Destinations > England > Southeast England > Kent

Kent

The Garden of England consists partly of London's southern suburbs but also includes historic cities like Canterbury, the channel ports of Dover and Folkstone as well as the decaying beach 'resorts' of Broadstairs and Margate. Most travellers just glimpse Kent from the window of a speeding Eurostar train or a bus en route between London and the south coast, however it is well worth visiting Kent's historic attractions such as Canterbury or Leeds Castle at Maidstone.

Maidstone

Although many people think of Maidstone as no more than an outer suburb of London, it has a pleasant historic centre with some lovely 14th centurybuildings. Maidstone's main attraction is nearby Leeds Castle.

Practical Information

Maidstone Town Hall Visitor Information Centre

Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone

Tel (01622) 602169

Website www.tour-maidstone.com

Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm

Coming & Going

Maidstone has two train stations. Maidstone East station has trains to London and Canterbury and Maidstone West has trains to Gatwick Airport.

Buses stop at the Chequers Centre Bus Station in the town centre. This includes National Express (tel 0870 580 8080; website www.nationalexpress.co.uk) services to London, Canterbury and Dover and local Stagecoach buses (website www.stagecoachbus.co.uk) to destinations within Kent.

Sights

Leeds Castle

Lord Conway called Leeds Castle "the loveliest castle in the world" and the castle's marketing people won't let you forget it. It certainly is a spectacular castle with a lovely setting encircled by a moat on 500 acres of lush parkland. Six queens have called the 1000-year-old castle home and it was one of Henry VIII's favourite places. Visitors to the castle can explore the castle's restored rooms, which include a Dog Collar Museum with a collection of collars dating back 400 years.

Leeds Castle, Maidstone

Train Bearsted

Tel 0870 600 8880

Website www.leeds-castle.com

Admission £10.50-12.50 (£9-11 students)

Open Jan-Mar 10am-3pm daily; Apr-Oct 10am-5pm daily; Nov-Dec 10am-3pm daily

Museum of Kent Life

This open-air museum consists of restored historic buildings that depict rural life in Kent 100 years ago.

Cobtree, Lock Lane, Sandling

Bus 155

Tel (01622) 763936

Website www.museum-kentlife.co.uk

Admission £6

Open late Feb-early Nov 10am-5.30pm daily (last admission 4pm)

Canterbury

This medieval town with its Tudor architecture and Roman city walls is a popular day trip from London. It is particularly famous for its cathedral, which was made famous in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral.

Practical Information

Canterbury Tourist Information Centre

The Buttermarket, 12-13 Sun Street, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 378 100

Website www.canterbury.gov.uk

Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm

Coming & Going

Canterbury has two train stations. East station is located south of the town centre and has trains to London Victoria and West station, northwest of the town centre, has trains to London Charing Cross and Waterloo.

National Express and Stagecoach buses stop at Canterbury bus station on St Georges Lane. National Express (tel 0870 580 8080; website www.nationalexpress.co.uk) has buses to London and Stagecoach (website www.stagecoachbus.co.uk) run local buses to destinations in Kent. Useful Stagecoach bus routes include bus 112 to Dover via Sandwich and Deal and route X82 to Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate.

Accommodation

Canterbury YHA

Ellerslie, 54 New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3DT

Tel (01227) 462911

Kipps

40 Nunnery Fields, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 786 121

Sights

Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury's major attraction is this cathedral that was founded in 597. It contains the tomb of the Black Prince and was the site of Thomas Becket's martyrdom. The cathedral was the subject of TS Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral and played a central role in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

The Precincts, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 762 862

Website www.canterbury-cathedral.org

Admission £4

Open summer Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-4pm; winter Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Canterbury Roman Museum

Canterbury's Roman Museum shows what life was like in Canterbury during Roman times. The museum displays the remains of a Roman house featuring mosaics.

Longmarket, Butchery Lane, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 785 575

Website www.canterbury-museums.co.uk

Admission £2.80

Open Jan-May Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; Jun-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1.30pm-4pm; Nov-Dec Mon-Sat 10am-4pm

The Canterbury Tales

This tourist attraction, inside St Margaret's Church, has displays depicting the characters and storyline of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

St Margaret's Street, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 479 227

Website www.canterburytales.org.uk

Admission £6.95 (ISIC £5.95)

Open Jan-Feb 10am-4.30pm daily; Mar-Jun 10am-5pm daily; Jul-Aug 9.30am-5pm daily; Sep-Oct 10am-5pm daily; Nov-Dec 10am-4.30pm daily

Museum of Canterbury & Rupert Bear Museum

This museum tells the story of Canterbury from its medieval origins up to the present day and it incorporates a museum dedicated to one of Canterbury's most popular characters, Rupert Bear.

Stour Street, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 452 747

Website www.canterbury-museums.co.uk

Admission £3.10

Open Jan-May Mon-Sat 10.30am-4pm; Jun-Oct Mon-Sat 10.30am-4pm, Sun 1.30pm-4pm; Nov-Dec Mon-Sat 10.30am-4pm

St Augustine's Abbey

This World Heritage site marks the birthplace of English Christianity and it is where St Augustine first established a monastery in 598. In addition to the ruins of the monastery, there is a museum on site.

Longport, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 767 345

Website www.english-heritage.org.uk

Admission £3.50

Open Jan-Mar Wed-Sun 10am-4pm; Apr-Sep 10am-6pm daily; Oct-Dec Wed-Sun 10am-4pm

St Martin's Church

Before establishing his own monastery, St Augustine worshipped at St Martin's Church, which is the oldest parish church still in constant use.

North Holmes Road, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 786 072

Admission free

Open Tue & Thu 10am-3pm, Sat 10am-1pm

West Gate Towers

The West Gate Towers of Canterbury's city walls are considered to be among England's finest fortified gatehouses. The museum features armour exhibits plus scenic views from the battlements.

St Peter's Street, Canterbury

Tel (01227) 452 747

Website www.canterbury-museums.co.uk

Admission £1.10

Open Mon-Sat 11am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-3.30pm

Margate

This decaying seaside resort doesn't have much to offer the traveller, but it has a couple of hostels and you may pass through here if you're travelling along the Kent coast.

Practical Information

Tourist Information Centre

12-13 The Parade, Margate

Tel (01843) 583334

Open Jan-Mar Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

Coming & Going

National Express buses depart from the clock tower on Marine Parade.

Accommodation

Margate YHA

3-4 Royal Esplanade, Westbrook Bay, Margate

Tel (01843) 221616

Old School House

6 First Avenue, Cliftonville, Margate

Tel (01843) 223905

Sights

Margate Old Town Hall Local History Museum

This small museum in the old town hall has exhibits on local history including the rise of Margate as a seaside resort and the town's maritime history.

Market Place, Margate

Tel (01843) 231213

Admission £1

Open Jan-Mar Mon-Fri 11am-4pm; Apr-Sep Tue-Sun 10am-5pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Fri 11am-4pm

Broadstairs

This bustling small town is one of England's oldest seaside resorts and it has much more charm than neighbouring Margate and Ramsgate. Broadstairs' most famous resident was Charles Dickens, who spent his summers here at Bleak House (now a museum) and the town has several Dickens-related attractions and it hosts an annual Dickens festival each June.

Practical Information

Tourist Information Centre

6B High Street, Broadstairs

Tel (01843) 865650

Open Jan-Mar Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

Coming & Going

Broadstairs is accessible by bus and train. The train station is in the town centre . National Express coaches stop on High Street in the town centre.

Sights

Bleak House

Charles Dickens former summer home has been turned into a museum showcasing the writer's life in Broadstairs. The museum also features exhibits on smuggling, which played an important role in the town's history.

Fort Road, Broadstairs

Tel (01843) 862224

Admission £3

Open mid Mar-Nov 10am-6pm daily

Dover

Thousands of travellers pass through this busy ferry port en route between London and France, seeing little more than the ferry terminal and a glimpse of the 12th century castle from a bus window. With the exception of the imposing castle, Dover isn't a particularly attractive town although it does offer quite a bit to see and it is a good base for exploring the surrounding region.

Practical Information

Dover Tourist Information Centre

The Old Town Gaol, Biggin, Dover

Tel (01304) 205108

Website www.doveruk.com

Open Jun-Aug 9am-5.30pm daily

Coming & Going

Most people come to Dover to make transport connections and the city is so well established as a transport hub that most travellers don't even see the town centre.

There are two train stations in Dover: Dover Priory is the closest station to the town centre and Dover Western Docks connects with some ferries. Both stations have frequent trains to Canterbury and London.

National Express and Stagecoach buses stop at Pencester Road between Maison Dieu Road and York Street in the town centre and National Express buses also continue right up to the Eastern Docks to meet ferries to France. The most useful of the Stagecoach bus routes is number 113, which goes to Canterbury via Sandwich and Deal.

There are two main ferry docks in Dover: Eastern and Western Docks. Although the Western Docks have a train station with good transport connections, most ferries depart from the Eastern Docks, which has frequent ferry departures to Calais, France and Oostend, Belgium.

Accommodation

Dover YHA

306 London Road, Dover, Kent CT17 0SY

Tel (01304) 201 314

Sights

Dover Castle

This imposing castle is easily Dover's star attraction. The castle has played an important role in England's defence from its construction in 1066 right up to the Second World War when the Norman tunnels beneath the castle was the nerve centre for the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk.

Bus 90, 91, 111

Tel (01304) 211067

Website www.english-heritage.org.uk

Admission £8.50

Open Jan Mon & Thu-Sun 10am-4pm; Feb-Mar 10am-4pm daily; Apr-Jun 10am-6pm daily; Jul-Aug 9.30am-6.30pm daily; Sep 10am-6pm daily; Oct 10am-5pm daily; Nov-Dec Mon & Thu-Sun 10am-4pm

Dover Museum

Dover Museum has exhibits covering the prehistory and history of Dover and the surrounding area including displays on the Bronze Age, artefacts from Dover's Roman sites, the Norman Conquest and Dover's role in World War II.

Market Square, Dover

Tel (01304) 201066

Website www.dovermuseum.co.uk

Admission £2

Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm

Deal

This small town between Dover and Sandwich is famed for its castles, which were built by Henry VIII as part of southern England's defences.

Practical Information

Deal Tourist Information Centre

Deal Library, Broad Street, Deal

Tel (01304) 369 576

Open Jan-May Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-5pm; Jun-Sep Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-5pm

Sights

Deal Castle

This distinctive castle made up of rounded turrets was built between 1539 and 1540 by Henry VIII to defend England from European Catholics. Visitors are free to explore the castle including the captain's residence and storerooms.

Deal Castle Road, Deal

Train Deal Bus 14, 14, 33, 112, 113, 114

Tel (01304) 372762

Website www.english-heritage.org.uk

Admission £3.50

Open Apr-Sep 10am-6pm daily

Walmer Castle

Along with Deal Castle, Walmer Castle was built by Henry VIII to defend England against a feared attack by the Catholic powers in Europe. Walmer Castle is better preserved than Deal Castle and it was a favourite spot for the Duke of Wellington. Other former residents here include Winston Churchill, the Queen, the Queen Mother and WH Smith (who founded the newsagent chain).

A258, Walmer

Train Walmer Bus 113

Tel (01304) 364288

Admission £5.80

Open Mar 10am-4pm daily; Apr-Sep 10am-6pm daily; Oct Wed-Sun 10am-4pm

Sandwich

This well-preserved medieval town between Deal and Ramsgate has a lovely town centre with a couple of historic attractions. It is known as the home of the sandwich, however the food was named after the 4th Earl of Sandwich who had no connection with the town.

Practical Information

Sandwich Tourist Information Centre

The Guildhall, Sandwich

Tel (01304) 613565

Open Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

Sights

Guildhall Museum

This small museum has exhibits on local history from Roman times to the present day.

The Guildhall, Sandwich

Open Tue-Wed 10.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm, Thu 10.30am-4pm, Fri 10.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm, Sat 10.30am-4pm, Sun 2pm-4pm

White Mill Rural Heritage Centre

This small museum is centred on a windmill dating from 1760 and also incorporates a miller's cottage and a wheelwright's workshop.

The Causeway, Ash Road, Sandwich

Tel (01304) 612076

Website www.open-sandwich.co.uk/whitemill/

Admission £2

Open Jan-Easter Tue, Fri, Sun 10am-noon; Easter-mid Sep Tue & Fri 10am-noon, Sun 10am-noon & 2.30pm-5.30pm; mid Sep-Dec Tue, Fri, Sun 10am-noon