We took an easy 4 mile circular walk starting from the Horse & Castle in Cooling after having enjoyed a well prepared rabbit pie .The village church St James is no longer used for worship, but is open to visitors. In the churchyard there is a group of children's gravestones which are considered to have inspired Charles Dickens for his opening scene in the novel Great Expectations.
Cooling Castle was built in 1381 but only part of the towers and walls remain. It is privatly owned and cannot be accessed.