The County of Kent: Countryside, Coast and Castles
If you want a break that feels properly rural, but still easy to reach, Kent County, England fits the bill. It sits just south east of London, with the English Channel on its doorstep. You can move from market towns to open countryside, in the time it takes to finish a pot of tea.
Kent often gets called the Garden of England, and you can see why. Orchards line the lanes, hop fields still shape the view, and old oast houses pop up behind hedgerows. Then there’s the other side of Kent, with seaside towns, shingle beaches, and salty air.
If out walking, follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe. If at the coast, read up on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
The History of Kent’s Beautiful Oast Houses
Kent is a large county in southeast England, home to the ancient city of Canterbury, leafy affluent commuter towns, the white cliffs of Dover, and seaside resorts not far from the French coast.
Oast houses are unique Kentish buildings that were used to dry hops to brew beer, the conical roofs designed to create a draught for the fire, the cowls on top pivoted to control airflow. Today they are listed buildings, but most now holiday homes (they cost a fortune to buy).
It’s likely that oast houses were first introduced to England by Flemish refugees, and by the 19th century, there were over 5000 of them. And back in the day, up to 200,000 people would travel from London to Kent, to find work picking hops.
One remaining oast house is at Bateman’s (used as a gift shop), the Sussex home of writer Rudyard Kipling, who even had a character in one of his books who would use an oast kiln to roast potatoes.
Why Does Kent Have So Many Fruit Orchards?
Like Herefordshire, Kent is known for producing local organic apples, pears, plums and cherries, through an abundance of fruit orchards. so help to protect our heritage orchards by supporting farm shops that sell local fruit, juice and cider. Orchards also give free food and shelter to birds and wildlife.
Keep apple chunks away from babies (choking hazards) and fruit pips/seeds/cores away from pets (due to natural cyanide). Ask permission before feeding to equines (too many cause colic). If given permission, feed cut up (cored) apple slicers from a flat palm, to prevent choking).
Kent has so many orchards, simply due to the mild climate and fertile soil, a match made in heaven for growing fruit. Kent grows 90% of England’s cherries and 50% of its plum.
The other ‘county crop’ is Kentish cobnuts, a kind of hazelnut, with a sweet flavour. Unlike most nuts, these nutritious nuts are sold fresh, in season from late August to October. Some say they taste like a cross between coconut and citrus fruits.
Let’s Visit Three Leafy Kent Towns (all quite posh!)
Sevenoaks is indeed named after a group of ancient oak trees (which came from an ancient chapel in Knole Park). A main hub for commuters, it’s home to farmers’ markets and top independent schools.
Oak trees are toxic to horses and livestock (conkers from horse chestnut trees are also unsafe to dogs).
Royal Tonbridge Wells is one of only three towns in England with the prefix ‘Royal’, with beautiful architecture. The other two are Royal Leamington Spa (Warwickshire) and Royal Wootton Bassett (Wiltshire).
Like the city of Bath, this is a spa town with a natural spring, where people would visit to ‘take the waters’ for their health, back in the day.
Tonbridge is home to an 11th century castle that sits on the River Medway. It was originally called Tunbridge, but changed its name, as people kept getting the two mixed up. Again a popular commuter route, with a busy train station.
Whitstable, Kent (England’s least-cloned town!)
This small seaside town was the location of one of England’s first passenger railways, and today has a historic harbour and artistic community. Packed with independent shops, it’s the least-cloned town in England (unlike Cambridge and Exeter which are the most cloned, packed with chain stores).
Independent shops also thrive in Canterbury’s medieval streets. The Crooked House Bookshop is a wonky building with leaning walls (like our own Tower of Pisa!) It dates from the 1600s, and somehow is still standing up, despite gravity pulling it sideways!
What is a Clone Town?
A clone town is where all the main streets have the same shops (Boots, Costa Coffee, EE phone shops etc). So you could go to anywhere in England, and not really see any difference from where you were before.
This is not just boring and ugly, but also means after paying staff, the profits go to some head office, rather than being kept in local economies. Such stores don’t ‘create more local jobs’, as indie shops create better jobs that also invest in towns that employees live in, unlike chain store.
Today over 40% (and likely more) of English towns are considered clones, and if not chain shops, many others are empty or rented out to ‘big charity’ and vaping shops.
A Few Unique Islands (off the Kent coast)
You’ve likely heard of the Isle of Sheppey (just off the North Kent coast) which has seaside towns, a harbour and two nature reserves (home to oystercatchers, redshanks, lapwings and marsh harriers).
Ian Crofton’s book on English islands has an extensive history of this island, which had unexploded bombs being left on the shoreline after World War II. Elmley National Nature Reserve draws birdwatchers with its rare waders and sweeping views.
Smaller islands off Kent’s coast include:
Burntwick Island lies in Medway Estuary, cut off from the mainland by muddy creeks and tidal water. There’s no access by road, but you can see remains of a shepherd’s house (long left with his sheep, due to flooding) and littered Victorian glass and pottery.
The island is now a protected nature reserve, the saltmarsh home to curlews and redshanks. Seals often haul out on its muddy banks.
Burntwick was a hideout for smugglers in the 18th and 19th centuries, and also used as a quarantine site during outbreaks of plague and cholera. Old gravestones are hidden in the grass.
Deadman’s Island was named after finding the remains of 200 men and boys who dyed on ‘floating prisons’ around 200 years ago. Now a protected wetland, nobody visits.
The Fairytale Castles of Kent
Leeds Castle sits in a broad moat, with water reflecting walls and windows like a mirror. It can feel more like a palace in parts, because the interiors aim for elegance as much as defence. Outside, the grounds are a big part of the appeal, especially if you’re travelling with family or want a slower pace.
Hever Castle is smaller and cosier, with strong Tudor links that give it a courtly edge. The rooms feel closer, and you get a clearer sense of how people moved through a household. The lake and gardens can easily take longer than you expect.
Dover Castle sits high on the white cliffs, facing the Channel like a guard on night duty. The site has layers of military use, so you get more than one story in a single visit. Many people come for the sense of position, because you can see why this place mattered for warning and control.
The History of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer is known as ‘the father of English literature’ (many of us remember A-levels trying to fathom out Olde English in his Canterbury Tales – stories of pilgrims travelling to the ancient city). He’s buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.
There is no evidence to suggest Chaucer actually visited the historic city of Canterbury, but it has been a pilgrimage site since the assassination of the Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.
It’s also thought that he would have attended the funeral of the brother of the Duke of Lancaster (he was a household member), and that tomb is in Canterbury Cathedral.
Geoffrey Chaucer was likely a butler to aristocrats, with his son Thomas being Speaker of the House of Commons for several years (who bought Donnington Castle in Berkshire for his daughter).
Alice Chaucer was married at age just 11 (her husband dying soon after, leaving her a wealthy widow before her teens).
Back in the days of Chaucer, most people in England spoke French and Latin, hence the difficult language the (unfinished) tales are written in.
