Wicked hideaway for a weary walker
The Horseshoe & Castle Cooling, Kent B&B for two from £95
WHEN I checked in to the Horseshoe and Castle, a gloriously traditional pub with five simple-but-smart rooms, I was nearing the very end of my walk from the beginning of the Thames in the Cotswolds to its entry into the sea, on the Kent side. ‘Did you lose any weight?’ asked the barmaid, and before I could answer, she said: ‘ Don’t worry, you’ll get wicked food here.’
By wicked she meant ‘good’, of course, and the burgers served on the lovely little beer terrace were indeed spot on, perfect fodder after a ramble along the coast that day from Gravesend. The Horseshoe and Castle is in the heart of Dickens Country, just round the corner from St James’s church in the sleepy village of Cooling. In the graveyard of this church you will find 13 tiny graves belonging to children who died between 1767 and 1854. Dickens knew these poignant graves well and refers to them in the opening page of Great Expectations. He lived not so far away in Gad’s Hill.
Cooling is on the edge of the marshland that seems to be haunted by the ghosts of Magwitch and Pip, plus many a smuggler ( as well as Dickens himself, naturally). Cooling is now home to Jools Holland, who lives in Cooli ng Castl e , a nd there’s a signed picture of the musician and broadcaster in the cosy bar, which is also decorated with pictures of Dickens characters, an inscribed Kent County Cricket Club
bat and a collection of miniature bottles. The place: The Hoo Peninsula is north of Rochester and east of Gravesend and has a marvellously isolated feel. Take a train to Gravesend and it is an extremely pleasant walk to the village of Cooling. For more details see my travel book From Source To Sea: Notes From A 215-Mile Walk Along The River Thames (Summersdale, £9.99).
The T accommodation: Two rooms are in an annexe at the back and the other three are in the main building. There are doubles, twins and a family room, which has a double and a single bed. It is a blissfully quiet place to stay.
The food: The pub serves good ciabatta rolls, nachos with melted cheese and first-rate burgers (as previously mentioned). Rump steak salads and vegetable curries are also available. Breakfasts are hearty with locally sourced bacon and eggs, plus fried tomatoes and baked beans.