Village Green

The centre of the village

Horsmonden boasts a large and pretty village green known as The Heath, which is surrounded by a number of interesting old houses. The oldest is said to be Heathside on the south side of the Green, which is 16th Century or earlier. On the east side stand a pair of houses with the initials of Francis Austen over their doors, further evidence of the significance of this family in the village.

The Working Mens Club on the north side is housed in a building given by the Austen trustees as a Reading Room and Village Institute. The clock tower in front of it was built in the same style in 1887 to celebrate the jubilee of Queen Victoria. For many years an annual ‘horse fair’ was held on th village green in September, at which horses were bought and sold in a carnival atmosphere, attended by Romanies from far and wide.