Posts in category: News

Fiver Fest Faversham is getting ready to return 12^th – 26^th June this year. 

Despite this being only the second time Faversham has taken part in the Fiver Fest initiative, the first Faversham event which took place in October last year was a great success.  With over 70 local businesses taking part, Faversham’s Fiver Fest was one of the largest in the UK.

We believe that this year’s event will be even bigger and better than the first, and this is largely due to receiving much more support and sponsorship this time around.  Over the coming days we will be introducing you to our wonderful sponsors and telling you more about them and their businesses.

We are absolutely delighted that this year’s event is being supported by Faversham Town Council.  We feel especially grateful for their support as we have learnt from the event’s national organisers, Totally Locally, that it is rare for town councils to get involved or lend support until several events have successfully taken place. 

Faversham Town Council backing this event will enable us to effectively promote Fiver Fest Faversham to a much wider number of shoppers and visitors. It will also help support Faversham’s independent businesses after the effects of multiple lockdowns.If you run a business locally and would like part please click here for more information and to download your application form 

Let’s Go Girls!

I think we can all agree that Faversham is full of wonderful, innovative, and creative independent businesses. Behind a lot of these are some brilliant female entrepreneurs who have turned their passion into a successful business. From bra fitting to handmade pizza, we have such a varied selection of services and products that we can all enjoy, right on our doorstep! 

Boho + Bloom

When it comes to planning and styling an event, Leah is your go-to girl! Her ever growing prop hire collection is an eclectic mix of boho, disco, wild and one-of-a-kind pieces perfect for weddings, hen do’s, birthdays, window displays and corporate events. Leah launched her own company last year, but in short space of time she’s been featured on Channel 4, The Independent, The Wedding People Podcast and Festival Brides! If you have an idea in mind, Leah can bring your vision to life in her own bespoke way!

The Bra Boss of Kent

Joanna has worked in the lingerie industry for over 10 years, working for well-known brands such as Gossard and Panache. Last year she decided to take the ‘plunge’ and renovate her summer house into a lingerie boutique right here in Faversham. She offers one to one bra fitting appointments in a peaceful, quiet, and private space. She specialises in Sports, Maternity + Nursing and Mastectomy bras, but also offers a good selection of everyday bras too. She stocks bras from A – KK cup and 28 – 44 back. She’s here to support the ladies in Kent, one bra fitting at a time!

Flowerstart

Julie is the award-winning florist that teaches. She runs classes and shares hints and tips from the trade, which enables her students to gain the skills and confidence to create flower arrangements for their home, business or that special occasion. She’s runs some fantastic classes online via her social media and You Tube channel where you can enjoy classes such as ‘Flower Hour’ and how to create a beautiful floral wedding display all on your own – with Julie’s expert help of course!

Rosebud Bakes

Rosie is the owner of Rosebud Bakes and is here to fulfil all your sweet-toothed needs! From brownie and blondie tray bakes to bespoke birthday cakes, all her creations are delicious! Rosie started Rosebud Bakes in June 2019 after years of being harassed by her family to take the plunge and set up her own business. According to Rosie, she’s been baking since she could hold a wooden spoon! She loves creating beautiful, bespoke, and most importantly, delicious cakes for all occasions.

Sophie Jayne Yoga

Sophie has been practising yoga since she was 14 and fell in love with it from the very first class. Since 2016, she has gone on to teach yoga and meditation in Faversham and the surrounding areas and absolutely loves it. Whether you are a total beginner or advanced, Sophies classes are for all abilities and she offers different levels of difficulty for each pose, and there’s absolutely no judgement on how well you can stretch or downward dog! If you fancy a relaxed and friendly bit of “me time” this is the class for you!

Beauty @ Your Door

If you love being pampered but struggle to find the time to get to a salon, Hannah is here to help! Hannah is a Fully Qualified mobile beautician with nine years’ experience, who offers beauty and massage treatments in the comfort of your own home. From luxurious pedicures to eyelash tints, there are so many lovely treatments to choose from and are all at really great, affordable prices too. It’s so important to set aside some time “you time” for yourself and this is the perfect treat!

Workspace on the Farm

Workspace on the farm is a vibrant co-working community for creatives, freelancers and remote workers nestled within beautiful farmland in Hernhill. This fantastic space is run by the wonderful Jo, who has created a calm and inspiring place for people to work productively. It’s a great place to be able to meet other like-minded people, have a coffee and bounce ideas off each other. It’s also perfect if you have young children, as there is a nursery (FarmWorkPlay) adjacent, which means you can work knowing that they are being cared for and having a great time in a safe environment

Papa Bianco

There is a new pizza place in town! Down at Standard Quay, Papa Bianco offers fresh handmade pizza, homemade garlic bread, tiramisu and you can then wash that all down with a cocktail or two! Hannah set up during lockdown and hasn’t looked back! She’s already expanded her menu and has some amazing weekly specials too! You have a choice of dining in the fabulous restaurant or you can take away if you’d prefer to.

Wasted Kitchen/Mighty Fine Things

Katy is the brains behind Wasted Kitchen and Mighty Fine Things. She is passionate about big flavours, local produce and ensuring that no food goes to waste. Wasted Kitchen offers lovely homemade food such as bento salad boxes, freshly made soup and sausage rolls and these can be delivered straight to your door! All of these are made from scratch, have minimal packaging and are obviously full of lovely local ingredients. If you love a condiment, Mighty Fine Things specialises in sauces, vinegars, mustards and much more! You can also treat yourself to some delicious Coxy’s Liqueurs in some fantastic flavours such as Spiced Damson Shrub or Morello Cherry!

Hope Fitzgerald

Hope runs Bindfulness.com a website packed full of beautiful gifts, cards and handmade books. Including Hope’s original Cyanotypes of botanical specimens collected in Kent. Printed on card and fabrics in Prussian Blue, the signature colour of this process

Up until this year Hope also ran hugely popular Bookbinding Workshops, which will return as soon as social distancing rules allow.

If you are stuck for ideas of what to get the men in your life, we’ve put together a short list ideas all available in Faversham. Shop local this Christmas, you’ll be amazed at what you can find on your doorstep

• Barley Mow Gifts and Interiors – Barley Mow is currently open for click and collect. The shop stocks a range of gifts for him, including dad gifts and gifts for men with hobbies.
• Brogdale Collections – You may be surprised to learn that Brogdale offers a range of rural courses throughout the year including gardening, foraging and cider making – a perfect Christmas present idea for someone who loves anything to do with nature and the outdoors.  Details on their website 
• Creekside Vinyl – A music lover’s dream. Currently open for click and collect, Creekside Vinyl has a wide selection of Vinyl across all genres, they also sell record vouchers if you aren’t sure what he likes. He’s not got a record player? Don’t worry they sell those too
• Edible Culture – A must visit for gardening fans. Edible culture is currently open and can supply the men in your life with tools, gift boxes and gardening vouchers
• Joe’s Bows – Set in the beautiful Edwardian gardens of Mount Ephraim, Joe’s Bows offers a range of experiences including falconry, archery, axe throwing and laser clay shooting. Find out more on their website 
• Macknade Fine Foods – For the serious food lover Macknade is offering gift cards (from £5) and a range of food and drink Hampers which can be delivered or collected. Check out their website for more details
• Mad Cat Brewery – Based at Brogdale Farm, Mad Cat brews a very popular range of all types of beers using local hops.  You can now buy direct from their website  https://www.madcatbrewery.co.uk/shop/.  Perfect for gifts for the beer lover in your life.
• Tiddly Pomme at Brogdale Farm is a great spot to shop for men!  It has a terrific selection of beer, juices and ciders (they produce their own very popular Woolly Pig Cider using Brogdale apples on site) along with a wide selection of food and fruit related items and gifts.  For up-to-date information visit their Facebook
• The Hobby Shop – For the man who can’t quite grow up! The Hobby Shop stocks everything from Model railways, Scalextric, model kits, jigsaws, board games and Lego. Visit their website for the full range.
• Top Hat and Tales – A must for book lovers, books and vouchers available here, check out their website, you’ll find there is much more than books available here

We are very lucky to have some beautiful dog walks on our doorstep here in Faversham. Take a read below and discover some of the best places you can take your furry pal for a day out!

Harty Ferry

I’m going to start off with my favourite dog walk – Harty Ferry. It might be one of my favourites because I am very lucky enough to be a short 3 or 4 minute drive away, so for me it’s right on my doorstep and very easy! Secondly, and more importantly, it’s absolutely stunning and such a great place to take your dog! 

You can find Harty Ferry at the end of a winding country road, past the lovely Three Mariners pub in Oare, and past St. Peter’s Church and some beautiful houses along the way too. Once you get to the end of the road (you just keep going straight until there’s no more road) there’s plenty of free parking in quite a generous sized car park – but be warned this can get full up very quickly and you may have to park along the road at peak times. When you come out of the car park and face the waterfront (oh did I forget to mention it’s situated on a stunning nature reserve overlooking the Swale Estuary?!)  you have the choice of two different pathways, left and right. It’s a bit of an unwritten rule that dog walkers go left, and the birdwatchers tend to go right, so we tend to naturally take a left. Once you go past the first gate, the whole walk is great for off the lead walks. There’s a nice path for us humans to walk along, enabling you to take in the views of the surrounding nature reserve. Often, you will see cows, sheep, swans, all sorts of different birds, butterflies, frogs and if you’re very lucky, occasionally seals too!  

Our dog Molly loves to run alongside us down the verge, through the long grasses and more often than not, jumping into the little plunge pools of water to cool down. Please be aware that there are lots of opportunities for your dog to get their paws wet and probably muddy too, so it may be good to come prepared with a couple of towels in the car to dry them off at the end of the walk. If you’re keen for a long walk, the path takes you along part of the Saxon Shore Way, which is a coastal circular loop of about 10 miles. It’s a great opportunity to pack up a picnic and take in the scenery along the way. 

Harty Ferry is a really relaxing, interesting and tranquil walk. There’s plenty of space for everyone if it’s a slightly busier day, however, some days you may not see another person the whole time. If you do bump into people, it’s often they will have a dog too, and a great opportunity for the dogs to play and make new friends!

Pros:

• The scenery is next level stunning. I have been there during some beautiful sunsets on a summers’ evening, or first thing on a sunny, hazy morning and you feel like you could be abroad somewhere exotic with equally stunning views.
• Plenty of free parking with no time restriction.
• Safe for your dog, as there are no cars or busy roads during the walk. 
• A fresh water well (named George Oare-Well so I’ve heard!) at the start/end of the walk, so you can fill up your water bottles and re-hydrate!

Things to be aware of:

• The car park can fill up very quickly at peak times and the road leading up to the parking area can be very uneven with large potholes – make sure your car has good suspension! 
• This walk is open to the elements! There is no shelter if it starts to rain and it can get quite cold and windy at times. When getting ready to go to Harty Ferry, I will always say that whatever the weather is like at home, it will be more extreme on the walk. For example, if it’s a tad chilly at home, it will be freezing at Harty Ferry! Wrap up warm and wear sturdy walking shoes.
• Bring your own refreshments. Apart from a fresh water well, there isn’t anywhere to get tea or coffee if you are accustomed to a hot drink on your walk. Be prepared and bring a flask and some snacks if you’re going for a long walk!

“Loop de loop” starting at Upper Brents and finishing on Ham Road.

This walk was a lockdown discovery that we didn’t realise was also pretty much on our doorstep! We start the walk along Front Brents, just by the new creek bridge opposite the brewery. Walking along the Faversham creek, you will pass the fabulous Albion Taverna (cheeky margarita anyone?!)  as well as some cute little houses until you get to a little path which leads you through Brents Bank community garden and along Upper Brents. During April/May time, there are some stunning wild flowers which all come out to bloom and look absolutely beautiful, as well as a huge Willow tree which you see lots of children playing on. As you get to the end of the footpath, you can cross over just where Quayside Tyres are and it takes you round to some fields that lead you to a lovely walk along the creekside.

• From here, you can walk in a huge “loop” along and around the creek. You can take your dog off the lead and there’s a HUGE space for them to run and play. At times there are livestock in the fields, so please be mindful and pop your pooch on a lead if need be. The scenery is so interesting as the path takes you past Standard Quay, the Oyster Bay House (which is a grade two listed building) and the shipyard, which are all on the opposite side of the creek.  Keep your eyes peeled for an abandoned pirate ship named ‘Revenge’ which has been left stranded in the creek for many years! 

Like with most walks, you may decide to reach a certain point and then turn back, however with this walk you are able to complete a full circle. The walk will lead you right around the creek and past a lovely pub called the Shipwright Arms. We discovered this pub during one of our many “lockdown walks” so unfortunately it was closed every time we ventured past, but it is on our list of ‘must visits’ to enjoy a drink in the pub garden and have a little rest.

Pros:

• A really interesting walk with lots of things to see and keep an eye out for (like abandoned pirate ships!)
• Will wear your dog out if they are full of beans – there’s plenty of space for them to run, play and sniff!
• There’s a couple of really lovely places to stop for a drink and a snack (The Albion, Shipwright Arms and Cafe by the Creek).
• A few options where you can make the walk shorter if you wish to or have time constraints. 

Things to be aware of:

• Again this walk can be open to the elements and get quite windy and cold, so wrap up warm.
• At the start of the walk alongside the creek (opposite the Oyster Bay house) the path is very uneven and an open invitation for twisted ankles – watch your footing.
• There can be livestock in the fields at times, so please be aware of this and keep your dog on a lead. 
• Willpower is a must, if you pop in to The Albion at the start of the walk you might just decide to stay there and eat tacos instead!

Through Standard Quay, past the Iron Wharf boatyard and through Abbey Fields

The great thing about dog walking in Faversham is that within a few minutes from the centre of the town, you are immersed in the glorious countryside and this walk is just a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle. We start this walk at the Standard Quay, which hosts some quirky little antique shops such as Aladdin’s Cave, cute cafes, fishmongers, butchers and a new mouth watering pizza restaurant called Papa Bianco’s. 

If you carry on walking past all these lovely places you will come to the Oyster Bay House (as previously mentioned in the last walk) and you can cut through the Iron Wharf shipyard. Hop over the water via a little bridge and you are then in the midst of fields, open space and lots of fresh air! The first section of this walk is parallel to the previous “loop de loop” walk, so you will also pass the abandoned pirate ship (but you will be much closer to it on this side!) 

You can continue on forwards (this will take you to the Saxon Shore Way) but if you would like a smaller route, you can turn right.  This will take you along next to a pretty river and over a bridge round to Abbey Fields. During spring this is such a beautiful walk when the fields are FULL of rapeseed oil plants and other wildflowers all in bloom. 

I would say about 80% of this walk can be off the lead or at least away from any cars and busy areas, however, the last part of the walk is along a road or back in pedestrian areas, so it’s best for the pups to be on the lead. Halfway down the Abbey Fields road, there is a little cut through, which will take you past Gordon Square and alongside the Queen Elizabeth Grammar school, past St Mary of Charity church near Abbey Street, and voila – you are pretty much back to the start of the walk near the Quayside! 

This lovely walk takes about an hour (give or take) so a great chance to stretch your legs and take in the beautiful surroundings closer to Faversham town centre. 

Pros:

• A quicker, shorter route closer to the centre of Faversham.
• You pass some lovely local businesses in Standard Quay where you can get a cup of tea to take with you on the walk!
• The area by the river is really pretty, and if your dog fancies a paddle, they can have a cool down swim.

Things to be aware of:

• The last section of the walk is heading back towards Faversham, so you will be near roads and other pedestrians, so best to pop your dog on the lead for this part.

Victory Wood

Victory Wood is situated in between Faversham and Whitstable and has beautiful views over the Isle of Sheppey and the Thames Estuary. We have been here a few times and have discovered there are multiple routes you can take to explore with your dog, so every time you come you can do a different walk to keep things interesting. 

There is free ample parking and you are right next to the start of the walk, which is enclosed, so safe to let your dog off the lead if you wish to. The path you take is totally up to you. Some lead you through the beautiful woodlands, or if you prefer to stay in the open, there are plenty of routes that you can follow.

Pros:

• Free parking with plenty of spaces
• Lots of different route options to choose from
• Stunning scenery to enjoy

Things to be aware of:

• You will need to drive here as it is not walking distance from Faversham. 
• Can get very muddy when there has been wet weather (from experience!)
• No shelter if it rains
• Very few dog waste bins along the route – please remember to pick up and dispose in a bin.

Oare Gunpowder Works country park

Oare Gunpowder works is a beautiful little walk tucked away along The Western Link road and not far from Bysing Wood road. For a while we didn’t even know this walk existed until a friend mentioned it, and we have now been many times to wander and explore. 

This enchanting walk is filled with plenty of heritage which you can read about as you walk around, as well as a visitors centre which also houses a lot more information about the site if you wish to learn more. As the name of this walk suggests, this area was a very important area for the Gunpowder industry in Faversham in the late 17th century up until 1934. You can still see a lot of the remains of the buildings and mills dotted about – which is now home to lots of birds, insects and creatures who live in the wetlands and plants which now thrive in the woodlands. Occasionally, there are live walk and talk sessions that take place in the country park, where you can learn more about the species that live in the woodlands and wetlands and if you’re lucky, spot some of them too!

If like us you are naturally drawn to water, there are a couple of lakes and a wetland known as “the leats” which is a system of waterways that lead up to Lower Mill Pond. Here you can sometimes spot frogs, toads and newts. It is a great place to pack up a picnic and have a leisurely walk around discovering new and interesting parts of the woodland. 

Pros: 

• A really interesting place to visit, with lots of heritage and wildlife. 
• Free, generous parking area and toilets. 
• Great to bring the children as there are loads of things to look out for and to keep them entertained along the way. 

Things to be aware of:

• When the car park closes, they lock the gate so please ensure you leave by the requested time otherwise you may get locked in. 
• Best to keep your dog on a lead here in case there are other people walking around on the pathways or if there are people fishing in the lakes. 
• The visitor centre may be closed and the nature walks may currently be postponed due to the current pandemic, so please check beforehand if you are interested in these. 

It’s been a tough year for businesses in general, and with Lockdown 2.0 there’s no sign of things getting easier this year.  Many of us what to shop local and support our fantastic local independent traders through these tough times, but what if you can’t?  

Ideally, spending money on products and services is the best way to keep independent businesses running, but there are many more ways you can help and support your local high street and beyond. 

1. Recommend. A personal recommendation is without a doubt one of the best ways to support local businesses.  Shoppers who have a personal recommendation are far more likely to buy.
2. Like social media posts. If you see a local business share a post on social media, give them a like.  This really helps the algorithms and gets the post in front of more potential buyers.  It only takes a split second of your time.
3. Comment and share.  Commenting and sharing a post really helps get businesses in front of more buyers. The more you can do this, the more it helps.
4. People often ask for recommendations for services and products online.  Tag a local business and recommend them.
5. If you had a great service or bought a great product, write a review.  We are too quick to write bad reviews on poor service.  Writing positive review (it doesn’t matter where) not only really helps local businesses to shine and for new customers to be reassured that they are dealing with a trusted, reliable business (plus it feels nice).
6. If you host a blog, why not write a piece about the your favourite local businesses?  Recommend to your followers that they try them when they can.  The mentioned businesses will most likely share your blog, getting you both in front of new audiences.

Three local agencies have joined forces to offer affordable marketing and communications support packages – ideal for smaller, local businesses.

With Halloween just around the corner, we bring you the definitive guide to Faversham’s most haunted places. Are you brave enough to explore some of them?

Want to hear about ghostly goings on and local hauntings? Here are some of the scariest places in Faversham, Kent, this Halloween…

You’ve probably heard of Pluckley, the Kentish village said to be Britain’s most haunted place.

But think there aren’t some spine-tingling spooks in our very own historic market town of Faversham? Think again. As we come up to Halloween, let’s take a look at some of the town’s most haunted places and their ghostly occupants…

Follow Diana’s Walk in Bysing Wood

If you go into the woods today… you might see a headless ghost. 

For generations, locals have told stories about Diana, a ghost who wanders through Bysing Wood (the wood on the outskirts of Faversham) with her head tucked under one arm.

Legend has it that Diana was the daughter of the family who owned Syndale Manor (now known as the Judd’s Folly Hotel). And her fiance was the son of the vicar of Davington Church.

Every evening after evensong the couple walked from Davington, through Bysing Wood, back to Diana’s home in Syndale.

But one night tragedy struck when they were attacked – and Diana was decapitated.

Although her fiance escaped with minor injuries, shortly that time he was found hanged, close to the place where Diana had met her own grisly end.

Apparently Diana has haunted the woods ever since, and wanders the same route she took all those years ago carrying her head under her arm. That’s why locally we know that route as ‘Diana’s Walk’.

Go Dutch at the Shipwright’s Arms

Fancy popping to a local pub for a Halloween pint – and getting a bit of ghoul-spotting thrown in for free?

As you’d expect from an inn that was built over 300 years ago, the remote and atmospheric Shipwright’s Arms has a few tales to tell.

The pub sits on the Saxon Shore Way at Hollowshore, at the junction of Oare and Faversham creeks, and you can well imagine the days of pirates and smugglers navigating their way past the mud flats at night.

But it’s one sailor in particular – the captain of a Dutch boat in the 19th century – that makes this place a particular haunting hotspot.

Apparently one cold winter’s night his boat ran into trouble on the Swale. And the captain managed to climb to shore across the mudflats, somehow managing to reach the door of the inn. But the landlord had already taken last orders and was worried about letting pirates or smugglers in.

When he did open up the next morning, he found the captain slumped dead in the doorway, having frozen to death overnight.

Fast forward two centuries and customers and staff sometimes talk about the temperature dropping suddenly, as well as strong smells of tobacco and rum.

Some people say they’ve seen a “thick set bearded sailor” with red eyes, dressed in a thick coat and peaked hat – at times even blocking the door. There are also reports of loud knocking on the door in the night, too. Pub goers who’ve had one too many, or a genuinely ghoulish encounter? You decide. 

Take ghost calls at the Fleur de Lis 

Based in the heart of Faversham, the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre has a lot going on: it holds the tourist information centre, a museum/gallery space and the Faversham Society, too.

Parts of the Fleur de Lis are housed in a 15th century former public house, and as you’d expect there’s more than a bit to delight ghost-hunters.

“The White Lady” is its long-term resident who’s keen to make her presence felt with spectral sightings – and apparently staff sometimes see her standing at the top of the building’s stairs. 

There’s a chance that if she can’t be seen, she wants to be heard. One of the exhibits at the Fleur de Lis is an old-fashioned Strowger telephone exchange, and there are reports that this has rung – even when it’s not connected to any working lines. Perhaps she’ll leave a message and we can get back to her?

Brew up spooks at Shepherd Neame

Britain’s oldest brewer, the historic Shepherd Neame, is said to be another local haunting hotspot. The company was founded in 1698 and has been brewing on the same site for over 300 years. 

There are tales of a ghostly cat making its way through reception, and an old malt kiln with its own ghostly group of monks who gather to haunt there. It’s rumoured that some staff are too spooked to enter certain rooms or parts of the brewery site.

Given this, it was no surprise that when psychic Derek Acorah came to Faversham to investigate spooky goings on for his TV series “Ghost Towns”, he headed to Britain’s oldest brewer on his visit.

A good way to soak up the atmosphere at Shepherd Neame is with a brewery tour. Although they’re currently suspended due to the pandemic, we hope they’ll be able to resume soon – and until then perhaps you can try one of its Halloween-themed brews, the aptly-named Spooks Ale? 

Find out more

These and many more haunting hotspots are covered in Griselda Cann Musset’s excellent book “Ghost Stories from Faversham”. 

You can also watch the Faversham episode of Derek Acorah’s “Ghost Towns” on YouTube, here. 

Or, join Liz Jeffery as she takes a spooky walk around Faversham with Medium Tracy May and Radio Faversham‘s Mike Adam’s

Part One

Part Two

Do you have any spine-tingling stories to share from Faversham? Do get in touch and we can add them to our list of the town’s most haunted…