DISCOVER KENT

No matter your age or your interests we can only scratch the surface of what this beautiful county offers. Kent has an incredible number of historic landmarks, including Leeds Castle near Maidstone, Hever Castle near Tonbridge and Dover Castle down on the east Kent coast. The Hop Farm at Paddock Wood shares Kent’s rural history, our naval history is celebrated at Chatham Dockyard, Canterbury boasts an ancient Roman wall and stunning cathedral and the Battle of Britain is commemorated on the Kent coast at Capel Le Ferne. Railways, breweries, wineries, country parks, the list goes on and on.

If a change of scene means a move for the whole family, then discover the superb schools on offer across the county – from pre-school and primary to secondary schools, including grammars and special needs schools. For those interested in higher education, the county is home to the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, with a number of London universities within commuting distance. Local colleges include Mid Kent College, South and West Kent College and Canterbury College, each of which offer a range of programmes from vocational courses to higher education qualifications.

Kent is one of the best-connected counties in the UK. If you travel by car the M20 and M2 link the south and east of Kent to the M25. By train, the HS1 high speed service runs through Kent into London St Pancras, and we have many lines running into London Bridge, Charing Cross and Victoria. In addition, you can use the Eurostar or Channel Tunnel to get to Europe by train. Four major airports (Gatwick, Heathrow, London City and Stansted) are all within reasonable driving distance or accessible by train and if you want to go abroad by sea, the ports of Dover and Ramsgate offer a variety of services to the continent.

From designer bargains to independent boutiques, Kent is home to a fantastic variety of shops including Bluewater at Dartford, McArthur Glen Designer Outlet at Ashford, and Westfield Cross at Stratford. Maidstone has been ranked as one of the top five shopping centres in the southeast and the Fremlin Walk shopping centre houses a range of top fashion labels. The historic Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells offers high-end stores and boutiques, as well as classy bars and eateries.