Which Swan should I go for?

Sunday’s trip out, postponed from Friday, came down to a choice between two very different options. The simplest, and perhaps the easier of the two was a long overdue visit to the Swan-on-the-Green at West Peckham.  The second was a trip out along the Tonbridge-Redhill railway line, a route I was singing the praises of in my recent posts about a day out in Farnham. 

The train journey I had in mind, involved alighting (always a strange turn of phrase) at Nutfield – the penultimate stop before the end of the line at Redhill, visiting the pub nearest the station, and then heading two stops back, on the homeward journey towards, Tonbridge and again leaving the train in search of a nearby pub. That stop would have been Edenbridge, at what is known as the top station (there are two unconnected stations in the town), and then visiting the nearest of the town’s five pubs. For the record the pubs concerned were the Station, at South Nutfield (the pub that’s just a stone’s throw from the station) and the Swan, Edenbridge, again the nearest hostelry to the train stop.

I’ve been to the Swan a couple of times before, but Nutfield represents unknown territory.  I’ve never left the train there, and I’ve never visited any of the village’s three pubs. In the end, the nearest of the two Swans won the day, although I plan on reserving my mini Redhill line exploration for a day when the weather is far less clement than it’s been of late, and when I’m looking for a spot of pub exploration nearer to home. It’s amazing though, that sometimes you don’t realise what’s virtually on your own doorstep, but that triangle of territory, where three counties meet (Surrey, Sussex and Kent) is the south-east’s “Bermuda triangle.”

It’s a place where identities become blurred and where it’s easy to lose one’s bearings, but that’s all for another day, as my visit to the West Peckham, and its community-owned pub, was a chance to see how things were progressing since the pub was acquired by the village. 

It also provided an opportunity to see how my investment was progressing, because as you may remember, I purchased some shares in the pub, at the end of last year, being one of many local people determined to help save the Swan for the local community. Well, I’m pleased to report that the pub appears to be thriving, as I’m going to relate shortly, but first some information on how to get there using public transport (and Shank’s Pony), from either Tonbridge or Maidstone.

Arriva bus No. 7 operates a half-hourly service, in both directions, between Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, and that 30-minute frequency amazingly applies on Sundays as well. Mereworth school is the stop you require, and from there it is roughly a 25-minute walk, to West Peckham. After leaving the bus, walk back for a short distance, towards the B2016 Seven Mile lane. Cross with care, making full use of the pedestrian refuge (traffic island) halfway across. Almost straight ahead is Mereworth Road which you need to follow for a mile or so, in order to take you to West Peckham. Like all country roads you need to have your wits about you, as whilst traffic is relatively light, drivers sometimes forget the pedestrians might also want to use the road, as well as themselves.

You will eventually see the sign, indicating you have reached the village, but make sure that you follow the left-hand fork, that is Church Road, into the village centre. On your right you will notice the attractive, little church of St Dunstan, which dates back to the 14^th century, although it is believed that a previous building of Saxon-Norman origin, predates this. The church looks out over the green, and on the left-hand side of this pleasant open space you will find the Swan-on-the-Green.

At the end of 2023, Gordon Milligan, the previous owner of the Swan, announced his intention to sell the pub, after 24 years in the trade. Instead of converting the pub into housing, Mr Milligan offered the opportunity for local residents to purchase it. The community formed a steering group with the goal of collectively buying the building. 

Interest in the project extended beyond West Peckham and into neighbouring areas of west Kent, which led to Mr Milligan granting the group six months’ exclusivity to come up with a plan.  After reaching a purchase agreement in principle, the group sought funding through the Community Ownership Grant scheme and solicited donations from villagers, other private individuals and local businesses. This was followed by the establishment of the Swan Community Project Ltd, a “not for profit” company with a mission to own and manage the Swan, for the benefit of the Community. Any profits generated are to be re-invested in the project. Last November, after expressing an interest in the project, I took the plunge and am now the proud owner of 250 shares in the Swan.

The weather last Sunday was dry and bright, but quite blustery, and with the buses operating mainly to time, it wasn’t long before I was deposited outside Mereworth Primary School. The conditions were ideal for a walk, and it wasn’t long before I reached West Peckham. The Sunday service at the church, was just finishing as I strolled by, and the vicar was shaking hands with his parishioners as they filed out through the front porch. Reaching the pub, I noticed quite a few customers sitting at tables, on the edge of the green, under the trees, opposite the pub.

This was obviously a good sign, and after popping inside I could see that quite a few tables were either occupied by diners or had signs indicating they were reserved.  Approaching the bar, I discovered there were two cask offering from Tonbridge Brewery, plus local, west-Kent favourite, Larkin's Traditional. I opted for Tonbridge Easy Street Pale which, as its name implies, is an easy drinking, mid-strength, pale ale. The beer fitted its description, and given the pleasant weather conditions, I took my pint outside, and parked myself at one of the bench tables, just outside the pub. I watched with interest, as a group, led by the vicar who I’d just seen, strolled over from the church and ordered themselves some drinks. They were sitting a few tables away from me, so I couldn’t really hear what they were saying – not that I wanted to, anyway!

The pub itself was ticking over nicely, which is good, regardless of any financial interest I might have, in the place. I asked one of the bar staff, how things were going, and he confirmed that the trade was good. For my second pint, I decided to go for something different, and having noticed a tap on the bar for Hawkstone Session – a beer associated with former Top Gear presenter, turned farmer, Jeremy Clarkson, I thought I’d give it a try. If nothing else, it would mean another tick on Untappd, but it was a bit more than that. The Session is 4.0%, whilst Hawkstone’s Premium weighs in at 4.8% abv. The company behind the brand, was formerly known as Cotswolds Brewing Company, before changing its name to Hawkstone.  

I timed my walk back to Mereworth just right, leaving sufficient time, if necessary, to nip behind a hedge, in order to siphon off any excess beer, but fortunately no such stop was necessary. Not quite so fortunate was the lack of buses up to Bailey Towers, from the Tonbridge High Street. Having just missed one and not wishing to wait 50 minutes for the next one, I trudged my way back up the hill. Once home, I found Mrs PBT’s taking much more of an interest than usual in my pub expedition.  It looks as if she wants to accompany me, next time although, as she doesn’t really do walking along country lanes,  I will need to drive us both there!