Bedgebury Forest

Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury, Kent, in the United Kingdom, is a recreational and conservational arboretum managed by Forestry England that was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most complete collection of conifers on one site anywhere in the world. The collection has over 10,000 trees growing across 320 acres (1.3 km2), including rare, endangered and historically important specimens. Bedgebury National Pinetum conducts conservation work, is home to some 56 vulnerable or critically endangered species, and houses five National Plant Collections.

Flimwell is a village in the civil parish of Ticehurst, in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is located close to the border with Kent at the junction of the A21 road with the A268 and the B2087. The village is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near Bewl Water and Bedgebury Pinetum, and neighbouring villages include Ticehurst, Hurst Green and Hawkhurst. The origin of the place-name is from the Old English words fliema and wella meaning the spring of the fugitives. The placename appears as Flimenwelle in 1210.The village is linear in shape and the largest of a group of settlements, some of which contain large residential properties, to both the west and east of the main road. Other settlements are Union Street and Dale Hill to the west, and Seacox Heath to the east. Including the surrounding woods and fields, Flimwell covers an area of approximately 3.5 km2, of which only approximately 5% is built-up. Until 2020, Flimwell had no defined centre, but this has now changed with the completion of a new Village Hall and two car parks (one at the village hall and one on the High Street for local residents only). There are a number of businesses & facilities in and around the village, including an award-winning smokery and wine store, pub, motel, pine furniture shop, church, cricket ground with pavilion, playground, a park with a café and offices, and various businesses. Flimwell parish church is dedicated to St Augustine of Canterbury. In the 16th century, Flimwell was one of the stages on the post road from London to Rye.On the eastern edge of the village lies Seacox House, owned by the Russian Embassy and used as a dacha for Embassy staff. Built in 1871, by architects Carpenter and Slater, it is a Grade II listed building in the style of a French chateau. The house was the subject of news reports in 1999, when dogs from the estate were said to have 'killed approx. 50 ewes and attacked 100 others'. The British Government is considering gifting the dacha to the Ukrainian Government as compensation for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

St Augustine's Church is the Anglican parish church of Flimwell, a village in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It was consecrated in 1839 after architect Decimus Burton had built the nave and tower, which was then topped with a spire in 1873. The building was extended six years later by the addition of a chancel. The church has grade II listed building status.

Seacox Heath is a house in the village of Flimwell in East Sussex, England. It is owned by the Russian government, and is used as a weekend retreat by the staff of their embassy in London. It was built in 1871 to designs by the architects Richard Carpenter and William Slater. The house has been listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) since May 1987. The NHLE listing described it as a "Tall mansion in the style of a French chateau", set over three storeys. The lodge building to the house was separately listed in October 1996. In January 1921 Rudyard Kipling met Emir Faisal of the Hejaz at the house. Kipling asked Faisal so many questions about the breeds of camels in Arabia that Faisal thought that Kipling had mistaken him for a camel trader. For several decades, the house was owned by the politician George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen. In October 1946 the house and 83 acres of the estate were bought by the Russian government as a retreat for its diplomatic staff from their embassy. Shortly before the sale, 630 acres of the estate had been sold by Lord Goschen. By 1999 the house and estate had tennis courts and a football pitch. In November 1999 dogs from the house were suspected of killing more than 50 sheep that had roamed in fields near the house in Lamberhurst. In 2022 it was reported that the British Government was considering seizing the house and gifting it to the Ukrainian government as compensation for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its diplomatic status was withdrawn by the British government in 2024.

The Bedgebury Forest Woman refers to an unknown female whose body was found in Bedgebury Forest, Kent, England, on 23 October 1979. Despite multiple investigations, an arrest and a trial, the woman has never been identified.

Bedgebury Cross is a hamlet in the civil parish of Goudhurst. It is located, in the Bedgebury Forest area of Kent, England. It is located on the B2079 road connecting Goudhurst with the A21 road at Flimwell. The term "cross" refers to a wayside cross that originally existed at this site, this cross is replicated in the brickwork of the chimney of one of the cottages. Presumably the chimney was built over roughly the site of the cross.Probably the most well-known Bedgeburian is Thomas Culpeper (c. 1514–1541), the lover of Queen Catherine Howard, who was King Henry VIII's fifth wife. Culpeper and Howard were both executed when the affair became known.

Combwell Priory was a priory near Bedgebury Cross about 10 miles southeast of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England.

Pattyndenne Manor is a Grade II* listed manor house located near to the village of Goudhurst, Kent. (grid reference TQ7236)

Combwell Wood is a 110.6-hectare (273-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The wood is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is divided into 36 sections owned by different people.Much of this ancient wood has traditionally been coppiced, but there has probably been undisturbed woodland on steep slopes, and uncommon bryophytes here are thought to be survivors from the Atlantic warm period around 5,000 years ago. There are also several nationally scarce water beetles.The site is private land, but a public footpath goes through it.

Kilndown is a village 5 miles (8 km) west of Cranbrook in Kent, England. It is in the civil parish of Goudhurst.

Marlborough House School is a co-educational preparatory school situated in 34 acres (14 ha) of countryside in Hawkhurst, Kent. The school currently has just over 260 pupils between the ages of 2.5 and 13 with a teaching staff of 60. Marlborough House is predominantly a day school, but operates a flexi-boarding policy for pupils over the age of eight. The school is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS). Classes up to Year 4 have teaching assistants. The pupil teacher ratio in the school's Pre-Prep (Reception - Year 2) is 1:6 and in Years 3-4 it is 1:9. The school's sporting and cocurricular facilities include a full size sports hall, a swimming pool, an astroturf, tennis courts, an outdoor classroom, Forest School areas, a shooting range, an observatory and a pitch and putt golf course. The current Head is Eddy Newton. Prior to becoming Headmaster of Marlborough House School, Mr Newton was Chief Executive of The Cothill Trust and held the position of Chairman of the Independent Association of Prep Schools. Before this, Mr Newton was Headmaster of Chafyn Grove School and Headmaster Felsted School. The school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate and their last inspection was in 2015.

Cranbrook railway station is a disused English station which was on the closed Hawkhurst Branch in Kent, England.