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There are moments when you fall in love with your county all over again and staying at The Leicester Arms, a traditional English pub located in the heart of Penshurst village, was one of those times. Roll top baths, stylish interiors, quintessential English countryside, a wine list as long as my arm and delicious food to match the views. Yep, we insist you go.

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THE LOCATION

The Leicester Arms is a Grade II listed property with a rich and proud history, located on the High Street in the heart of the village. To give some idea of how much this part of the world is steeped in medieval history, this pub was once part of the Penshurst Estate and was named in honour of a previous owner of Penshurst Place, Robert Sidney, Viscount De L’Isle, when he was appointed Earl of Leicester in 1618. You can see why our American counterparts swoon so much when they come over the pond.

The village of Penshurst has so much going for it. Easily reachable for London weekenders but with an off-the-beaten-track feel, it’s well worth visiting for an instant hit of bucolic bliss. The approach from pretty much every direction is charming, whether you’re crossing the pretty little bridge with the village and church stretching out up the hill before you or arriving along the road with the archway entrance to Penshurst Place & Gardens appearing before you.

On a practical level, it is a five-mile drive from Tonbridge station so is very well located for those DFLs in need of our Garden of England, plus there is plenty of parking for those who want to cruise the pretty country roads.

THE LOWDOWN

The Leicester Arms has seen many guises over the years, and I recall congregating outside for the Boxing Day meet as a frisky teenager looking to meet boys when it was more of a traditional old man’s pub, but those days are long gone.

This iconic pub has gone through a major transformation under the new ownership of the Little & Large Pub Company, restoring the pub to its former glory, and we only wish that Richard and Manu (the team at Little & Large) could find more pubs in our patch to spruce up.

I met a local friend, who has lived in Penshurst most of her life, and she confessed that even though The Leicester Arms has always been on her doorstep, it is only now that she finds excuses to regularly visit since the food has gone up so many notches plus it’s a stylish setting to enjoy a drink in too.

THE VIBE

The building is full of traditional English country style with exposed wooden, beams, fireplace and interesting knick knacks at every turn. We marvelled at how they have retained the charm of the country pub, yet you wouldn’t feel out of place for making a bit of an effort with your outfit. You don’t need to go to the Cotswolds to get your taste of quintessential English charm, it is all right here.

We loved the dining area which has a more contemporary feel with big wicker overhanging lamps which I papped for a future interior project of mine. Plus, it cleverly gives the pub two zones which slide effortlessly together. As my pal said who had the sorry task of being my plus one for this overnight trip, “Every nook and cranny had something beautiful to look at.”

Come the summer months, we hear that the terrace with its covered pergola, is a popular place to be and with views of the hills around you, this comes as no surprise.

SCOFF AND QUAFF

As there are bedrooms, the restaurant is open every day, all day, which is not always the case with local Kent eateries so keep that on your radar if you are looking for somewhere good to eat early in the week.

As is the case with many eating establishments these days, the focus is on provenance, and showcasing the best of local Kentish ingredients, with ingredients sourced directly from local farms and producers and in this corner of Kent, you are not in shortage of good suppliers.

What we particularly liked about the food here is that it is not trying to be too fancy. They recognize that many of their punters will be after pub classics such as Beef Burger or Fish and Chips (done to a very high standard) but alongside these family friendly options, you have dishes where the chef is able to put their creative stamp on proceedings.

When it comes to the Roast, it comes with Celeriac Puree alongside the vegetables, Roast potatoes & Yorkshire Pudding so everyone is just taken up a little notch. You want Oysters? Choose them Au Natural or with Nahm Jim Dressing so it’s up to you if you want to enhance your foodie experience.

We opted for lovely winter warmers such as mini–Pulled Pork rolls which came with an intoxicating dill pickle sauce followed by Sirloin Steak (cooked medium rare – to perfection) served with dressed Watercress, fries & peppercorn sauce.

My friend went for the Mackerel Pate, beautifully served with shavings of cucumber draped over the fish, followed by a Sweet Potato and Spinach pie alongside the creamiest of mashes and buttered Cabbage. Heartwarming fayre yet somehow looked oh so delicate on the plate. Our spoons then fought over a Blackberry & Apple Crumble served with Cinnamon Ice Cream, all washed down with a bottle of Gavi di Gavi so it is little wonder that we were tucked up by 10pm marvelling at our pure cotton bedlinen.

You should also know that children are very much welcomed here too, alongside your furry friends, and if you are going with parents and in laws too, you just know that you will find something that will suit all palates. In fact, we defy you to find a person with a fussy palate who is not accommodated here.

The wine also needs a dedicated section not least because The Leicester Arms has its own wine cellar room within the basement of the pub which is where you could quite happily while away an afternoon sampling their extensive collection.

The same ethos seems to apply here as per the dining – if you are after an easy-drinking style of wine with not too of a hefty price tag, they can look after with bottles of white starting at £26 a bottle or if you want to push the boat out, they have an exceptionally good Pouilly-Fuissé in their midst as well as Premier Cru red from France so settle in, if you can?

We visited on a Monday and quite a few of the wines were out of stock that day due to a particularly busy weekend which gives you a measure of the popularity of the place, but the staff were quick to assure us that this was not normally their modus operandi.

PILLOW TALK

Upstairs is where you’ll find eleven botanically inspired bedrooms, all telling their own tale ranging in size and character, complete with gorgeous names like Thyme, Heather, Primrose, Buttercup and Bluebell to really affirm that you are surrounded by the countryside.

Our room was the Cobnut Suite with its super king-sized bed which allowed my friend to remain at a safe distance if she hadn’t got lost in the enormous velvet pillows on the bed which swallowed you whole.

Each of the bedrooms are individually designed with super king luxury beds with very fluffy towels and lots of lovely little touches throughout. (we’re looking at you homemade chocolate chip cookies winking at us on arrival) to make you feel right at home.

With Classic FM playing softly in the background, a chilled bottle of Chapel Down on ice and Bramley products galore, we seriously contemplated throwing away the key and remaining there for ever more.

From a family point of view, you could rent the Cobnut Suite and utilize its sofa bed to accommodate two more younger bodies, but we would recommend ditching the ankle biters for this stay, if you can. Especially as we know of two couples who have stayed there which led to pregnancies from just one night at The Leicester Arms so be aware of the power of the romance of the place…

You should also know that you don’t have to stay at The Leicester Arms to experience the breakfast so consider that for your next brunch get-together or an alternative meeting spot?

All the breakfast favourites are on there – we sampled the Poached Eggs, English muffin, Smoked Salmon Royale (just for you) alongside the Natural Yoghurt, Granola, Compote, Fresh Berries & Honey. Permission to go ahead. If there is going to be one slight, it would have been a nice touch to have freshly squeezed orange juice rather than the carton variety but this is first world problem territory so ignore the minor grumble.

OUT & ABOUT

The location is day-tripper heaven. You have got Penshurst Place a couple of hundred metres walk up the road or Hever Castle five mins by car. But best of all – is that this pub is at the end of the Tudor Cycle Trail – an excellent, almost entirely traffic-free cycle ride from the heart of Tonbridge, through gorgeous countryside and past the glorious buildings of Penshurst Place. It’s an easy route, of around 5 miles, and doable for even child cyclists, providing they are fairly proficient (to see the route click here or here). Park in the car park next to the Tonbridge swimming pool and do the cycle there and back.

If you’ve not yet been to Penshurst Place and Gardens it’s really worth a visit. Once the property of King Henry VIII, it’s a nicely sized place to explore – not too big. You can get a ticket just for the gardens where there’s an adventure playground and always loads of seasonal stuff taking place – like the woodland trail or, in the summer, the maize maze which has become quite a summer tradition for my friends and I to get lost in.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Planning a big birthday or gathering? We loved the look of the Sidney Room which can be hired out for you and your pals so whether it’s a big birthday, extended family gathering or

They also experienced in hosting wedding parties, which is lucky as they are opposite a simply stunning church so an easy walk to the wedding breakfast plus bedrooms for your guests.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR? In our last review pre the reincarnation, we recommended that The Leicester Arms was not for the Über trendies nor top of our list for a glam night out with friends, but we would now turn this around and say be ready to fill your Instagram account with snaps of the décor, suggest it for a girls’ night out, but also know that all generations of your family will love it for a meal. Or you could just ditch the lot and head there as a twosome for the ultimate romance spot.

NOT FOR? There are no twin rooms so you if are anti sharing a bed, then you may need to look elsewhere. But with the quality of that linen and pillows, we can safely say that we don’t think you will even notice your bed partner for the night.

THE DAMAGE

Small plates cost from £7.50, mains start from £18 and puds from £7. Rooms are available from £140 per night in the week, suites from £200.

The Leicester Arms Hotel, High Street, Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8BT, theleicesterarmspenshurst.co.uk, hello@theleicesterarmspenshurst.co.uk, 01892 871617

Muddy review: a charming stay at The Leicester Arms, Penshurst

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