In the Kent village of Chiddingstone there is a curious lump of sandstone, formed about 135 million years ago when this part of the world was a swampy mess, christened the Chiding Stone, because (so they say) nagging wives and other wrong-doers were brought here and rebuked – or chided – by the massed villagers. Thankfully Twitbook and Facegram were not invented so we have no photographic evidence. After a hard day’s chauvinistic peacocking the ‘men’ of the village would crawl back to the dark gloom of a local hostelry to whet their whistle and quench their thirst on butter beer and gin whilst congratulating each other on a job well done. Both locations were nick named ‘The Rock’.

The Rock, in both its forms, still stand proudly in the shadows of an otherwise out of date history. There are less requirements for a public chiding and the bar now are as popular with the women that run the country as much as the men. ‘The Rock Inn’ was named and noted as ‘permitting drunkenness’ in 1874 and almost lost its license. Today as the most recent in a long line of infamous landlords, I Laurence Bowes, currently support the business by only using the best of British Ingredients in a simple format with great local beer and an all-British line-up on the bar. I am a champion of all things local and understand that a community pub is just that, all about the community. As a seasoned pub operator, I am only too aware of the speed things happen in the current market and I only hope that for the short time in the pubs history that I am its custodian I can do it justice as one of Kent’s best maintained and treasured country pubs for locals and tourists alike.

Access Statement The Rock Inn - Chiddingstone Hoath

September 2023

The pub was built in 1520 and is a grade II listed building, it has some beautiful architectural features including wooden beams themselves 500 years old on build day. Therefore, the structure of the building presents some physical barriers to accessibility.

Whilst we can accommodate guests with limited mobility with ease, guests who are wheelchair bound are required to make their way up one step into the building for which we can provide assistance on request.

If you do have any special needs please do not hesitate to contact us before making a reservation so that we can endeavour to meet your requirements.

Pre-arrival

We welcome correspondence by phone, letter, or email.

This document and menus can be provided in a larger font on request.

We have a private hire vehicle on demand which can be arranged to collect you from your home, local train or bus station and take you home again safely.

A printed route or emailed directions can be provided on request.

Arrival

The main front entrance to the bar is from the car park.

Reserved spaces in front of the building can be arranged in advance for those with limited mobility.

There is a step leading from the carpark to the bar.

The venue operates an ‘ask Clive’ policy where ‘everybody is welcome’,

nobody should experience any form of discrimination for any reason.

Guests are asked to leave automatically if this is found. 

Car Park

We provide parking outside the front but also provide an overflow opposite the pub for large vehicles,

camper vans and buses. There is a rear entrance to the garden easily accessible by wheelchairs (900mms wide).

Although guests can enter via the front entrance which has one step.

The Bar

The Bar is located on the ground floor with stepped access from the car park.

There is a further 2 steps in the bar if approaching from the garden area.

There is always staff on hand to assist with visually impaired guests or those with limited movability.

Please do let us know in advance if you request an accessible table.

The bar area is well lit with an access route to the Restaurant through the bar.

There is one step and a narrow doorway here.

The restaurant is table service only and large print menus are available on request.

Most diets can be catered for by prior arrangement.

We accept well behaved dogs on leads in all areas,

please let us know about allergies or hyper tension or autism that may impair your visit and we can accommodate a quiet space for you.

The Restaurant

The restaurant is well lit although we have occasional candle-lit dinNers,

additional lighting can be provided on request in such circumstances. The restaurant furniture is freestanding, and the chairs are without arms available.

There is a gender neutral toilet in this area for all guests.

Toilets

Ladies and gents toilets are located opposite the bar and can be accessed through a wide doorway and a small half step.

The ladies toilets are relatively small at 600mm wide.

We provide a gender neutral toilet of the restaurant with easier access, separate hand washing and support area should you need it.

Contact Details

The Rock Inn, Hoath Corner, Chiddingstone Hoath, TN8 7BS

Telephone: 01892 870296

Website: www.therockchiddingstone.com

Email: manager@therockchiddingstone.com