High Rocks
Nature · A wooded ridge of weathered sandstone crags, linked by footbridges, just along the Spa Valley line from Groombridge.
Groombridge Place
A moated 17th-century manor house on the Kent and Sussex border, the model for Conan Doyle's Birlstone Manor and now a private home.
From King's Cross St Pancras: 1 h 34 min by train · 1 h 52 min by car
Travel times by TravelTime
Time there: 3–4.5 h, including one place nearby
Get directionsEstateForestsGardens & parksArchitectureStately homes
Must-see places
Quick facts
The present house was built in 1662 for Philip Packer, with help from Christopher Wren, on a moated island where a manor has stood since at least 1239.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set his Sherlock Holmes novel The Valley of Fear at the house, renaming it Birlstone Manor.
The heritage Spa Valley Railway runs to Groombridge station from Royal Tunbridge Wells, passing the sandstone crags of High Rocks on the way.
Loved it?
Spotted something off? Report a problem
Know a day out we’re missing? Suggest a place