A Knight’s Stay at Leeds Castle in Kent
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love castles. I love learning about the history of the castles and being…
The county of Kent in south east England is home to 2 of the the UK’s oldest cathedrals, including Canterbury Cathedral, England’s oldest. The cathedral has been the seat of the archbishops of Canterbury since the 6th century. Canterbury Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was founded in 597 but was completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077.
Southwest of Canterbury is the medieval village of Chilham. Thomas Becket is said to have been buried in the church yard here. Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is said to have been murdered by 4 knights after he fell out with King Henry II. After his death he was canonised by Pope Alexander III and his remains were then moved to Canterbury Cathedral.
The second oldest cathedral in England is Rochester Cathedral in Kent which was founded and consecrated in 604 and is a grade 1 listed building.
The county of Kent, as you can imagine, is full of history and heritage. Deal Castle was built between 1539 and 1540 by Henry VIII. He built it to protect England against invasion from France and the Roman Empire.
The rich history of Kent has at times been synonymous with smuggling on the coast. The area was rife with illicit gangs such as Joss Snelling’s, the Callis Court Gang, associated with the ‘Battle of Botany Bay’ in spring 1769.
Not only does this county have a deep heritage, it has a vast amount of stunning coastal walks. The White Cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle beckon, as do stunning, inland countryside areas, such as Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve near Sandwich.
Kent offers plenty of tourist attractions, opportunities for walks and excellent places to stay.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love castles. I love learning about the history of the castles and being…
Having been told by a friend of mine, Paula, that she was going to a village in Kent that was…
I love nothing more than a cooked breakfast and I’m always looking for new and different variations on the “Full…
We’d been to Brogdale Farm, Kent, for some of their summer events and had a train ride around the Orchard…
We hadn’t been to Mount Ephraim in Kent for a few years and I was reminded just how beautiful the…
We’d been to the Aisled Barn in Littlebourne, Canterbury, Kent, lots of times for summer and Christmas fayres and also…
I’d seen the promotional photos for this afternoon tea and I absolutely loved the idea of having it all served…
Quex Park is a country estate in Birchington which is near Margate in Kent. It’s 250 acres of parkland and…
We needed a really good walk and found this hidden gem in one of our Kent walking books. The Warren…
Whitstable is a small, unique, delightfully quirky, seaside, fishing town in east Kent. It is packed full of lovely independent…
I love this walk from Hampton. Hampton is one of my favourite coastal walks. It has a wide promenade and…
I do love castles and this is one of my favourites in Kent. There’s nothing better on a sunny day…