Brasted is an attractive village in Kent and has a number of 18th century houses and several antique and art shops. It is situated on the A25 main road between Westerham and Sundridge. The M25 motorway follows a similar east-west route to that of the A25. The name Brasted, is derived from Old English, which meant “broad place”. The early stages of the River Darent flow through the village. There is a small village green, on which stands the village sign and village pump. The Old Manor House on the Village Green, is a cottage dating from the 15th century and provides bed and breakfast accommodation.
St. Martin’s Church is down Church Road, a country lane off the High Street and stands on the site of an old Saxon church. There is evidence that there was a church on this site one thousand years ago. A Saxon coffin lid was found here and can be seen in the tower vestibule. The present building dates from the early years of the 13th century, but it was largely rebuilt by the Victorians, who left the tower basically unchanged. By the middle of the 19th century, the medieval church was badly in need of repair. In 1865, Sir Alfred Waterhouse, the celebrated architect, was engaged to repair and enlarge the church. It has suffered serious damage twice in its history. In July 1944, a German V1 flying bomb exploded in a field close to the church and caused extensive damage. A serious fire occurred in November 1989, which gutted the south-east corner of the church and most of the roof was destroyed as well as the organ.
The Stanhope Arms is a typical village country pub and restaurant, in an idyllic location next to St. Martin’s Church. It has a large garden and separate barn available for parties and weddings. It has frequent live entertainment and is highly rated locally. From personal experience, it is very welcoming and serves excellent food.
The White Hart in the High Street, is a popular pub and restaurant with plenty of outdoor dining space. Brasted is close to Biggin Hill Airfield. During World War II, the pub was popular with Battle of Britain Pilots, who signed a chalk board at the pub. The original is now in The Shoreham Aircraft Museum, but there is a replica in The White Hart. The landlady at the time, Katherine Preston, wrote a book entitled, Inn of the Few, about her experiences and the pilots she knew.
