The meaning of Kent will vary depending on who reads it. The garden of England is not just neatly trimmed grass and straight lines of apple trees; rather, it is a wild tangle hung with strange fruit. This may evoke images of orchards and oast houses as well as hops hanging from the rafters of country pubs.
Knole House, which situated within the one-thousand-acre Knole Park close to Sevenoaks, was once the home of the aristocrat, poet, and novelist Vita Sackville-West. Knole Park is home to Knole House. The troubled family history of Vita’s family provided Virginia Woolf with the inspiration for her magnum opus, Orlando: A Biography, which she wrote for her lover. When the Second World War was over, Sir Winston Churchill moved his family into the sprawling country estate known as Chartwell, which was located just up the road from where they had been living.
Hammer Horror legend Peter Cushing lived in a shingle shoreline fishing village. Queen Victoria loved these communities, which were near the great British seaside promenades and were abandoned.
HE Bates’s novel, “The Darling Buds of May,” sparked in part by the undulating vegetation of the Kent Downs, whereas Derek Jarman’s fertile imagination flourished amidst the desolate landscapes of Dungeness. Christopher Marlowe was able to thrive in the crooked houses and cobblestone lanes of Canterbury, and the county of Kent was also responsible for the development of the creative genius of David Bowie, Michael Gambon, Kate Bush, and Keith Richards.
You almost certainly won’t be the first person to discover the county of Kent, but at least you’ll be in good company if you decide to take a trip down to the coast of Kent for a day trip or if you plan on staying there for a longer period of time.
What to Do?
Fans of the past should visit Kent, which is home to a number of castles that have remarkably preserved. Within its 500 acres of grounds, Leeds Castle, which is located in the middle of a moat the size of a lake, provides a variety of activities to keep families occupied. These activities include a golf course as well as the longest zipline in the southeast.
In addition to a complete collection of Tudor portraits, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, Hever Castle, which features a pair of double-moated towers, is also home to two prayer books that she personally inscribed and signed. The Second World War tunnels that are located beneath the imposing Dover Castle and those world-famous white cliffs provide a fascinating look into life on the home front during that time.
The 18th-century Chatham Historic Dockyard used as an outdoor filming location for the British television show Call the Midwife. In addition to providing insights into the golden age of sailing, the Chatham Historic Dockyard also offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about this period. And Canterbury is, of course, the location of Canterbury Cathedral, which serves as the spiritual centre of the Church of England as well as a place of pilgrimage for Thomas Becket, who martyred in this city in the year 1170. The city of Canterbury also serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Pantiles, a Georgian colonnade lined with boutique stores, is a shopping destination visitors to affluent Royal Tunbridge Wells will want to investigate. After the Turner Contemporary art gallery opened on the seafront in 2011, which sparked gentrification, hipster homewares, and independent coffee shops began opening their doors in Margate.
The sandy beaches that surround Thanet are on par with the secluded coves in Cornwall. Back in 2015, Wayne Hemingway gave the town’s formerly run-down theme park, Dreamland, which is home to one of the oldest rollercoasters in the world, a makeover in the style of the 1950s. A little over an hour by rail from London, the sandy beaches around Thanet, such as Joss Bay and Botany Bay, rival Cornwall’s secluded coves. Additionally, boat trips from Ramsgate to Pegwell Bay come with the promise of sightings of seals.
Along the coast, Folkestone has followed suit, and the revitalized Harbour Arm now bustles with trendy market stalls, food trucks, and a skate park.
Where one can sleep in Kent
There is a place to stay in Kent that is appropriate for every traveler’s budget and preference, from rooms in historic manor houses and nights spent in ancient castles to beachfront hideaways and hip hideaways in artistic enclaves.
You can find campsites, glamping sites, and shepherd’s huts offering remote accommodation in fields and farmland, as well as on Romney Marsh. On the other hand, the center of Kent and the area around Royal Tunbridge Wells are home to some of the country’s most impressive spa hotels and stately homes, which are ideal for visitors who prefer a little bit of luxury from their stays. In addition, both Leeds Castle and Hever Castle feature an extensive selection of available rooms and suites.
Villages within and along the fringes of the Kent Downs tend to be good places to find country pubs with cozy rooms. On the other hand, around the coast — in Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Margate, Deal, Folkestone, and Whitstable — you’ll find everything from boutique, design-led properties to imposing art deco hotels and Regency townhouses transformed into luxurious B&Bs with sea views.
Food and drink
The so-called “regional specialties” of cobnuts and gypsy tart aren’t the only things that Kent has to offer; the county is also home to some of the most popular restaurants in all of Hollywood, as well as the legendary British baker Paul Hollywood. Wines of world-class quality produced in Kent, which boasts the highest vineyard density of any county in England.
In point of fact, it has earned such a reputation for its sparkling whites that even Taittinger has a Kent-based label called Domaine Evremond, which is located just outside of Faversham. One of the largest producers in Kent, Chapel Down is located close to Tenterden and features both tastings and a restaurant on the premises. Wine lovers should seriously consider signing up for a tour that also visits the vineyards of Biddenden, Gusbourne, Hush Heath, Simpsons, and Squerryes.
Each summer, the pageantry, traditions, live music, and oyster-eating competitions that are part of the Whitstable Oyster Festival bring crowds to the town. Meanwhile, the hearty Mexico-via-the-Med menus at Canterbury institution Cafe des Amis du Mexique have made it a longtime favorite dinner spot of this writer as well as local-boy-done-good Orlando Bloom. Cafe des Amis du Mexique is a Canterbury institution.
You’ll find smashed avocado on sourdough and superfood-packed Buddha bowls gracing French industrial workbenches in ice-cool cafés all over Thanet, and Ramsgate even has a chip shop called Shakey Shakey that doesn’t use animal products in its food preparation.
Places to Visit in Kent
The towns of Leeds and Hever draw the most visitors, but Walmer Castle and Gardens, which were constructed during the reign of Henry VIII, are just as fascinating and should not be missed. It served as the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, a position that the Duke of Wellington held for a total of 23 years, and was an important part of the chain of historical coastal artillery defenses that stretch along Kent’s coast. You can still go and see the armchair that he was sitting in when he passed away, as well as an original pair of his Wellington boots.
The gatehouse at Tonbridge Castle dates back to the 13th century, making it one of the oldest and most well-preserved examples of a motte and bailey castle in England. Then there’s Chiddingstone Castle, which was originally built during the Tudor period but underwent extensive renovations in the early 19th century to make it look more like a medieval castle. Treasures from ancient Egypt, Japanese samurai armor, Stuart paintings, and Jacobite manuscripts are just some of the items that can be found inside.
The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway was finished in 1927 and operates the most comprehensive collection of one-third-sized steam locomotives in the world. The light railway runs from Hythe, 13 miles across Romney Marsh, to Dungeness, which is one of the largest expanses of shingle anywhere on the planet.
It is surrounded by dykes and in the middle of a field, so it is completely isolated. Malaria and the Black Death destroyed its medieval parish. Completely abandoned. Smugglers have used its remote location to hide their contraband, so watch for anything that sparkles.
Learn prior to your departure
A three-course meal for two with drinks at a moderately priced restaurant costs £60, and a pint of beer costs approximately £4.80. Prices and attitudes are pretty much the same in towns and cities as they are in London.
Although Kent is a relatively large county, the majority of its locations served by public transportation, albeit at a snail’s pace. Having said that, if you board an HS1 train from St. Pancras and the wind is blowing in the right direction, you will arrive in Ashford in 34 minutes, Canterbury or Folkestone in less than an hour, and Margate, Ramsgate, Dover, and Whitstable in under 90 minutes.