Kent tipped as great destination

Many visitors to England booking return trips on Dover to Calais ferries may pass through Kent quickly en route to London, but in doing so they could miss everything the county known as the "Garden of England" has to offer.

Holly Buggins, marketing coordinator for VisitKent.co.uk, noted that there is much to see before even leaving Dover.

"Dover Castle is obviously a highlight and [so is] Leeds Castle," she said, adding that historical features of the county also include, such as Canterbury Cathedral and the naval dockyards at Chatham.

Chatham is one of the Medway towns located on the county's northern coast by the Thames estuary, an area also famous for the fact Charles Dickens lived there in later life.

Ms Buggins said this provides the theme for a key family-friendly attraction.

"For children, there's Dickens World in Chatham - it's basically an attraction that's all set in Dickensian age. There are rides and things, great big attractions, but when you walk in it's like going back in time - everyone's in costume, it's really magical," she remarked.

Families could also enjoy some heritage railway rides in the south of the county towards the Channel Coast, such as the Kent and East Sussex railway, which Ms Buggins described as a "must see".

She also recommended Port Lympne Animal Park and this area lies close to another rail attraction, the narrow gauge Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. This runs close to the south coast between Hythe and Dungeness.

Like most of southern England, Kent is not particularly hilly, but the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Kent Downs Way do offer some fine walking, which may be particularly colourful this autumn.

After a good day's walking, visitors may want to settle down with a local tipple, with Kent being famous for its hop houses and brewing.

Ms Buggins recommended that visitors take in the Sheperd Neame brewery tour, a chance to look round the country's oldest brewery, which is based in Faversham.

Posted by Mark Robinson
 

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