The pretty little village of Smarden is deep in the heart of the Kent countryside and just a few miles from the haunted village of Pluckley. The heart-warming TV comedy-drama, ‘The Darling Buds of May’, was filmed in the lush Pluckley region of Kent.We instantly fell in love with Smarden; the striking timber-framed cottages and white weather-boarded homes were enchanting, along with their beautifully scented English country gardens.Within the attractive lanes of Smarden are half-timbered Cloth Halls reminding us of Kent’s historic local weaving industry. Here you’ll also discover the ancient church of St Michael the Archangel. The church is sometimes known as “The Barn of Kent” due to its high scissor beam roof.Inside the church is a copy of the Royal Charter granted to Smarden by King Edward III in 1333 and then further ratified by Queen Elizabeth I in 1576.