A Guide to the County of Kent, Naturally
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.
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!
If out walking, always follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. If at the coast, read about how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.
The History and Purpose of Kent’s Oast Houses
Oat 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).
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).
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.
The (sometimes green) White Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are one of England’s most iconic landmarks, which you can see nearly all the way to France (just 21 miles) on a clear day, or from the ferry. The are white due to erosion of fine limestone, but in areas protected from erosion, plants grow on them, so they are green!
The cliffs are home to many unique plants and insects (like pyramidal orchids and chalkhill blue butterflies).
Stay on marked trails, as chalk edges crumble easily. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a windproof jacket. And always take litter home, to keep plants and wildlife safe.
Obviously keep dogs away from cliffs (The National Trust has a useful page of tips to keep dogs, livestock and marine creatures safe, if visiting the area with your pooch).
No Bluebirds on the White Cliffs!
Despite the iconic song from forces sweetheart Vera Lynn, there are no bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover. At least none have ever been spotted, though many other birds have!
The tune had an anti-war message, looking forward to a day when there would be peace. Vera’s friend Harry Secombe joked that Churchill did not beat the Nazis – Vera ‘sang them to death!)’ She lived to 103, spending her last days in the village of Ditchling, the highest point in East Sussex.
In 2009, feisty Vera took the BNP to court, for using her song on an anti-immigration album, without her permission. She was concerned this would link her name to far-right views. It later transpired that the party had not realised another song was by a black artist, and another by Jewish songwriter Irving Berlin.
Vera lost the case, as the song was by now in the public domain. A spokesman for the BNP said of our national heroine: ‘She can complain, but it’s not going to do her any good’. Charming.
Three Leafy Kent Towns
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.
Unique English Islands (just 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.
A County of Many, Many Castles!
Kent is full of regal castles, likely due to its location on the coast (castles were of course built to protect from invasion). Leeds Castle (nowhere near Yorkshire) is sometimes called the most beautiful in the world, and sits on an island, between two lakes.
Other Kent castles are at Dover (above the white cliffs) and Hever (includes rose gardens, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn).
The History of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
Many of us remember trying to fathom out Olde English for a-levels when studying Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – stories of pilgrims travelling to the ancient city).
Back in the days of Chaucer, most people in England spoke French and Latin, hence the difficult language the (unfinished) tales are written in.
There’s no evidence that Chaucer actually visited this historic city, but it’s been a pilgrimage site since the assassination of the Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.
