The Heart of Kent gives you a great balance of attractions, history and green expanses of English Countryside. This area is very centrally located and is a great springboard to explore the rest of South East England, London and Europe! Nestled in this area is the picture postcard town of Tenterden in the south with it’s coffee shops, eateries and boutiques.
Right in the middle of the county is Ashford which provides fast links up to London (30 minutes) and internationally by Eurostar, also with it’s designer outlet. Further North are the towns of Faversham which has a great traditional cinema which will take you back to bygone times and Sittingbourne with the stately Doddington Place Gardens.
Littered with small villages full of character in some truly stunning ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ there are some pretty sights to see in this area. Historic pubs, inns, ancient churches and ruins are found dotted along the Pilgrims Way which forges its way through the North Downs as a part of its medieval route. You also have a vast range of manor houses and country estates to choose from whether it is dining at Eastwell Manor near Ashford or exploring the pristine gardens and house at Hole Park in Rolvenden.
Being in the Heart of Kent you have very good access to a vast selection of amenities and attractions from shopping in Ashford’s Designer Outlet, dining in a Michelin Star restaurants or even taking a day trip into London or France via the high speed rail links.
Regular events are often held for a whole range of activities ranging from walking/rambling in the countryside to high octane motor sports at the Brands Hatch race circuit or music concerts, classical to rock, all around the region.
Kings Wood, between Ashford and Canterbury, has a captivating display of various sculptures and seasonal exhibitions with the Stour Valley Arts project, there are some really interesting pieces and a great forest to explore. There is a small bakery in the village of Wye which offers some tasty treats freshly baked from scratch on the day, there is also an acclaimed farmers market in the square every first and third Saturday of each month selling fresh and local produce.
Eating out is adorned with a great choice of restaurants from Michelin Starred Reads Restaurant in Faversham, tie this in with a trip to the famous Shepherd’s Neame Brewery, to The Secret Garden just outside of Ashford cooking up fresh local and garden produce, there are some excellent eateries with local and seasonal food as well as beautiful scenery to top it off.
You can probably gather that the Heart of Kent is not only a great place to explore this part of the UK but also one of the most central to base your stay – giving you fast access to the rest of the county, London, the South East and Europe. There are endless things waiting to be explored in the Heart of Kent.