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The George Hotel - Cranbrook

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Classy Kent bolthole

Cranbrook - the smallest town in Kent, but certainly one of the prettiest - is an oft-overlooked gem and all the better for it. Sitting amidst the rolling Kentish Weald, the town’s narrow medieval alleys and weatherboarded houses, watched over by the fantastic Union Mill - the second highest windmill in the British Isles - are great for a weekend’s aimless pottering. Cranbrook is also home to the beautiful George Hotel - a 14th century coaching inn-turned-luxury retreat, which offers a perfect escape from it all within spitting distance of London.

Inside The George, the mix of old and new is spot-on - light walls and contemporary artwork mingles with wooden floors, latticed windows and vast stone fireplaces. Each of the twelve bedrooms is individually designed, with eight situated in the original building, where you’ll have period features coming out of your ears. Heavy beams and gorgeous sash windows, antique beds (including one enormous four-poster) and lovingly-chosen vintage pieces keep the romance of the old inn alive, while cool colour-schemes and luxurious en-suites up the style-factor. The other four bedrooms are in a newer part of the hotel, but the lack of knobbly wood is more than made up for with contemporary features - pebble-encrusted bathrooms, double-ended, tapless baths and super-chic decor. All the rooms at The George have flat-screen tellies, fluffy bathrobes and yummy Gilchrist & Soames toiletries to make you feel extra special.

The award-winning restaurant at The George is the icing on the cake (that’s icing made with locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients, of course...). Mouthwatering brasserie-style Brit dishes are served up in the inn’s dramatic dining room (inglenook fireplace, chandeliers, cool leather chairs) or in the airy brasserie, with its views into Cranbrook. As you would expect from a restaurant in the heart of the garden of England, the produce is as fresh as you can get, with locally-reared meats, fish delivered directly from Hastings and fruit and veg from down the road. The result is comforting, relaxing and truly delicious dining.

Where is it?

Cranbrook is less than 50 miles from London, and just 15 from the bustling Kentish towns of Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, yet has managed to retain the sleepy charm of a rural outpost. The higgledy-piggledy collection of streets and buildings, some dating back as far as the 15th century are fascinating, with many clad in the wooden weather-boarding that the area is famous for. And that’s not where the Camberwick-Green-isms end. The Union Mill (www.unionmill.org.uk), a 70-foot smocking windmill that overlooks the town is still in excellent working order, and open to visitors - Windy Miller eat your heart out. Back in town, Cranbrook’s centre is home to a growing selection of chic boutiques, art galleries, cafes and restaurants, plus the plush Queen’s Theatre (www.cranbrookschool.co.uk Tel: 01580 711814), part of historic Cranbrook School and home to a varied programme of theatre and music. For some thumping entertainment, try to catch Cranbrook’s Town Band (www.cranbrooktownband.org.uk) - a rousing brass band that’s the pride of Cranbrook.

You only need to climb to Union Mill to see the miles of undulating greeness that make up the Weald of Kent - the bit of land between the North and South Downs - and surround Cranbrook. This is great walking country, and perfect cycling country (no huge hills...hooray!), and it’s all on The George’s doorstep. The 145-mile High Weald Landscape Trail that passes through Cranbrook en-route to Rye on the coast may be a bit of a stretch for one weekend, but the fantastic High Weald website (www.highweald.org) details loads of walking and cycling trails in the area, including a lovely 8-mile ramble from and to The George. If bikes are your bag, Cranbrook Cycles (www.cranbrookcycles.co.uk Tel: 01580 713646) offer cycle hire.

If you still haven’t filled your fresh air tube, venture three miles outside Cranbrook for the world-famous Sissinghurst Gardens (www.nationaltrust.org.uk Tel: 01580 710701), one of the best-loved gardens in the UK. Created in the 1920s by Vita Sackville-West, poet, novelist and famous lover of Virginia Woolf, the gardens are stunning - ten ‘rooms’, each with its own colour or theme - and perfect for a romantic stroll and cosy summer picnic. In fact, romantics will be in their element, as fairytale Bodiam Castle (www.nationaltrust.org.uk Tel: 01580 830196), a near-perfect medieval castle in the middle of a dreamy moat is just 8 miles from Cranbrook, while The Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway (www.kesr.org.uk Tel: 01580 765155) could fulfill all your Brief Encounter fantasies in one fail swoop. Catch your train from Tenterden (8 miles from Cranbrook), and dine in one of the Pullman cars, or simply hop on and off (at stations, not while the train’s moving...) where the mood takes you. You can even book ahead and arrange to have a go at driving. And when all that romance leaves you needing a stiff drink, visit Tenterden vineyard (www.chapeldownwines.co.uk Tel: 01580 766111), home to the English Wines Group, the largest wine producer in the UK and maker of Chapel Down Wines. Wander through the vines, take part in a tasting and do your bit for British vino.

Where can I eat?

The restaurant at The George really is a no-brainer of an eating option, as the food is fantastic and your bed is within stumbling distance (perfect after sampling the eminently explorable winelist...). But if you are after alternatives, there are plenty of good places to eat in the area.

Apicius (www.restaurant-apicius.co.uk Tel: 01580 714666) has become the stuff of local legend - a small, unassuming restaurant on Cranbrook’s Stone Street, that serves food to die for and at prices you won’t believe. And, since January 2008, is the proud holder of a Michelin Star. Owned and run by Tim Johnson - a former protege of Nico Ladenis and private chef to John Paul Getty - and his wife Faith, Apicius delivers fresh and vibrant modern European fine dining, with intricately-assembled starters and puddings sitting alongside simply and lovingly-cooked main courses that let the wonderful, and usually local, ingredients do the talking. There are just seven tables (so book ahead) and the menus are short and simple, but the food could compete with many top London restaurants.

For something a little heartier, but no less stylish, Rankins (www.rankinsrestaurant.com Tel: 01580  713964) is a cosy, weatherboarded bistro in pretty Sissinghurst. Fantastically comforting British dishes, with Asian and continental twists, puddings that’ll have you begging for seconds and a romantic, candle-lit dining room makes for a gorgeous evening out. For a meal out in the countryside, you can’t do much better than The Great House (www.thegreathouse.net Tel: 01580 753119), a weatherboarded 16th century pub in the village of Gills Green, 3 miles from Cranbrook. Gorgeous French food, including fantastic deli boards to share, is lightyears away from your usual pub grub and perfect for that lazy Sunday lunch or relaxed dinner for two.

Of course, Kent being the Garden of England and all, there are plenty of farm shops and delis around to pick up great fresh produce - perfect for picnics. For the freshest fruits and amazing home-made ice cream, visit Taywell Farm Shop (www.taywell.co.uk Tel: 01580 211881), 4 miles outside Cranbrook. Yum.

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The lovely town of Cranbrook is also home to the beautiful George Hotel - a 14th century coaching inn-turned-luxury retreat, which offers a perfect escape from it all within spitting distance of London.