The Friary

On a brilliantly sunny day we took our friends over to the historical old village of Aylesford.  It's a delightful place with a 14th century drovers bridge allowing pedestrians to cross the Medway river which was a bit of a muddy trickle yesterday but is very prone to flooding.  We walked through the village up the hill to the  monastery  which was first established in  1242 when members of the Carmelite order came across from Mount Carmel in the 'Holy land' with returning crusaders.  It was subsequently  dispossessed by Henry V111 during the dissolution but is now reoccupied and thriving.