up from the belt of clay flatland surrounding the Tonbridge to Ashford railway line, towards the section of south-east England, known as the High Weald. It was a pleasant route through a number of neat and regimented, newly planted orchards, passed a couple of converted farm dwellings, and into an area of woodland.

Eventually I reached the picture-postcard village of Matfield, complete with its extensive green and associated duck pond. Matfield has two pubs, (there were three until a few years ago); the Star and the Poet. Both look rather upmarket, particularly the Poet, which is really more of a restaurant. Years ago it was a simple country pub, known as Standing’s Cross.

I diverted off along a footpath which forms part of the High Weald Landscape Trail, which allowed me to walk, off road, all the way to Petteridge. The last section was through woodland, which afforded some respite from the fierce sun, but upon reaching the little hamlet, a right turn brought me into the quaintly named, Tibbs Court Lane, and then to the Hopbine.

There were several groups of drinkers seated outside, both at the front as well as the side of the pub, but before going in I made use of the facilities at the rear of the building; as the Hopbine is now the only pub I know in the area that still possesses an outside gents toilet.

Mission accomplished I stepped inside the pub. Nothing much seemed to have changed since my previous visit, nearly six years ago, which was encouraging, and the place was busy with  several groups of diners. There were a few spare tables, but given the glorious weather I wanted to sit outside and take full advantage of the Spring sunshine.

Before doing so, I ordered myself a pint, opting for the Cellar Head 3.8% Session Pale Ale, in preference to the offerings from Long Man and Tonbridge Brewery. I was glad I did as it was in fine form, pale, cool, well-conditioned and well-hopped. It scored an easy 4.0 NBSS.

I sat outside at one of the bench tables after a  friendly couple had made room for me. Noticing my stick and map, the revealed they were also keen walkers, and often walked to the Hopbine from their home in nearby Brenchley. The beer slipped down all too easily, but whilst I was tempted to have another pint, I restricted myself to just a half,  full in the knowledge that I would have to drive later.

Food-wise I’d picked up a smoked ham and Cheddar sub roll at the Tesco Express in Paddock Wood, but I saved that for the return journey. Instead I treated myself to a bag of “Proper Black Country Pork Scratchings” and not only were they very nice, with just the right amount of crunch, but my fillings appear to have survived too.

For the homeward journey, I followed Tibbs Court Lane for a while, before turning off onto a northward leading footpath which brought me into Brenchley. I have walked that path before, and if you continue on it, you arrive at the Halfway House. This time I wanted to be just to the west of Brenchley village, where another path leads back towards Paddock Wood.

After passing a couple of very well-appointed houses, the route took me through some orchards, before a long descent through an abandoned golf course, and back to Paddock Wood. It is several years since I last passed that way and the golf course, which was a victim of the 2008 banking crisis, has continues to revert back to nature. You can still make out a few overgrown bunkers, but the greens and the fairways have long disappeared.

I arrived back in Paddock Wood at around 3.30pm, and as I approached the station, received a phone call telling me that the service on my car was complete and that it had passed its MOT for another year. After a 20 minute wait for the train, I was back in Tonbridge to collect it.

The tracking device on my phone told me I’d walked just over 11.6 kilometres (I haven’t worked out how to change the units to miles yet). It had been a glorious spring day of virtually wall to wall sunshine and with blossom on the trees and everything coming into leaf, the Kent countryside was starting to look its very best.

As for the Hopbine, it was good to renew my acquaintance and good to see the pub nice and busy. The only slight cloud on the horizon was the news from a CAMRA colleague that the place is up for sale.