Kent hotels accommodation, attractions and
travel information
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MAIN TOWNS IN Kent - Ashford Bexley Borough Green Broadstairs
Canterbury Chatham Cranbrook Crawley Dartford Deal Ditton Dover
East Malling Edenbridge Faversham Folkestone Gillingham Gravesend
Herne Bay Hythe Isle of Sheppey Maidstone Margate Meopham Ramsgate
Rochester Sevenoaks Sheerness Sittingbourne Staplehurst Swanley
Tenterden Tonbridge Tunbridge Wells Wadhurst West Malling Whitstable. |
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Ashford. Ashford is located on the A28, just 10 minutes from
the Channel Tunnel, 20 minutes from Dover and 38 miles from the
M25. It is about 1 mile south of Junction 9 of the M20 linking
the M25 Motorway at Swanley (London), to Folkestone. Ashford's
International Station sees the Eurostar arrive and depart for
Lille, Paris, Brussels and Disneyland Paris. The town is about
14 miles northwest of Folkstone and 12 miles southwest of Canterbury.
It is enjoying a growing tourist trade. Book: A-Z Kent Street Atlas. |
More information and
accommodation : Ashford.
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Bexley. Bexley is about 1/2 mile to the south of the A2.
The A2, together with the M2 Motorway, runs from London to Dover.
Bexley is about 65 miles from Dover and 14 miles from London,
about 5 miles west of Junction 2 of the M 25 Motorway. Bexley
is bordered by Greenwich to the west and Dartford to the east,
while Bromley lies to the south. It has rail services into London
and the A2 and A20 make Bexley an excellent base for day trips
to the capital or for touring rural Kent. Bexley: |
More information and
accommodation : Bexley.
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Borough Green. The M 26 is a short motorway between the M25 (Sevenoaks)
and the M20 (Maidstone). Borough Green is about 5 miles from
Sevenoaks. Borough Green is situated around the junction of what
is now the A25 and A227. This was the origin of the hamlet, an
ideal spot for wheelwrights, blacksmiths and inns. The Roman
Military Way Westward was the forerunner of the A25. Traders
and merchandise from Gravesend on their way to Tonbridge and
beyond were the source of the A227 route. It is thought that
Borough Green was the site for games and sports for the area,
not a village green, but a "Borough Green". Borough Green: |
More information and
accommodation : Borough
Green.
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Broadstairs. Broadstairs is located on the A255, a quiet town
on the Kent coast between Margate and Ramsgate on the Isle of
Thanet. Broadstairs is about 17 miles to the east of Canterbury
and close to Kent International airport. It is sometimes referred
to as the Jewel in Thanet's Crown. Smuggling was prevalent in
Broadstairs for many years and Charles Dickens lived and wrote
here. There are a number of bays and coves in and around Broadstairs,
all of which are sandy, quiet and undeveloped. Broadstairs: |
More information and
accommodation : Broadstairs.
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Canterbury. Canterbury is located on the A28, about 15 miles
northeast of Junction 9 of the M20 and 1 mile east of the A2.
It is about 7 miles south of Whitstable and 14 miles northwest
of Dover. Canterbury is one of England's most venerable cities.
Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church
together form a world heritage site, attracting over 2.5 million
visitors every year, with the Roman and early Christian ruins,
Norman castle and medieval warren of Tudor dwellings. Canterbury: |
More information and
accommodation : Canterbury.
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Chatham. One of the Medway towns, Chatham is located on the
A2, about 2 miles east of Junction 2 of the M2 and 7 miles north
of Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. Chatham is about 2 miles east
of Rochester on the river Medway, 2 miles west of Gillingham
and 8 miles north of Maidstone. Chatham has a naval dock history,
and in recent years the old docks have been developed into a
heritage centre. Chatham: |
More information and
accommodation : Chatham.
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Cranbrook. Cranbrook is located just off the A229, 8 miles
to the west of Tenterden. It is about 12 miles south of Maidstone
and 12 miles east of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Cranbrook is known
as the Capital of the Kentish Weald. It is a peaceful small town
of weatherboarded houses, surrounded by orchards and farmland.
The narrow medieval streets are lined with pretty old houses,
every one different from its neighbour. Three miles away are
the world-famous Sissinghurst Gardens, created by Vita Sackville-West
and one of the most visited gardens in England. Cranbrook: |
More information and
accommodation : Cranbrook.
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Dartford. Dartford has always played a big part in England's
history, due to its location next to the River Thames and close
to London. The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing is one of Europe's
most heavily used crossings and complex traffic management systems.
Spanning the Thames between Dartford and Thurrock, the crossing
forms a vital link in the M25, Britain's most important orbital
road. Dartford is about 1 mile north of Junction 2 of the M25,
about 7 miles west of Gravesend and 3 miles east of Bexley. Dartford: |
More information and
accommodation : Dartford.
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Deal.
Deal is a small fishing community and quiet seaside resort located
on the A258, about 7 miles north of Dover. It is about 5 miles
south of Sandwich and 16 miles east of Canterbury. Deal is a
town of quaint streets and old buildings, many with a smuggling
history and under the town there is a warren of smugglers tunnels.
Deal's finest building is the Tudor Deal Castle, commissioned
by King Henry VIII and designed with an attractive rose floor
plan. Deal: |
More information and
accommodation : Deal.
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Ditton. Ditton is a large village near Maidstone, about
5 miles south of Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. It is about
3 miles northwest of Maidstone, 10 miles north of Tonbridge and
6 miles east of Borough Green. The first mention of Ditton is
in the Domesday Book with an entry dated 1086, at that time the
village had in total only 36 dwellings. Ditton is a long narrow
parish which straddles the A20 (the old Dover to London Road). Ditton: |
More information and
accommodation : Ditton.
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Dover. Dover is one of the world's busiest and most successful
ports. It is located about 8 miles east of Junction 13 of the
M20, with Folkstone about 7 miles to the west and Deal about
7 miles to the north. The A2 takes traffic into and out of Dover,
through Canterbury about 14 miles to the northwest. Views of
Dover's famous white cliffs are best enjoyed from a boat several
miles out to sea. Dover: |
More information and
accommodation : Dover.
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East Malling. East Malling is a quiet unspoilt village in Kent,
about 3 miles south of Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. It is
located just off the A228, about 1 mile south of Ditton, 3 miles
west of Maidstone and 9 miles north of Tonbridge. East Malling
has a railway station in the centre, within easy walking distance
of the houses in the village. London is only one hour away by
train. East Malling: |
More information and
accommodation : East Malling.
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Edenbridge. Edenbridge is a town in the Weald of Kent, near
the point where the borders of Kent, Surrey and Sussex meet.
Edenbridge lies on the B2026,about 8 miles south of junction
6 of the M25. It is about 8 miles southwest of Sevenoaks, 4 miles
south of Westerham and 3 miles east of Lingfield. Gatwick Airport
is about 12 miles to the west. Edenbridge is an attractive small
town with many medieval black and white timbered buildings, one
of which houses the Eden Valley Museum. The village grew up as
the crossing point of the river Eden, with the high street paved
by the Romans in about 100AD. This provided a route for the wood
and iron found in the Ashdown Forest to be taken to London. Edenbridge: |
More information and
accommodation : Edenbridge.
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Faversham. Faversham is one of the most charming and historic
small towns in southern England, located between the rural beauty
of the Downs and the sweeping flatlands of the north Kent marshes.
It is located just off the A2, 2 miles west of Junction 7 of
the M2. It lies 5 miles east of Sittingbourne, 7 miles southwest
of Whitstable and 9 miles west of Canterbury. Faversham and the
surrounding villages have excellent transport links and are easily
reached from the M2, A2, M20, the Thanet Way and Ashford International.
There are fast, direct rail services from London, Dover and Ramsgate. Faversham: |
More information and
accommodation : Faversham.
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Folkestone. Folkstone is a ferryport and resort town with a
harbour and sandy beaches, located about 3 miles south of Junction
13 of the M20. It is about 7 miles west of Dover, 12 miles southeast
of Ashford and 12 miles south of Canterbury. Folkstone attracts
visitors with its narrow cobbled streets and famous clifftop
marine promenade, the Leas. The Victorian Leas Lift transports
passengers up and down from the Marine Parade to the marine promenade.
Folkestone: |
More information and
accommodation : Folkestone.
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Gillingham. Gillingham is in the borough of Kent, and together
with Rochester and Chatham, forms part of a conurbation known
as the Medway Towns, gathered around an S-bend on the river Medway.
It is located about 4 miles east of Junction 2 of the M2, about
35 miles from London and 45 miles from Dover. It is about 2 miles
east of Chatam, 3 miles east of Rochester and 3 miles west of
Rainham. Gillingham: |
More information and
accommodation : Gillingham.
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Gravesend. Gravesend is a town on the south bank of the Thames,
opposite Tilbury and the docks. It is located about 10 miles
northeast of Junction 1 of the M20 and about 1 mile north of
the A2. It lies on the A226 with Rochester about 6 miles to the
east and Dartford about 7 miles to the west. Gravesend has one
of the oldest surviving markets in the country, its earliest
charter dating from 1268.
Gravesend: |
More information and
accommodation : Gravesend.
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Herne Bay. Herne Bay is located just off the A299, with Whitstable
about 5 miles to the west and Margate about 10 miles to the east.
Canterbury is about 7 miles to the south while Dover, the south
coast and ferry ports are about 25 miles away. Herne Bay has
a handsome Neoclassical clock tower on the seafront and the King's
Hall, further east, with its slender wrought -iron colonnade.
From Herne Bay, boat trips will take you to an offshore sandbank,
home to a large herd of seals.
Herne Bay: |
More information and
accommodation : Herne
Bay.
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Hythe. Hythe is a sedate seaside resort bisected by the
disused waterway of the Royal Military Canal. It is located on
the A259, about 3 miles south of Junction 11 of the M20. It lies
about 4 miles west of Folkstone, 5 miles northeast of Dymchurch
and about 10 miles southeast of Ashford. Along the coast, the
sweep of beach is puncuated by Martello Towers, part of the chain
of 74 defensive citadels built in the early 19th century. The
world's smallest public railway, the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch
Railway, is a 15- inch -gauge line which runs the 14 miles from
Hythe to Dungeness. Hythe: |
More information and
accommodation : Hythe.
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Isle of Sheppey. The Isle of Sheppey is a small (36 square miles)
island off the northern coast of Kent in the Thames Estuary,
25 miles to the east of central London. The Isle Of Sheppey is
a superb sailing environment less than an hour from London, boasting
some of the finest and least congested sailing waters in the
UK. The sailing club at Sheerness is one of the oldest in the
country. The Isle Of Sheppey is one of the best locations for
collecting fossils from the London Clay, and is famous for its
wide variety of finds.
Isle of Sheppey: |
More information and
accommodation : Isle of
Sheppey.
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Maidstone. Maidstone is Kent's principal commercial, industrial
and agricultural centre. It is Kent's county town and stands
in a countryside of orchards and hopfields on the River Medway.
Maidstone is about 7 miles southwest of Junction 5 of the M2
and about 1 mile south of Junction 7 of the M20. It is about
8 miles south of Chatham and 8 miles north of Staplehurst. Leeds
castle is 5 miles east of Maidstone, a fairytale palace, the
stone castle dates from Norman times and is set half on an island
inthe middle of a lake and half on the mainland surrounded by
landscaped gardens. Maidstone: |
More information and
accommodation : Maidstone.
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Margate. Margate forms part of the Isle of Thanet resorts,
along with Broadstairs and Ramsgate, a 2-hour journey from London.
It is located on the A28, 10 miles east of Herne Bay and 14 miles
northeast of Canterbury. Margate is about 20 miles from Dover.
There have been two centuries of tourism at Margate, at its peak
thousands of holiday- makers from London took the ferry down
the Thames every day, to disembark at Margate's pier. Today there
are caves to explore, once used by local smugglers, the ancient
Shell Grotto, the long sandy beach, shops in the "old town",
Dreamland with its hair-raising rides, a local museum and many
other places of interest.
Margate: |
More information and
accommodation : Margate.
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Meopham. Meopham is a large rural Parish just 5 miles south
of Gravesend and the River Thames. There are four villages that
comprise the Parish of Meopham - Hook Green, Meopham Green, Culverstone
and Harvel. Between them they possess a wealth of historic buildings
with village greens, a Country Park with footpaths, bridleways
and byways which crosses miles of attractive landscapes and open
country. Meopham is located on the A227, about 5 miles north
of junction 2 of the M20.
Meopham: |
More information and
accommodation : Meopham.
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Ramsgate. Ramsgate is a handsome resort, and a working and
commercial ferry port with a marina. It forms part of the Isle
of Thanet resorts, along with Broadstairs and Margate. Ramsgate
is located on the A253, about 20 miles north of Dover and about
15 miles east of Canterbury. Most of the redbrick Victorian town
is set high on the cliff, linked to the seafront and harbour
by broad sweeping ramps.
Ramsgate: |
More information and
accommodation : Ramsgate.
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Rochester. Rochester, along with Chatham and Gillingham, forms
a conurbation known as the Medway towns. It is about 2 miles
east of Junction 2 of the M2 and about 7 miles north of Junction
4 of the M20 Motorway. It is about 7 miles southeast of Gravesend
and 8 miles north of Maidstone. Rochester has a handsome High
Street lined with antique shops, cafes and pubs housed in old
half-timbered and weatherboarded buildings. Rochester was the
home of Charles Dickens and many town buildings feature in his
novels. Rochester: |
More information and
accommodation : Rochester.
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Sevenoaks. Sevenoaks is set among the green sand ridges of
west Kent, 25 miles from London. The town is surrounded by beautiful
countryside and picturesque villages. Sevenoaks is about 3 miles
east of Junction 5 of the M25. It is located about 20 miles west
of Maidstone and 7 miles north of Tonbridge. The town is home
to the National Trust's Knole Park with its stunning acres of
deer park and to The Vine cricket ground - the oldest in England.
There is a wide variety of historic properties within a short
distance of the centre and many beautiful gardens to visit. Sevenoaks: |
More information and
accommodation : Sevenoaks.
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Sheerness. Sheerness is a commercial port and main town on
the Isle of Sheppey, a small (36 square miles) island off the
northern coast of Kent in the Thames Estuary, about 25 miles
to the east of central London. Sheerness is located on the A249,
on the north coast of the island. It is about 8 miles north of
Sittingbourne. Sheerness owes much to its origins as a Royal
Naval dockyard town. Samuel Pepys established the Royal Navy
Dockyard in the 17th Century and it would probably have become
one of the foremost naval bases in the country had it not been
flooded during construction.
Sheerness: |
More information and
accommodation : Sheerness.
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Sittingbourne. Sittingbourne is a modern market town located about
4 miles east of Junction 5 of the M2. It lies on the A2, about
5 miles west of Faversham, 4 miles east of Rainham and 9 miles
north of Maidstone. Sittingbourne is about 45 miles from London
and 30 miles from Dover. The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light
Railway is the preserved southern half of the former Bowater's
Industrial Railway, which, until 1969, was used to convey both
raw materials and finished paper products between the mills at
Sittingbourne and Kemsley, and the docks at Ridham. Sittingbourne: |
More information and
accommodation : Sittingbourne.
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Staplehurst. Staplehurst in Kent lies on the A229 Maidstone to
Hawkhurst road, about 8 miles south of Maidstone and 7 miles
north of Hawkhurst. It is about 9 miles south of junction 7 of
the M20. The Dover to London train service passes through Staplehurst
and provides a fast and regular service to the Capital. Staplehurst
church stands on a hill, surrounded by black and white timber
framed houses, this is the oldest part of the village and is
the most picturesque.
Staplehurst: |
More information and
accommodation : Staplehurst.
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Swanley. Swanley is located just off the A20, about 1 mile
west of junction 3 of the M25. It is about 5 miles south of Dartford
and 3 miles east of Sidcup. Swanley is two separate places -
a town and a village. The ancient parish and village of Swanley
has now been overtaken by the town, about a mile to the north,
which began life as three houses before the advent of the railway
and the arrival of the Rochester - St Mary Cray railway line
in 1861. Swanley: |
More information and
accommodation : Swanley.
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Tenterden. Tenterden lies on the A28, on the border of the
dense woodlands that run down to the Romney Marshes. It is about
10 miles southwest of Ashford and Junction 9 of the M20, about
7 miles est of Cranbrook and 10 miles southeast of Staplehurst.
Tenterden was once an important centre of the Broadcloth manufacturing
industry. Tenterden’s beautiful architecture includes white-painted
weatherboarding. The beautiful church of St Mildred dates from
1180. Tenterden: |
More information and
accommodation : Tenterden.
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Tonbridge. The bustling town of Tonbridge is situated on the
River Medway, on the A26. It is about 4 miles north of Royal
Tunbridge Wells and 7 miles south of Sevenoaks and the M25. Tonbridge
is an ancient town dominated by its magnificent Norman Castle,
with medieval gatehouse and Motte and Bailey. Attractive timber
framed buildings can be found throughout the town. Tonbridge: |
More information and
accommodation : Tonbridge.
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Tunbridge Wells. Royal Tunbridge Wells lies at the heart of one of
the most scenic stretches of countryside in England, located
on the A26. It is about 4 miles south of Tonbridge and 6 miles
northeast of Crowborough. The Chalybeate Spring was discovered
in 1606 and soon visitors from London and elsewhere flocked to
'the Wells' to try the waters. Today Tunbridge Wells remains
a popular place to live and to visit as it maintains much of
its original charm and elegance. Tunbridge Wells: |
More information and
accommodation : Tunbridge
Wells.
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Wadhurst. Wadhurst is a small market town about 6 miles south
east of Tunbridge Wells and around 21 miles directly north of
Eastbourne. It is located just off the A21, with Crowborough
about 7 miles to the west. Wadhurst is about 50 miles from London.
The town lies on a high ridge of the Weald - a range of wooded
hills running across Sussex and Kent between the North Downs
and the South Downs. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul dominates
the centre of the town. Wadhurst: |
More information and
accommodation : Wadhurst.
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West Malling. West Malling is a fascinating little village, picturesque
and lively with many historical buildings. It is located about
1 mile south of Junction 4 of the M20, 2 miles west of Ditton
and 5 miles east of Borough Green. Prior House in King Street
is thought to have been a leper hospital, it is now a medieval
hall house and a fine example of what many of the houses in West
Malling were like before modern alterations were made. West Malling: |
More information and
accommodation : West Malling.
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Whitstable. Whitstable lies on the North Kent coast, 60 miles
east of London and 6 miles north of Canterbury. It lies just
off the A299 with Herne Bay about 4 miles to the east. As a fishing
port, Whitstable is famous for its oysters and celebrates with
the famous summer Oyster Festival in July each year. Oysters
and other fruits of the sea can be enjoyed in local restaurants
and pubs or taken home from the superb fresh fish market at the
harbour. Whitstable: |
More information and
accommodation : Whitstable.
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Kent
Attractions |
