Kent Life facts for kids
Kent Life is a fun farm park located near Maidstone, England. It sits right next to the River Medway by Allington Locks. This special place used to be an open-air museum, but it changed its name to "Kent Life" in 2009 and became a heritage farm park.
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Discovering Kent Life's History
Kent Life is part of the Cobtree Manor Estate. Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake gave this estate to the Maidstone Borough Council in 1966. Sandling Farm, which is part of Kent Life today, was once a working farm on the Medway riverbanks. In 1984, people decided to fix up the old farm and turn it into a museum about rural life. The museum first opened its doors to visitors on July 6, 1985.
By 2013, Kent Life became a Heritage Farm Park. Today, you can explore historic buildings, enjoy tractor rides, try arts and crafts, feed animals, and join in special events throughout the year.
Farming Life at Kent Life
At Kent Life, you can see how farming used to be. There are two small hop gardens where they grow Fuggles and Goldings hops. You can also find apple and plum orchards, a herb garden, and a soft fruit garden. Many different farm animals live here too!
Exploring Historic Buildings
Kent Life has many interesting buildings. Most of these buildings were carefully taken apart from their original locations and rebuilt at the park.
The Old Barn
This large barn is from the 1700s. It used to be at Vale Farm in Calcott, near Sturry. The barn has a strong oak frame and a thatched roof. Workers carefully took it apart in 1984 and rebuilt it at Kent Life in 1989.
The Chapel
The chapel is a timber-framed building covered with corrugated iron. It's sometimes called a "tin tabernacle." This chapel was first built in 1897 in Cuxton. It was given to Kent Life in 2000 when a new chapel was built in Cuxton.
Lenham Cottages
These two cottages were originally named Old Cottage and Water Street Cottage. They stood in Lenham. These historic buildings were in the way of the new Channel Tunnel rail link. The company building the railway offered the cottages to Kent Life. They also paid for the cottages to be moved and rebuilt. They were taken apart in June 1999 and rebuilt between January 2000 and March 2001. Visitors could explore them starting in July 2001.
Petts Farmhouse
Petts Farmhouse is an old farmhouse from the late 1700s. It is a very important historic building.
Sandling Farmhouse
Sandling Farmhouse is one of the original buildings from Sandling Farm. George Brundle, the last farmer who lived there, stayed until he was 98 years old in 2001. This building dates back to the 1500s and has connections to Sir Thomas Wyatt.
The Forge
A blacksmith's forge has been recreated at Kent Life. Here, you can imagine how blacksmiths used to shape metal.
The Granary
This granary is from the 1800s and came from Boxley Grange Farm in Boxley. It was taken apart in March 1993 and rebuilt at Kent Life. Granaries were used to store grain.
Hopper Huts
A group of Hopper huts from North Frith Farm in Hadlow were moved and rebuilt at Kent Life. These huts are made of brick and have fireplaces inside. Another set of hopper huts, made with wood frames and corrugated iron, has also been built. You can also see a cookhouse and an privy (an old-fashioned toilet).
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The rebuilt hopper huts from Hadlow
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The reconstructed hopper huts
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The reconstructed cookhouse
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The privy
The Oast House
The oast house is another original building from the farm. It used to have four kilns (drying rooms) for drying hops. Hops were last dried here before 1925. Two of the kilns were taken down in 1935, and part of the building was damaged by fire in 1951. The oast was restored in 1984. Today, it shows what a village store used to look like, using the original fittings from a general store in Hawkhurst.
Shepherd's Hut
A shepherd's hut from Acton Farm in Charing was given to Kent Life in 1994. Shepherds used these huts for shelter while watching their sheep.
The Tack Room
A tack room has been recreated at Kent Life. This is where horse riding equipment, like saddles and bridles, would have been stored.
The Tearooms
The tearooms at Kent Life are located in one of the original farmhouses. It's a great place to relax and have a snack.
The Village Hall
This building is similar to the chapel. The old village hall from Ulcombe was given to Kent Life in 1997. It was taken apart in October 1997 and rebuilt, opening to the public in June 2000.
Wagon Store
The wagon store building was built especially for Kent Life in 1993. The recreated forge is at one end of this building.
