Kent Known as the Garden of England, the county of Kent is most famously portrayed as a landscape of oast houses and fruit orchards. With an amazingly varied coastline stretching from Dartford and the Thames estuary round eastwards along the shoreline with the North Sea and on to the southern extremities of Romney Marsh and the English Channel, Kent is one of the ‘home counties’. Surrounded by Surrey, Greater London, East Sussex and Essex, the county also has a nominal border with France – somewhat of a technical boundary, created as it was by the construction of the Channel Tunnel.
The proximity of the county to the continent has meant that it has been of strategic importance for many centuries – and never more so that during the Second World War, when it was on the front line of the Battle of Britain. The iconic White Cliffs of Dover are the quintessential welcoming sight for the English as they return home, and in fine weather the cliffs can be clearly seen from the French coastline.
Things to do in Kent Known for centuries for its orchards and hop gardens, the economy of Kent has historically been linked to agriculture, although there is now an increasing dependence on tourism and manufacturing industries. But fruit is still of great significance in the county; Brogdale Farm is the home of the National Fruit Collection, and offers visitors the chance to sample apple varieties that would have once been familiar to King Henry VIII, and nuts and plums of equal historic horticultural importance – with nearly four thousand fruit varieties represented. The iconic oast houses were once seen as a working-holiday venue for thousands of Londoners, who travelled to Kent each Summer to help with the hop harvest; many of the oast houses are now preserved as the most beautiful of country homes.
This varied rural county is also of great interest to nature-lovers. The Kent countryside includes some of the most ancient woodlands in England. The Kent Downs cover 878 sq km – almost a quarter of the county – from the chalky white cliffs of Dover up to the London-Surrey borders. The dramatic, remote and often barren landscape of Romney Marsh and Dungeness contrasts with the lush features of the High Weald, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), with its green rolling hills and pretty flower meadows.
Kent has been the inspiration for a number of notable writers and artists. J M Turner spent part of his childhood in Margate, and the scenery has been preserved as a focal point in many of his most famous seascapes; Rochester, Chatham and the Cliff marshes are all familiar to readers of the great Charles Dickens, and even further back in time, Chaucer based his Canterbury Tales on the religious role of the town during the 1380s.
Top Destinations
Canterbury – University town and cathedral city, Canterbury is a delightful place to explore on foot. The cathedral is the oldest in England, but the ancient ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s church are also significant, as they form Canterbury’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. A boat trip along the River Stour is a popular way of seeing the city from a different perspective, and allows visitors to enjoy both the architectural magnificence together with some of its wonderful natural wildlife.
Whitstable – This popular seaside town is home to an annual Oyster Festival each July, and to a first class local brewery. A particularly notable feature of the town is ‘The Street’ – a natural strip of shingle on a clay bank, which runs out to sea at right angles to the coast for a distance of about half a mile; this is a last remnant of the land to the north of Whitstable that has been lost over the centuries to coastal erosion. Due to Whitstable’s highly successful shellfish industry, the Victorian railway service - the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway (C&WR) was soon nicknamed ‘the Crab and Winkle Railway’; although the local line closed in 1953, much of the route is now open as a footpath and cycleway.
Sissinghurst– The National Trust gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, near Cranbrook, were once the domain of the writers Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West. Now the gardens, set against the ruins of an impressive Elizabethan house, offer visitors long views across the fields and meadows of the Kentish countryside; the grounds themselves were developed during the 1930s, based on a concept of creating a garden comprising of individual, separate areas or ‘rooms’, utilising different and often contrasting colours or themes; they include the world-famous ‘White Garden’ created by Sackville-West.
Royal Tunbridge Wells – Just 30 miles from London, yet surrounded by glorious Kent countryside, Royal Tunbridge Wells was once a Georgian spa town, and still retains much of its gentile ambiance, with fine shops and tea rooms, as well as a plethora of stately homes, castles and gardens close to hand.
Margate – In addition to the ‘bucket and spade’ appeal of this archetypal seaside destination, Margate is enjoying a renaissance, with its Old Town packed with interesting galleries, quirky shops and trendy new cafés and coffee bars. A landmark art gallery, the Turner Contemporary, recently opened in the town centre, to celebrate the artist’s association with Margate.
Ramsgate – With an extensive maritime history, and the country’s only ‘Royal Harbour’, Ramsgate offers visitors a glittering waterfront. ‘The Grange’ – the so-called ‘first modern house in Britain’ – was built in the town by Augustus Pugin in 1843, and has recently been restored by the Landmark Trust. It is open to the public each Wednesday afternoon.
Sevenoaks– Although known to many as a commuter town, Sevenoaks is also the location of one of the finest – and largest - country houses in England. Set in a magnificent deer park, Knole House is reputed to be a ‘calendar house’ – having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and seven courtyards. The house, and 43 acres of the grounds, are now owned by the National Trust, and open to visitors.
Originally thatched, this thoughtfully converted, detached longbarn with local oak timbers, close to the owner’s home, has its roots in Saxon times, with a Flemish wool washing pond behind it. Still a working sheep farm, ...
Situated close to the beachAbout 200 yards from the beach at West Bay, this detached bungalow is an ideal base for exploring the rock pools and beaches of the Kent coast. Take a drive along the coast to Margate and visit ...
Waters Edge, Rolvenden Layne, near Tenterden, Kent, Ashford
This tastefully converted single-storey farm building stands detached in the owner’s grounds. The holiday cottage has retained its original beams and enjoys its own terrace. Guests are invited to take a stroll through ...
An ideal base for a town or country breakThese two adjoining, stylishly-presented, beamed holiday cottages are set in the owners’ grounds overlooking ornamental fishponds, yet you can pick up the Eurostar from Ebbsfleet ...
Tulls Cottage is a quaint, terraced holiday cottage located in Hythe, Kent. Adjacent to the Royal Military Canal, this property is in a great location for local shops, bars and restaurants, as well as for spending the day ...
The Granary, Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent, Tunbridge Wells
This architect-designed single-storey barn conversion, adjoining the owner’s home, provides stylish, contemporary accommodation for the discerning traveller. Accessed by a gravelled drive, The Granary has a vaulted ...
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Alpaca Lodge, Borden, near Sittingbourne, Kent, Maidstone
The cosy living quarters of this sumptuous, former sound studio are situated on the first floor. Tastefully decorated with an open plan, contemporary kitchen/dining and living area leading to the master bedroom. Downstairs ...
Anchor Cottage is located in a conservation area within the stunning town of Deal on the coast of Kent, and is a comfortable terraced property built in the 1800s, and has a few characterful low door lintels. Set in the ...
Beach Court is a first floor holiday apartment in the heart of Broadstairs, Kent just 500 yards from the beach and shops, with pubs and restaurants 100 yards away. This two bedroom property is located a stone’s throw ...
Situated close to the beachAbout 200 yards from the beach at West Bay, this detached bungalow is an ideal base for exploring the rock pools and beaches of the Kent coast. Take a drive along the coast to Margate and visit ...
This beautifully restored 400 year old holiday cottage situated in the centre of the picturesque village of Westbere, only 10 minutes’ drive from the historic cathedral city of Canterbury. Howlett’s Zoo, 5 miles. ...
Bijou Cottage is a quaint, terraced holiday property tucked away in the lovely seaside town of Deal, Kent. Perfect as a couple’s retreat, this delightful cottage has been decorated and furnished to a very good standard, ...
This beautifully restored Grade II listed thatched barn dating back 300 years, has been divided into two beamed holiday cottages which reside in the grounds of the owners’ 500-year-old home Boyke Manor, where the great ...
An ideal base for a town or country breakThese two adjoining, stylishly-presented, beamed holiday cottages are set in the owners’ grounds overlooking ornamental fishponds, yet you can pick up the Eurostar from Ebbsfleet ...
Bow Cottage lies in the ancient town of Fordwich, known as the smallest town in Great Britain and is a comfortable terraced holiday cottage which has been renovated to a very good standard, retaining stone clad walls. The ...
Campion Cottage is located in a secluded holiday park in a stunning part of the Kent countryside. All the accommodation is on the ground floor with fully furnished living room, kitchen/dining areas, two bedrooms, one ...
Ideally situated for exploring Canterbury and the surrounding countryside, this holiday property is a completely self contained part of the owner’s home in a residential area approximately 3 miles from the city centre, ...
The Coach House and Coachman’s Cottage are two stunning luxury properties located on a private estate in Sandwich Bay, Kent. The normal admission charge for visitors will be waived for all guests staying here, so you can ...
Coastguard Cottage is a beautifully presented, Grade II listed building, once belonging to the Admiralty, situated on the Ramsgate coast, now owned and renovated by a local Ramsgate interior designer. This lovely terraced ...
Courtside, Fairfield, near Appledore, Kent, Ashford
This light and spacious property is tastefully decorated with elegant furnishings including original artworks. It is the perfect base for exploring Romney Marsh – a unique corner of England where ’the sky is always ...
Visit England ROSE award winner 2017In an idyllic rural setting on an 18-acre smallholding and adjacent to the farmhouse this holiday cottage has been decorated and furnished to a high standard. The farm has cattle, sheep, ...
This tastefully converted first floor apartment adjoins the owners home and is part of a Kentish Oast House. Walks abound from the doorstep, golf, fishing and pony trekking are available locally. Just 2 miles away is the ...
All on the ground floor:Living room: With wood burner, Freeview TV and DVD player.Dining room.Kitchen/dining area: With electric cooker, microwave, fridge, dishwasher and washing machine.Bedroom 1: With zip and link super ...
This charming semi-detached holiday cottage is located in St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe, in Kent. Dudrich Cottage has an enclosed courtyard garden, spacious living room and two comfortable bedrooms. Decorated and furnished to ...
Dynamo Cottage is a comfortable semi-detached bungalow situated at St Margaret’s Holiday Park near Dover. The holiday park boasts a shared indoor heated swimming pool, relaxation pool, sauna, spa pool and gym (all at ...
These most attractive adjoined holiday barn conversions have been tastefully created in the grounds of the owner’s home and offer magnificent views over the rolling hills and countryside. The pretty village of Burmarsh ...
An ideal spacious base for exploring ’White Cliffs Country’. This well equipped ground floor apartment is situated on the edge of the village with a choice of 3 good pubs and restaurants within walking distance. ...
Ground Floor:Living/dining room: With Freeview TV, DVD player, iPod dock, CD player and wooden floor.Kitchen: With electric cooker, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine and tiled floor.Bathroom: With bath, shower ...
Nestling at the foot of the North Downs is Fig Cottage, a detached, listed former farm building. It resides within the owner’s 8-acre grounds and small holding, including a vineyard which guests are free to enjoy. This ...
This 18th-century Grade II listed end of terrace cottage is situated in the village of Chartham. An ideal base for blending city, coast and countryside, the cottage lies 4 miles west of Canterbury. Located close to the ...
Hope Cottage is a delightful terraced Victorian house located just minutes from the coast. Decorated and furnished to a very good standard this holiday property is a great base for families, couples and small groups of ...
Hope Cottage, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, near Dover, Kent
Originally built in the 1700s Hope Cottage became a pub and has now been been thoughtfully converted with a well-equipped kitchen and beautiful living area to rest and relax in. There is an attractive enclosed outdoor ...
All on the ground floor:Living room: With wood burner, Freeview TV and DVD player.Dining room.Kitchen; With electric cooker, microwave, fridge, dishwasher and washing machine.Bedroom 1: With kingsize bed and en-suite with ...
How Wood Cottage is a beautiful Grade II thatched cottage located in the heart of Elmstone, near Canterbury. Adjacent to the cottage is How Wood Lodge, which is home to the owner, who will be on hand to help or assist if ...
Ivy Cottage, Westgate, near Margate, Kent, Broadstairs
Walking distance of the seaThis terrace holiday home has been fully refurbished and set back on the Westgate to Margate road, just 400 yards from award winning beaches, backed by chalk cliffs and grassy clifftops. An ideal ...
All on the ground floor.Open plan living space: With wooden floor.Living area: With Freeview TV and DVD player.Dining area.Kitchen area: With electric oven, electric hob, microwave, fridge, dishwasher and washing ...
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