Otham

Just a few miles from the Kentish town of Maidstone lies the village of Otham and with it, some of the most beautiful and impressive landscape in the south eastern region. Home to the Spot Lane Nature Reserve and Stoneacre, these two spots of natural beauty together form a seven kilometre circular nature walk and are highly valued by locals and tourists alike, but especially amongst rambling and walking societies.

Otham has benefited from a very successful and prosperous economic and industrial history. Its stone quarries were incredibly important during the medieval period, and provided a source of ragstone for the village itself and settlements further out in the region. The master mason, Thomas Crump was a local of the village during the reign of Richard III, and also based his workshop in the area. This helped to place Otham on the map as Crump led stonework projects throughout the south east; his work was so highly regarded that he was invited to partake in work on Tower of London.

Otham also proved incredibly successful in the business of hop farming, and the linked trade of brewing. These two features of the village's history, which have come to shape its present are all featured and immortalised in the village sign- design aided and assisted by the architect Micheal Percival who was once local to Otham. In many respects the village sign is incredibly cutting edge in terms of design, breaking away from the more traditional boarded wooden sign which feature in some many villages. The parish council of the village opted for the three dimensional design, which depicts the craft tools that would have been employed by a local tradesman at various points in history. For example, a stonecutters adze and mawl, in honour of the work of the stonemasons, and Thomas Crump in particular. Also featured is the three pronged hop hoe which was used by the hop farmers to clear their fields and maintain the crops.

Otham's "industrial" past is very much linked to its natural and geographical landscape, and in this way its greenery and local vegetation have not been ravaged by heavy industry, as often becomes the case for villages and other settlements. For this reason the seven kilometre circular "Otham Walk" remains a centrepiece of the village landscape. All in all it is suggested that the walk takes around two and a half hours to complete in full, and offers amazing views of the North Downs, as well as the chance to enjoy natural wildlife and escape the noise and pollution of city life. Meadows, fields and areas of woodland centuries old line the route up to Stoneacre, which is a medieval manor house which has been dated from the fifteenth century. The manor house itself is actually a half timbered yeoman's house, and the site includes gardens, orchards and meadows. Stoneacre is a National Trust area but remains a private residence meaning that the site is administered and maintained on the Trust's behalf by the tenants. However visitors are welcome to visit and admire the building, its interior and surroundings on Saturdays and certain bank holidays throughout the year for a small charge, which helps towards the maintenance and preservation of the property.

Another reason that many tourists to the south east pay a visit to Otham, is that it is home to Bearsted Football Club, a team that play in the Kent County Football League. Their ground, "Honey Lane" is in Otham. Despite its proximity to towns like Maidstone, Otham has retained every inch of its English countryside village charm; it offers a strong sense of commuity to its residents alongside a plethora of reasons for a tourist to pay a visit.