Art Holiday Travel and Vacation information for Kent

Kent, an important maritime county in SE. of England, bounded N. by the Thames and the North Sea, E. and SE. by the Strait of Dover, S. by the English Channel, SW. by Sussex, and W. by Surrey; greatest length, W. to E., 65 miles; greatest breadth, N. to S., 35 miles; 995,392 acres, population 977,706. The surface of the county is hilly, being traversed E. and W. by the North Downs, a chalk range from 3 to 6 miles in breadth. On the N., along the shores of the Thames and Medway, there is a belt of marsh land, which extends over a mile inland. The greater portion of the seaboard is washed by tidal water. Besides the Thames and Medway, the chief rivers are the Stour and the Darent. The soil is varied and highly cultivated, more especially in the valley of the Medway. All classes of cereals and root produce are abundant, as is also fruit of choice quality, and more hops are grown in Kent than in all the rest of England. The woods are extensive. The chief manufacture of the county is paper, most of the mills being on the banks of the Medway, Cray, and Darent. The Government works and dockyards at Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, &c., employ an immense number of the inhabitants. Fishing is extensively prosecuted along the coast and in the estuaries of the rivers Thames and Medway, of which the oyster beds are especially famous. Historically Kent has greater associations than any other county in England. The county contains 5 lathes, 73 hundreds, 435 parishes, and parts of 6 others, the Cinque Port Liberties of Dover, Hythe, and New Romney, the parliamentary and municipal boroughs of Canterbury, Dover, Gravesend, Hythe, Maidstone, and Rochester (1 member each), the parliamentary boroughs of Chatham, Deptford (part of), Greenwich, Lewisham, and Woolwich (1 member each), and the municipal borough of Deal, Faversham, Folkestone, Margate, Sandwich, and Tenterden. It is almost entirely in the diocese of Canterbury and Rochester. For parliamentary purposes the county is divided into 8 divisions -viz., Western or Sevenoaks, North-Western or Dartford, South-Western or Tunbridge, Mid or Medway, North-Eastern or Faversham, Eastern or St Augustine's, Southern or Ashford, and Isle of Thanet, 1 member for each division; the representation of the county was increased from 6 to 8 members in 1885.
© Bartholemew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1887.

Masses to do and see for all ages, attractive quite intricate countryside; good seaside resorts - old-fashioned without being jaded Canterbury has many fine buildings besides the cathedral itself, including two interesting heritage centres, and well shown Roman remains. Dover is also an excellent place for a day out, and more immediately appealing to most children; its castle is splendid, and the White Cliffs Experience is very well done indeed - a great family favourite.

The zoos at Lympne and Bekesbourne are also outstanding family attractions, and there's lots more in the county to entertain children, including the new wildlife park at Blean. Many (boys, particularly) will love the historic Chatham dockyard, which also has a strong adult appeal. There are several enjoyable steam railways - the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch delightfully quaint.Many excellent gardens are headed by grand Groombridge and Hever, romantic Sissinghurst and (nr Lamberhurst) Scotney Castle, with the new gardens at Hadlow, the comprehensive Brogdale fruit tree collection nr Faversham, and the unusual organic gardens at Yalding all fascinating in their way. Even the most avid appetite for stately homes won't be sated by the remarkable choice here, led by Leeds Castle, Knole nr Sevenoaks, Penshurst Place, Squerryes Court and Chartwell nr Westerham, Ightham Mote and Hever Castle. Among less conventional places, the extraordinary collections at Birchington, the Finchcocks collection of keyboard instruments at Goudhurst, the Hop Farm at Beltring, the bird park at Wingham, the ruined houses and new birds of prey centre at Eynsford, and the rare breeds centre at Woodchurch all stand out - and most have plenty to entertain children.The NE coast has some pleasant resorts dating from pre-railway Victorian days, when well-to-do Londoners came by boat. When the early coastbound railways took people further afield, these forerunners - most notably Broadstairs - settled into a tranquillity that at least to a degree they've kept till today.Inland, the Weald (roughly W of the M20) has peaceful and intimate landscapes of little hills and valleys, small pasture fields and oak woods, and villages with attractive tile-hung and weatherboarded houses, early medieval stone-built churches, and a good smattering of antique shops, teashops and so forth - pleasant territory for pottering about by car. The North Downs between M20 and M2, also N of the M25/M26, are more open; the best parts are above Wye. The flatlands of Romney Marsh have a certain bypassed-by-time appeal. Incidentally, much of E Kent's orchard country tends to be lined by very high hedges that make country drives less interesting.