Christian Holiday Cottage, Kent – Charming 1830s Retreat

Christian Holiday Cottage, Kent — Next to an Ancient Church

This Christian holiday cottage, Kent, takes its name from the church it stands beside. St Peter’s, Newenden, is a Grade II* listed building whose real treasure predates the cottage by many hundreds of years: a richly carved font, probably late Saxon or early Norman, cut from hard limestone believed to have been quarried near Sangatte on the French coast — close to where the Channel Tunnel now surfaces — and shipped across the Channel to this small Wealden village around nine centuries ago. Carved with a lion, a wyvern and intertwined foliage, it’s said to be the most photographed object in Newenden, and a modern copy of it now stands in the parish church at Rye. Curiously, one side of the font was left plain, suggesting it may originally have been carved for a different, now-forgotten location before finding its way to Newenden.

The rest of the building has had a more turbulent history. An earlier tower and chancel became so unstable that they had to be pulled down in 1701, and the little tower and spire seen today were only added in 1859. The current chancel dates from 1930-31, built as a memorial to local families and designed by Captain Shore of Northiam — the same village, just a mile up the road, that’s already been mentioned above for Will’s Bakery. Despite its patchwork history, St Peter’s remains a living, worshipping community today, with a Sunday Eucharist held every week.

Half a mile from the village once stood something even older: Lossenham Priory, the third house of Carmelite friars to be founded in England, established around 1242 by the local knight Sir Thomas Aucher not long after the first hermit-friars arrived from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. The priory was burnt down in 1275, rebuilt, and finally dissolved under Henry VIII in 1538. Nothing remains to be seen today, but Newenden’s own written history stretches back further still, to at least AD 791, when King Offa of Mercia is recorded as having granted the manor to the monks of Christ Church Priory in Canterbury. By the time of the Domesday Book, Newenden was one of only two villages in the whole of Kent with the right to hold a market, when it was already a bustling little inland port on the Rother — a striking contrast to the quiet backwater it has become today.

Between the font, the friary and the village’s Anglo-Saxon roots, this smallest of Kent villages carries an unusual weight of Christian history for a place with no shops and no street lights. Church Cottages itself sits quietly on the Kent side of the River Rother, within easy reach of the wider Weald and the Sussex coast, for guests who’d rather explore on foot or by bike than fight traffic to get there. Further afield, the flat expanse of Romney Marsh, already mentioned above, is scattered with isolated medieval churches that once served now-vanished marshland communities. The poet John Betjeman wrote fondly of the marsh’s wide skies and winding lanes, and its churches — often reached only by grass tracks — remain some of the most atmospheric in the country for anyone willing to seek them out.

Church Cottages is perfect for:

Couples or small families wanting a peaceful, unhurried base with genuine local history on the doorstep
Guests interested in Kent’s Christian heritage, from Newenden’s ancient font to the site of Lossenham Priory
Walkers and cyclists exploring the Weald, Romney Marsh and the Rother valley
Clergy and paid church staff, with a discount available on request
Groups without very young children, since the cottage isn’t suited to under-5s or limited mobility

Location

No 2, Church Cottages, Beech Road, off Rye Road, Newenden, Kent. TN18 5PN.
How to get there:
By Road: M25, then A21 via Flimwell, Hawkhurst & Sandhurst.
From East via Tenterden & Rolvenden From West via Hastings, Brede & Northiam
From South via Rye & Peasmarsh
By Rail: Rye or Etchingham stations, then taxi.
Nearest Town:
Tenterden (6 miles) & Rye (8.5 miles)

Local Area

Local Provisions:
Few minutes walk from cottage: White Hart pub, ‘Nibbles’ cafe + Boating Station – breakfast, lunch & dinner (latter only at pub & boating station)
Northiam (1 mile): Will’s Bakery + breakfast & lunch.
Sandhurst (2 miles): Johnson’s groceries + post office & petrol.
Tenterden & Hawkhurst – both have Waitrose & Tesco.
Lots of eateries in Tenterden & Rye.
Kino cinema in Hawkhurst & Rye.
Local Attractions:
Nearby: Bodiam & Scotney Castles, Batemans (N.T.) Great Dixter, Pashley Manor & Sissinghurst Gardens. Camber Sands & Winchelsea Beach, Hastings Beach & Countryside Park. Rye Harbour & Nature Reserve. Romney Marshes. Lots of walking areas. Ferry from Boating Station to Bodiam Castle or Rye.
Further Afield: Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Hythe, Rochester, Eastbourne.

Facilities

Refurbished cottage circa 1830’s in rural setting. Smallest village in Kent with River Rother dividing Kent from East Sussex. No shops or street lights. One pub, café, boating station + cricket green – actively used by league team, allegedly where cricket started in England.
Two double bedrooms, one en suite, family bathroom with walk-in shower, separate w.c. Single loft bedroom with open staircase suitable for 5+year child/young adult.
Living room with dining area. Log fire + central heating. Full kitchen facilities, including induction hob, Bosch oven, microwave, toaster, washing machine & dishwasher TV & BT internet. Garden.
Bed linen provided, please bring your own towels. Local maps & visitor information. Parking. Not suitable for anyone with limited mobility or very young children.

Additional Photos

Click to enlarge

A charming brick house in Kent with a red front door, white window frames, and twin chimneys. Reminiscent of a classic Christian holiday cottage, it features a wooden swing on the left and a brick path winding through a lush green lawn to the entrance. Mature trees provide a picturesque backdrop.

Brick path with small plants leads to a wooden gate, beyond which is an old stone church with a red-tiled roof. Set in the heart of Kent, the garden is bordered by green hedges and grass on both sides—an idyllic scene reminiscent of a classic Christian holiday cottage.

A modern kitchen with wooden cupboards, black tile splashback, cooker, oven, toaster, kettle, utensils, and a sink by the window. Perfect for your stay in a Christian holiday cottage in Kent, the worktops hold kitchen items while sunlight comes through the window.

A kitchen in a charming Christian holiday cottage in Kent, featuring a wooden worktop, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, slow cooker, scales, and wooden shelves with crockery and glasses.

Cosy living room in a charming Christian holiday cottage in Kent, featuring a beige armchair, glass coffee table, brick fireplace, wooden bookcase with books and a TV, and a potted plant. Patterned curtains and wall art add a homely touch to this welcoming retreat.

A cosy living room in a Christian holiday cottage in Kent, featuring beige sofas and orange cushions, a glass coffee table with a plant, a fireplace with firewood, and a dining table with chairs at the back. A closed wooden door and glass-paned door are visible.

A cosy living-dining room in this Kent Christian holiday cottage features a wooden dining table and chairs, a white recliner, glass coffee table, TV, bookcase, wall art, and a brick fireplace. Light from a window brightens the room.

A neatly made bed with butterfly pillows, a blue and brown headboard, two bedside tables with lamps, overhead cupboards, and a chest of drawers in a cosy, softly lit bedroom evokes the inviting charm of a Christian holiday cottage in Kent.

A cosy attic bedroom in a Christian holiday cottage in Kent, featuring a single bed in the centre with cream bedding, bedside table, lamp, armchair with a decorative cushion, wooden floor, and a painting on the wall above the bed.

A bedroom in a charming Christian holiday cottage in Kent, featuring a white metal bed, patterned bedlinen, blue feature wall, white bedside tables with lamps, a chest of drawers with a mirror, and an upholstered chair on a light carpeted floor.

A bathroom in this charming Christian holiday cottage in Kent features a white basin with a cupboard, a mirrored medicine cabinet above, blue metro tiles, and a bath with blue-and-white Asian-inspired wallpaper on one wall.

A small bathroom in this charming Christian holiday cottage in Kent features a shower, a toilet, a toilet brush, extra loo rolls, a rubbish bin, and a small washbasin with a cupboard underneath.

A back garden with a stone patio, wooden shed, fenced grassy area, and a metal-framed enclosure, reminiscent of a tranquil Christian holiday cottage in Kent, overlooking a green field with trees under a cloudy sky.

Seven sheep, including lambs and adults, are grazing and standing on a lush green grassy field with trees and a fence in the background, creating an idyllic pastoral scene that captures the peaceful charm of a Christian holiday cottage in Kent.

Costs

Seasonal – please enquire – see below.
Discount is offered to clergy and paid church staff.
Energy Provision: Charges included in tariff + log provision for first fire in colder months.

Availability

Available for most of the year – please enquire.
Arrival and Departure times:
Arrival from 2.30 pm -7.00 pm. Departure by 10.30 am.
Booking arrangements:
5 night minimum stay. Weekday or weekend. Longer lets at discounted rates – please enquire.
Pets:
Sorry no – our hens are located in back garden + neighbours’ lambs & sheep in field adjacent to garden.

Contact the Owner

If you are interested in making a booking, or you would like further information, please get in touch using the following contact details:
Name: Mrs Janet Broadbent-Kempton
Address: 3 Church Cottages, Newenden, Kent. TN18 5PN.
Phone Number: 07873 863839
Email Address: broadbj@btinternet.com

No 2, Church Cottages, Beech Road, Newenden, Kent.