At some point, I will catch up with the last week. For now, a brief revisit to yesterday. I've come down with a "summer cold" … I haven't a clue what it is. Sinuses blocked, chesty cough. Bloody uncomfortable. Anyway, were not to be slowed down but maybe a little today.

We decided to make it another "hair wash day", which means a quiet slow morning and then just an hour at Smallgythe Place, the home of Ellen Terry. Ellen Terry you say? Who was she? Only the greatest actress of the 19th century, and next to Queen Vickie, the wealthiest woman. She earned in todays money L25,000 ($AUS50,000) per week. More about her wealth later.

Smallhyther is just 15 minutes from our apartment in Beddington, so not an arduous driving day. As we approached, there was a sign saying "The Cherry Orchard" and I commented to Ches "No, we aren't here to see Checkov, not a playwright but an actress". Little did I know. Later in the afternoon, we discovered that Ellen Terry's son Edward Gordon Craig had an affair with Checkov's wife. This wasn't such a big deal as far as Edward was concerned. He also had an affair with Isadora Duncan and fathered 9 illegitimate children that they know of as well as four with his wife.

Other surprises, Ellen's sister Kate was also an actress. Some say, even better than Ellen. She married well, so left the stage. Her grandson is Sir John Gielgud.

Ellen bought up all the surrounding cottages and many acres of land to ensure her privacy. She even converted a thatched barn into a theatre which is still active, and Joanna Lumley is the current Patron.

The house is now a museum, although many room remain just as she left them when she died. The building itself is Tudor, originally the home of the harbour master when the village was a boat building port. Originally settled by the Romans who used it as a port to export Iron, it became a boat building port of major significance and then slid into decline when the rivers along this section of Kent silted up and many rivers changed their course.

Now, it's a very quiet country lane with a few cottages dotted here and there. What should have been a one hours visit became a three hour one. We both loved it and its gardens.

Ellen suffered cataracts as well as dementia in her final years, so set out on a world tour, including Aus and NZ giving lectures. She also took small cameo roles. As for her money, most of it was spent on looking after her 13 grandchildren and their mothers as well as funding son Edward's theatre productions. All his productions were expensive and major "flops". Some say he was way ahead of his time in stage sets and lighting, others that he just didn't have it.

On the other hand, his sister, Ellen's daughter Edie (Edith), received no recognition than but now is coming into her own. A member of the Bloomsbury set, a lesbian living in a menage a trois, active in the emancipation movement, she produced successful plays. She and her two partners lived in one of the cottages just 50 yards away from mum and looked after her in her old age.

This will be remembered as one of the highlights of this trip. The weather helped of course; 25c and blue sky. The flower gardens in full bloom and a Tudor cottage with wonky floors and roof lines, what's not to love.

Tomorrow will be a little busier. A visit to Scotney Castle, middle of the day in Tunbridge Wells and the afternoon driving around the west of London to our next apartment near St Albans. See you there … or perhaps back a week ago as I try to backfill.