We’ll show you around Kent-the county known as the ‘Garden of England’. There are historic castles, stately homes, cathedrals, pretty villages and picturesque seaside resorts. You can do this tour in a day from London, but to see all the places we suggest you would need to a book a 2 to 4 day overnight tour, please let us know if this also interests you.
As we journey through the beautiful Kentish countryside look out for the distinctive oast houses with their conical shaped roofs. These oast houses were used to dry hops in the process of beer making and many are prime examples of vernacular architecture.
There are a number of fine breweries in Kent including Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewer. You can sample their beers and those of other popular breweries in one of the many tradional Kentish pubs.
The picturesque village of Leeds is the idyllic setting for one of the country’s most stunning castles. Leeds Castle was built shortly after the Norman Conquest on two islands in the River Len. It’s surrounded by 500 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. As well as rare paintings and tapestries, there’s a ‘dog collar museum’ (the only one in Britain!) and an aviary for rare birds.
Canterbury Cathedral was the first abbey built in Britain and is one of the most spectacular. For centuries, pilgrims traveled here from all over the world (inspiring Chaucer to write his celebrated Canterbury Tales). The quaint streets in the city are perfect for a spot of shopping, or visit the museum if there's time.
An alternative to Canterbury Cathedral is a visit to Dover Castle which dates back to 1180. The catle stands proudly on a hill above the famous white cliffs of Dover. There’s a wonderful Saxon church in the grounds called St Mary sub Castro, which means 'St Mary below the Fortress', and also the remains of a Roman lighthouse.
Here you'll get the chance to explore the Secret Wartime Tunnels, a network of tunnels within the white cliffs beneath Dover Castle, which have been used throughout history from the Napoleonic Wars right through to the 1960s.
Then it's a short jaunt to see the famous White Cliffs of Dover from the pictureque St Margaret’s Bay, part of the 160 mile Saxon Shore Way. Cameras at the ready!
Alternatively we can take you to see Hever Castle, Chartwell House, Deal Castle or Upnor Castle. To enable you to visit all the locations you would need to extend your tour over multiple days.
Chartwell was bought as a family home by Sir Winston Churchill in the 1920s, and you can still see his daily newspapers and cigars lying around. The house looks out over the stunning gardens and the Weald of Kent with its wooded countryside, hop fields and orchards. The museum displays exhibits from the great statesman’s life including photographs, uniforms and medals.
The small village of Hever is home to the magnificent 13th century Hever Castle. Anne Boleyn lived here in the 15th century until she literally lost her head to Henry VIII. American millionaire William Waldorf Astor restored the castle in the 1900s, landscaping the beautiful gardens that you can still enjoy today. You can also stay here for a night of luxury.
Built to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, Deal Castle is one of King Henry VIII's artillery forts and originally had an imposing sixty-six firing positions.
Upnor Castle is much newer than Deal Castle - at just a meer 460 or so years old! It was built to protect warships at Chatham Dockyard. It wasn't very successful as in 1667 the Dutch sailed straight past it!
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