Guess the Place

[John Walker]

The Plough, Plough Hill, Basted, Sevenoaks ?

[pete.mason]

NNE of there

[John Walker]

Shipbourne ?

[pete.mason]

Less than 10 miles as the crow flies from Trottiscliffe 

[John Walker]

West Kent

[John Walker]

Your name clue made me think of Trottiscliffe but I can't find your pub there.   

[pete.mason]

One to ponder. So many different ways is the village name  pronounced. Which is right? Take your pick

[John Walker]

Well done Pete.  Staplehurst it is.  The Dicken's connection is the train crash he was involved in close to Staplehurst.  Over to you...


The Staplehurst rail crash was a derailment at Staplehurst, Kent on 9 June 1865 at 3:13 pm. The South Eastern RailwayFolkestone to London boat train derailed while crossing a viaduct where a length of track had been removed during engineering works, killing ten passengers and injuring forty. In the Board of Trade report it was found that a man had been placed with a red flag 554 yards (507 m) away but the regulations required him to be 1,000 yards (910 m) away and the train had insufficient time to stop.
Charles Dickens was travelling with Ellen Ternan and her mother on the train; they all survived the derailment. He tended the victims, some of whom died while he was with them. The experience affected Dickens greatly; he lost his voice for two weeks and afterwards was nervous when travelling by train, using alternative means when available. Dickens died five years to the day after the accident; his son said that he had never fully recovered.

[pete.mason]

Staplehurst

[John Walker]

A Dickens connection.

[John Walker]

Not Charing either Pete.  Need to continue roughly SW from there.

[pete.mason]

My first thought was Charing,

[John Walker]

Not Harrietsham Pete but you're within about 12 km.

[pete.mason]

Harrietsham

[John Walker]

Not Boughton Pete although I can see your thinking.      Head WSW.