THE WOOLPACK INN, BROOKLAND

The Woolpack is a 'picture book' old English country pub built in the 15th century. Much of the original fabric remains to this day, including the beams and the wattle and daub walls. The inn sign is a survival from the days when the "woolstaplers" (wool graders) of the Weald used the place when carrying their goods on packhorses.

Smuggling was rife in this area of Kent and there was a secret tunnel, which the smugglers used to escape from the excise men. A spinning jenny, which is mounted in the bar ceiling, was used to divide up the smuggler's spoils. A shove-penny board - still marked for the "cartwheel" pennies of the Georgian period - is also in the bar.

Excellent home cooked meals are served in the bar and there's a large garden with ample car parking space.