Seasonal guides & Christmas4 minutes
A quiet Christmas in the Weald
An AGA kitchen, fifteen acres, one outing worth leaving the house for and a great deal of not very much. How a quiet Christmas at The Oast works, and how to plan one.
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The Journal
Stories from Martins Farm and guides to the High Weald. Browse by subject, or find a piece in the archive.
For the documented record behind much of this writing, see the history of Martins Farm. Or meet the people behind the stories.
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Choose a subject below, or search the complete archive by place, topic or title.
Search the archiveWalks & dog-friendly days
Footpaths, pub stops and days out with a dog around Frant and the High Weald.
View all 2 in Walks & dog-friendly daysHistory & heritage
The records of Martins Farm and the stories behind the High Weald’s villages and buildings.
- Why Does One Side of Wadhurst High Street Look So Much Older Than the Other?
- Three Heritage Open Days worth booking from Martins Farm
- What Is the High Weald? Why This Landscape Still Looks Medieval
Gardens, castles & days out
Places to explore from Martins Farm, across East Sussex, Kent and the High Weald.
- Eridge explained: the deer park, the station and the rocks
- October half term in the High Weald: seven days without needing seven plans
- Green hops, old apples and new art
Seasonal guides & Christmas
Summer outings, autumn colour, Halloween and the approach to Christmas.
View all 4 in Seasonal guides & ChristmasLife at Martins Farm
The Oast, the meadow, the Morgan and the daily business of looking after the estate.
- The Birds Were Fine. The Gravel Was Not.
- The Morgan and the High Weald Drive That Nearly Happened
- The Summer the Tent Won
Winston’s Journal
Field reports, night watches and firm instructions for passing hot-air balloons.
View all 5 in Winston’s JournalLatest from Martins Farm
Winston’s Journal
The September Winston Report
A long, dry summer, a great many clean paws, and a patch of ground by the gate that Winston is watching closely.
Gardens, castles & days out
Eridge explained: the deer park, the station and the rocks
Eridge, Eridge Green, Eridge Park, Eridge station, Eridge Rocks and Harrison’s Rocks nearby: one name, several places, and why it helps to tell them apart.
Gardens, castles & days out
October half term in the High Weald: seven days without needing seven plans
Half term has arrived, and with it the temptation to fill nine days with nine attractions. Seven ideas from Martins Farm, with one firm instruction: do not do all seven.
Gardens, castles & days out
Green hops, old apples and new art
An October weekend near Martins Farm does not need much planning. A railway full of green-hop beer, an old village hall full of new work, and the useful instruction to leave a little time unallocated.
Gardens, castles & days out
What to do near Tunbridge Wells when it rains
Rain moving sideways across the window on a Saturday morning near Tunbridge Wells: museums, historic houses, heritage trains and knowing when to come home.
Winston’s Journal
Winston and the Hot-Air Balloons
Winston has made a decision about hot-air balloons: they are entirely unacceptable. A report from the window, the garden and the tree line.
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The Journal Archive
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44 pieces, newest first.
2026
September 2026
- The September Winston ReportWinston’s Journal
- A quiet Christmas in the WealdSeasonal guides & Christmas
- Eridge explained: the deer park, the station and the rocksGardens, castles & days out
- October half term in the High Weald: seven days without needing seven plansGardens, castles & days out
- Green hops, old apples and new artGardens, castles & days out
- What to do near Tunbridge Wells when it rainsGardens, castles & days out
- Winston and the Hot-Air BalloonsWinston’s Journal
- Six High Weald villages worth a detourGardens, castles & days out
- Why Does One Side of Wadhurst High Street Look So Much Older Than the Other?History & heritage
- The quiet end of a wedding weekendGardens, castles & days out
August 2026
- Three Heritage Open Days worth booking from Martins FarmHistory & heritage
- Winston and the Tractor TravestyWinston’s Journal
- The Birds Were Fine. The Gravel Was Not.Life at Martins Farm
- What Is the High Weald? Why This Landscape Still Looks MedievalHistory & heritage
- A Weekend in the High Weald Without a CarGardens, castles & days out
- The Morgan and the High Weald Drive That Nearly HappenedLife at Martins Farm
- Is Frant in Kent or East Sussex? A High Weald Weekend on Both SidesGardens, castles & days out
- Days out from Martins Farm: summerSeasonal guides & Christmas
- The July Winston Report: dry underpaw, dog on strikeWinston’s Journal
- Winston’s Night WatchWinston’s Journal
- The Queen, Poohsticks and the Hundred Acre WoodHistory & heritage
- The Summer the Tent WonLife at Martins Farm
- Old Cars Are Wonderful — Until You Want to Drive OneLife at Martins Farm
- Disgusted of Tunbridge WellsHistory & heritage
- Days out from Martins Farm: autumnSeasonal guides & Christmas
- Days out from Martins Farm: HalloweenSeasonal guides & Christmas
- The AGA and the barbecue: a summer disagreementLife at Martins Farm
- What is an oast house?History & heritage
- Walks with a dog, from the gateWalks & dog-friendly days
- A weekend in FrantGardens, castles & days out
- Tables that do not mind a wet dogWalks & dog-friendly days
- One good thing a dayGardens, castles & days out
- Bottles from the same hillsGardens, castles & days out
- Opera and open-air jazz: two dates worth planning aroundGardens, castles & days out
- The ridge and the springHistory & heritage
- An Eclipse over Martins FarmLife at Martins Farm
- A Morgan at Martins FarmHistory & heritage
- Things we have learned since moving to a farmLife at Martins Farm
- Why we're planting vines in SussexLife at Martins Farm
February 2026
Dog-friendly stays in East SussexOast house stays, explainedWeekend breaks in the High Weald