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ON-LINE GUIDE TO KENT
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Kent as well as some interesting
facts and anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific
place either scroll down the page or use the find
facility on your browser. Much more information can be
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Kent is the first county that most cross-channel visitors encounter when visiting England
(though for many the tunnel has removed the thrill of
the sight of the White Cliffs of Dover), and few counties combine glorious open landscapes
with such a rich history. It was here that Julius
Caesar landed in 55 BC; the Vikings followed 1,000 years later and the land was widely settled by
the Normans following the defeat of King Harold in 1066. Throughout the centuries there has
been a threat of invasion and, with the north Kent coast situated on the Thames estuary, it is
not surprising that this area became the scene of great naval activity. The World Naval Base
at Chatham is centred on the historic dockyard
that was established by Henry VIII, but right
around the coastline of Kent there are numerous defensive structures, from medieval castles to
the early 19th century Martello Towers. On the south coast, the Cinque Ports were set up in
the 11th century as a commercial alliance of
significant ports - but the silting up of channels over the centuries has left some of them
high and dry miles from the sea.
Visitors have flocked to the seaside resorts of Ramsgate, Herne Bay and Margate
since Victorian times, but centuries ago Kent was
a favourite place of pilgrimage as Christians made their way to Canterbury Cathedral.
Royal
Tunbridge Wells, too, attracted visitors who came to take the waters at this fashionable
health resort in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The county's reputation as the `Garden of England' is well earned, and green fields
and orchards still abound. Rolling wooded countryside is dotted with windmills, and
oast houses are still a common sight. In contrast
are the remote, flat lands of Romney Marsh, sometime haunt of smugglers, and, of
course, the White Cliffs of Dover, one of the most evocative sights in the land, a symbol of
the country's strength that was immortalised in
song by Vera (now Dame Vera) Lynn.
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Rochester
The site was first settled by the Romans, but it was following
the Norman invasion that William the Conqueror ordered his
architect, Bishop Gundulph, to design a fortification to protect this
strategic crossing point of the River Medway. Today,
Rochester Castle remains one of the finest surviving
examples of Norman architecture in the country. Bishop Gundulph was
also ordered to build Rochester Cathedral on the site of a
Saxon church that was founded in AD 604.
The city has close connections with the novelist Charles
Dickens. An Elizabethan building houses the Charles Dickens
Centre, The Royal Victoria and Bull
Hotel featured in both The Pickwick
Papers and Great Expectations,
and Restoration House became Satis
House in Great Expectations.
Around Rochester
Gravesend
7 miles NW of Rochester on the A226
Gravesend marks the point at which ships entering the
broad River Thames take on board a river pilot. The graveyard of St
George's is thought to be the final resting place of the famous Red
Indian princess, Pocahontas, who died on board ship in 1617 while she
was on her way back to America, where she had reputedly saved the life
of the British settler John Smith in Virginia. The precise site of
her grave is not known, but there is a statue of her and two
memorial windows in the church. On the A207, in
Bexleyheath, is one of the National Trust's most
recent acquisitions. This is The Red
House, which was designed in 1859 by Philip Webb for the
newly married William and Janey Morris. The interior was decorated
by Webb, Morris, Burne-Jones, Madox Brown and Rossetti; William
Morris described the house as `a joyful nook of heaven in an
unheavenly world'. For Dante Gabriel Rossetti it was `.....more a poem than
a house - but an admirable place to live in too'.
Sheerness
12 miles NE of Rochester on the A249
On the Isle of Sheppey, this town was once the site of a
naval dockyard, the first to be surveyed by Samuel Pepys as Secretary to
the Admiralty in the reign of Charles II, and it was here in 1805
that HMS Victory docked when it brought Nelson's body back
to England following the Battle of Trafalgar. It is now a
busy container and car ferry port, and the Sheerness Heritage
Centre tells the history of the dockyard and its influence on the
town's development.
To the southeast lies the seaside town of
Minster where the 15th century abbey gatehouse
is home to the Minster Abbey Gatehouse
Museum.
On the southern tip of the island is the Swale
National Nature Reserve, home to numerous wildfowl, while to
the west lies Elmley Marshes Nature Reserve, an area of salt marsh.
Chatham
1 mile SE of Rochester on the A229
Visitors to the historic Chatham
Dockyard - now the World Naval Base - can appreciate the scale
of modern fighting ships in the dry dock as well as the architecture
of the most complete Georgian dockyard in the world. Rope is
still made in the traditional way in the long Ropery building, and
the history of lifeboats is told at the National Collection of the
RNLI. The Museum of the Dockyard tells the 400-year-old story of
the site. Close to the dockyard lies Fort Amherst Heritage Park
and Caverns, the country's premier Napoleonic fortress that was
home to a secret underground telephone exchange that co-ordinated air
raid warnings during World War II.
To the east of Chatham lies Gillingham, the home of
the fascinating Royal Engineers Museum where the diverse
skills of this distinguished Corps are on display.
Sittingbourne
10½ miles E of Rochester on the A2
Once a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to
Canterbury, Sittingbourne has developed into a thriving market town.
Visitors today can also take a nostalgic ride on a steam train along
the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway. In 1533, in
nearby Teynham, Richard Harris, Henry VIII's fruiterer, planted
England's first cherry tree along with apple trees and thus established
the village as the birthplace of English orchards.
At Milton Creek, just north of the town centre, lies
Dolphin Yard Sailing Barge Museum, which aims to preserve the
traditional Thames barges that were built in their hundreds in boatyards
around Sittingbourne.
Leeds
11 miles SE of Rochester on the B2163
This village is synonymous with the beautiful
Leeds Castle, which stands in glorious
landscaped gardens on two islands in the middle of the River Len. Built on
a site once owned by Saxon kings, the castle was
immaculately modernised by the last owner, Olive Paget, later Lady Baillie.
The castle contains many superb antiques and tapestries, and in
one
of the medieval outbuildings is an idiosyncratic Dog Collar
Museum. One of the gardens is named in honour of Lady Baillie, who put
so much back into the Castle unitl her death in 1974.
Maidstone
8½ miles S of Rochester on the A229
Despite extensive development in modern times, Maidstone
has retained many handsome historic buildings including
Chillington Manor, a particularly fine Elizabethan residence that is
now home to the Maidstone Museum and Art
Gallery. Part of the museum's collection, The
Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriage, can be found in the stables that
once belonged to the Archbishops of Canterbury. Opposite the stables
is the 14th century Archbishop's Palace, where the clergy
rested while travelling between London and Canterbury, and elsewhere
in the town are the College of Priests, founded in 1395, and the
13th century Corpus Christi Fraternity Hall.
Just north of Maidstone town centre stands Allington
Castle, the home of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the 16th century poet who takes
some credit for introducing the sonnet into English poetry.
On the opposite bank of the River Medway is Tyland Barn,
a beautifully restored 17th century building that houses the
Museum of Kent Life.
Royal
Tunbridge Wells
Surrounded by the unspoilt beauty of the Weald, Royal
Tunbridge Wells is an attractive town that developed into a fashionable
health resort in the 18th and 19th centuries after the discovery
of chalybeate springs in 1606. One of the most famous features of
the town is The Pantiles, a lovely shaded walk lined with
elegant shops that were, in the days of the spa, the central focus of the
hectic social life arranged by the Master of Ceremonies, Beau Nash.
To the east of Royal Tunbridge Wells, close to
Goudhurst, is a charming Georgian manor
house, Finchcocks, which contains a magnificent collection of
historic
keyboard instruments. Also in this area is Scotney
Castle, with its romantic gardens, and The Owl House, a pretty little cottage
that has associations with night smugglers or `owlers'. There
are more superb gardens at nearby Groombridge Place, and to
the northwest of the town there are three wonderful places that are
well worth exploring. Penshurst Place dates back to 1341 and
is surrounded by glorious gardens that are a rare survivor of
the Elizabethan age. A little further on is Chiddingstone
Castle, a traditional squire's house with the appearance of a grand castle,
while, close by, is one of the county's star attractions,
Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne
Boleyn. The estate was bought in the early 20th century by the
millionaire William Waldorf Astor; his extensive restoration work
has created award winning gardens along with a castle filled with
fine collections of paintings, furniture, tapestries and objets d'art.
Sevenoaks
The pride of this ancient market town is Knole
House, one of the largest private homes in the country, with 365 rooms. In
1603, Elizabeth I granted the house to the Sackville family, and it was
here, in 1892, that Vita Sackville-West was born.
To the east, close to the small village of Ivy
Hatch lies Ightham Mote, one of England's
finest medieval houses. In the opposite direction, near the hamlet
of French Street, stands Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill's home
from the 1920s until his death in the 1960s.
To the northwest is Biggin Hill RAF
Station, whose entrance is flanked by a Spitfire and
a Hurricane that act as silent reminders of the stalwart
service these two aircraft, and their crews, gave during the dark days of
World War II. Close to the station is Down
House, where Charles Darwin lived for over 40 years
until his death in 1882. The house is now a Museum dedicated to his
life and work.
At nearby Westerham, a pleasant town near the
Surrey border, are two statues of British heroes who had connections
with the town. One is a tribute to Sir Winston Churchill, who made
his home at nearby Chartwell, the other remembers General
Wolfe, who defeated the French at Quebec in 1759. Wolfe was born
in Westerham and his childhood home, renamed Quebec
House,
stands east of the town centre. Wolfe also has connections
with nearby Squerryes Court, where one of the rooms has been
set aside to display mementoes relating to the General.
Canterbury
It was here, in AD 597, that St Augustine founded an abbey
which was to become the roots of Christianity in England. Lying
just outside the city walls, St Augustine's
Abbey is now in ruins, but a museum displays artefacts excavated from the
site while, close by, is St Martin's Church, England's oldest
parish church. However, both these buildings are overshadowed by
the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion,
Canterbury Cathedral, which was founded in AD 597 although the oldest part
of the present building is the early 12th century crypt.
Unfortunately, Canterbury Cathedral is best known as the scene of the murder
of Archbishop Thomas à Becket rather than for its
ecclesiastical architecture. At the Canterbury Tales Visitor
Attraction visitors are taken back to the 14th
century and can meet the Knight, the Miller and other characters that tell
their stories to keep the `pilgrims' amused.
Canterbury predates its cathedral by many centuries
and was the capital of the Iron Age kingdom, Cantii, as well as
being settled by the Romans. The Roman Museum centres on the remains
of
a Roman town house, while the Canterbury Heritage
Museum presents a full history of the city over the last 2,000 years. In
the Kent Masonic Library and Museum the history
of freemasonry is explored.
To the south of the nearby village of Fordwich lies
Howletts Wild Animal Park which was created by John Aspinall and
is dedicated to the preservation of rare and endangered
animals, including gorillas and both Indian and Siberian tigers.
Around Canterbury
Herne Bay
7 miles NE of Canterbury on the A299
Originally a fishing village and a notorious haunt for smugglers,
this chiefly 19th century town has developed into one of the
main
resorts on the north Kent coast. Its story is told at the
Herne Bay Museum Centre.
East of Herne Bay is Reculver. The Normans built
two huge towers within the remains of the Roman fort, providing
sailors with a landmark to guide them into the Thames estuary.
Today, Reculver Towers and Roman Fort is in the care of
English Heritage. During World War II, the Barnes Wallace `bouncing
bomb' was tested off the coast here. Several bombs were found here
on the shore in 1997 - none of them containing explosives.
Goodnestone
6½ miles SE of Canterbury off the B2046
Close to the village lies Goodnestone
(pronounced Gunston) Park, an estate that was frequently visited by Jane
Austen and, today, Goodnestone Park Gardens are considered some
of the best in the southeast of England.
Stelling Minnis
6½ miles S of Canterbury off the B2068
Close to this village on the edge of what remains of
the once great Lyminge Forest is Davison's
Mill, a mid 19th century smock mill that is now home to a Museum of milling implements
and tools.
In the heart of the Elham Valley, the Rural Heritage
Centre at Parsonage Farm explores over 600 years of farming, while
the Elham Valley Railway Trail provides the opportunity
to observe both wildlife and plant life that have made their home
along this disused track.
Challock
10 miles SW of Canterbury on the A252
Set in the dense woodlands known as Challock
Forest, this pretty village is home to Beech
Court Gardens, which are a riot of colour from spring through
to autumn. To the north, close to the village of
Sheldwich, lies the National Fruit
Collection - home to what is probably the
largest collection of fruit trees and plants in the world. Tucked away in
the orchards and close to the village of
Throwley is Belmont, a beautiful Georgian mansion house that
is renowned for its impressive clock collection assembled by the
5th Lord Harris.
To the northeast, towards Canterbury, is one of the
county's best-preserved villages, Chilham, which is often used as a
film location. Built on a Roman foundation, Chilham
Castle was originally a Norman keep but a Jacobean mansion house was
added and the grounds first laid out by Charles I's gardener
John Tradescant and reworked in the 18th century by Capability Brown.
Faversham
9 miles NW of Canterbury on the A2
First settled by the Romans, the town grew steadily as a
market town. For 400 years it was the centre of the country's
explosives industry and Chart Gunpowder
Mills is a lasting monument to the industry based here between
1560 and 1934. Faversham boasts over 400 listed buildings, among
them the 16th century Guildhall and a 15th century former inn that is
now the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre.
Whitstable
5½ miles NW of Canterbury on the A2990
Sometimes referred to as the `Pearl of Kent', this town, centred on
its busy commercial harbour, is as famous for its oysters today as
it was in Roman times. On the harbour's East Quay, the
Oyster and Fishery Exhibition tells the story of Whitstable's
connections with fishing, and Whitstable
Museum and Gallery explores the traditions and life of this
ancient seafaring community. In Whitstable's Museum will be
found references to some of the `firsts' to which the town lays claim: the
first scheduled passenger train ran between Whitstable
and Canterbury; the first steamship to sail to Australia from Britain
left here in 1837; the diving helmet was invented in the town; and
the country's first council houses were built here.
Just inland from Whitstable is Druidstone Wildlife
Park, home
to a wide variety of animals and birds including otters, owls,
rheas, wallabies and parrots.
Dover
High above the famous white cliffs of the `Gateway to England'
stands Dover Castle, which dates back to 1180 and is home to the
Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment Museum; the remains of a Roman
lighthouse and a small Saxon church can be found in the grounds. Perhaps
the most spectacular attraction is the Secret Wartime
Tunnels cut into the white cliffs.
Back in the heart of Dover is the Roman Painted
House, an exceptionally well-preserved town house that is thought to date
from AD 200. The Dover Museum, the area's largest and
newest museum, stands opposite the White Cliffs
Experience, where visitors can step back in time to
the Roman invasion and relive the dark days of World War II.
Just inland from Dover, at Whitfield, is the
Dover Transport Museum, whose exhibits
include not only all forms of transport from bicycles to buses and
trams, but displays on the East Kent coalfield and the area's
maritime heritage.
Around Dover
Margate
18 miles N of Dover on the A28
Even before the coming of the railways, trippers made the
journey from London by boat to enjoy the
delights of sand and sea. Its pier, which was closed long ago
after storm damage, was the first to be designed by the doyen of
pier engineers, Eugenius Birch.
To the west is the quiet resort of
Birchington. At All Saints Church, Birchington, is the
grave of the painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti; his tomb
was designed by his mentor and fellow artist Ford Madox Brown.
Ramsgate
16 miles NE of Dover on the A255
It was in Ramsgate that the architect Augustus Pugin,
who designed the interiors of the Houses of Parliament, built
his home, The Grange. He also built the Church of St Augustine next
to his house, and he is buried in the family vault in a
tomb-chest designed by his son. Ramsgate has an interesting Motor Museum.
Just to the south lies Pegwell Bay, traditionally said to be
the landing place of Hengist and Horsa, who led the
successful Jutish invasion of Kent in AD 449. The badge of Kent today includes
a prancing white horse, the same image under which the
Jutish warriors fought.
Broadstairs
18 miles NE of Dover on the A255
A couple of miles up the coast from Ramsgate, the family
seaside resort of Broadstairs still retains something of a village
atmosphere and is best known for its associations with Charles
Dickens. Bleak House, where Dickens
spent 20 summers stands high up on the cliffs overlooking
the popular beach at Viking Bay. The politician Sir Edward Heath
was born in Broadstairs in 1916, and among the notables who made
it their home were the yachtsman Sir Alec Rose, Frank Richards,
creator of Billy Bunter, and John Buchan, author of
The Thirty Nine Steps. The staircase on Cliff Promenade
that gave him the idea for the title actually has 78 steps, a number
that was halved by Buchan to provide a catchier title.
Sandwich
9½ miles N of Dover off the A256
This was one of the original Cinque Ports and once an important
naval base, but the silting up of the River Stour left Sandwich stranded
a couple of miles from the coast. Sandwich
Museum, the 16th century Guildhall, the 12th
century St Bartholomew's Hospital and the 16th century Barbican Gate are
all worth visiting, but to the northwest of the town lies a much older site
- the impressive ruins of Richborough Roman
Fort. Sandwich has one of the country's best-known championship
golf courses, Royal St George's.
Minster
14 miles N of Dover off the A253
Founded in AD 670, Minster Abbey became part of the
estate of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury; much of this
Norman work can still be seen in the cloisters and other parts of
the ruins.
Deal
7½ miles NE of Dover on the A258
This is a delightful fishing town that, as well as being the haunt
of smugglers, was also frequently visited by Nelson, who
outraged local society by staying at the Royal Hotel with his mistress,
Lady Emma Hamilton. The Maritime and Local History
Museum is housed in stables that were once used to shelter army mules,
while the distinctive Timeball Tower, dated 1795, stands on the site
of the old naval yard. Close by is Deal
Castle, one of a number of fortresses built by Henry VIII
to protect the south coast from invasion.
Just south of Deal is the residential seaside town of
Walmer which is best known today for its sister castle to Deal.
Walmer Castle is now a stately home and the official residence of the
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.
Folkestone
Close to the centre of The Leas, a wide sweeping promenade
with clifftop lawns and flower gardens, is a statue of the great
physician William Harvey, who was born in the town in 1578. His
greatest claim to fame is that he discovered the circulation of blood, and it
is appropriate that he is holding a human heart in his hand.
The Leas Cliff Lift, the oldest water-balanced lift in the country,
carries people from the cliff top to the beach below.
Just northeast of Folkestone, close to the cliffs at Capel le
Ferne, is the Battle of Britain Memorial commemorating the 1940 air
battle that took place in the skies overhead. Close by is the
Kent Battle of Britain Museum, the home of the country's
largest collection of 1940 related artefacts on display to the public.
The Channel Tunnel Terminal is at Folkestone, where cars,
coaches and lorries entrain for the journey under the sea to France.
Tenterden
Situated right on the border between the dense woodlands of the
Weald and the flatter farmland that extends to Romney Marsh, Tenterden is
a charming old town that earns its nickname - the `Jewel of the Weald'.
Along with the Tenterden and District
Museum, the town is also the home of the restored
Kent and East Sussex Railway.
Recognised as one of the loveliest villages in the
Weald, Biddenden, just northwest of Tenterden, has an attractive
main street lined with charming half-timbered houses that range in
age from medieval through to the 17th century.
Around Tenterden
Ashford
9 miles NE of Tenterden on the A28
The first volunteer fire service in the country was established
in
Ashford in 1826, and a century later the public raised funds
to acquire the first Leyland motor fire engine to see service. One of
the most famous sights is a 1916 British Mark IV tank that
stands proudly in St George's Square. It was presented to the people
of Ashford in recognition of their splendid efforts during the
two World Wars. Ashford has been a major railway centre for 150
years, and is now home to the International Station
serving Eurostar trains.
Appledore
5 miles SE of Tenterden on the B2080
Despite being some eight miles from the sea, Appledore was once
a port on the estuary of the River Rother. The Royal Military
Canal, which passes through the village, provides a wonderful habitat for
a variety of wildlife, including dragonflies and marsh frogs.
Just to the northeast lies the village of Small
Hythe, a little hamlet that was once a
flourishing port and ship-building centre - one of Henry VIII's warships was
built here. Smallhythe Place is a charming 16th century
half-timbered house that was the home of the famous
Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry and is now a museum. Small Hythe is also
home to Tenterden Vineyard.
New Romney
13 miles SE of Tenterden on the A259
Known as the `Capital of the Marsh', and once the
most important of the Cinque Ports, New
Romney is best known as the main station of the
Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, a
charming one-third-scale railway that was built in the 1920s for the
millionaire racing driver, Captain Howey.
In the station is a Toy & Model Museum. The very name
Romney Marsh conjures up images of smugglers lugging their
contraband across the lonely, misty landscape. Rudyard Kipling painted
a charming and romantic picture of the Marsh in his poetry, but
Russell Thorndyke told of a rougher side in his novel
Dr Syn.
Cranbrook
7 miles NW of Tenterden off the A229
Often dubbed the `Capital of the Kentish Weald', Cranbrook
grew following the introduction of wool weaving from Flanders and
then developed further as a market town serving the surrounding
rural communities. The tower of the
Church of St Dunstan is tall, but the town is dominated by
Union Mill, a familiar local landmark which is the tallest smock mill
in England and still, wind permitting, grinds corn for sale.
A couple of miles northeast of the town lie the ruins
of Sissinghurst Castle, famous for the lovely gardens that were created
by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicholson in the 1930s.
An interesting little exhibition is housed in the estate's oast house.
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