LEEDS CASTLE
Leeds Castle, confusing not in the city of Leeds, was built nearly 900 years ago and has been a residence of notable English monarchs like King Henry VIII and his first wife Catharine of Aragon. The picturesque stone castle is surrounded by a moat and acres of lush green countryside. Once you pay the £18.50 entrance fee you are given free reign to roam the grounds and walk through the castle rooms, themed in period dress from the 1500s to the 1920s.
Once you have been adequately acquainted with the castle's history, cross back over the moat off the island to the small snack shop for some warm hot chocolate and bagged traditional sweets. Take in the renovated stables and cobblestone square.
Just beyond the snack shop is the Culpeper Garden, an English villa and garden that originally served as the castle's kitchen garden in the 1600s. Follow the lakeside path a bit further on, past the aviary, and find yourself in a spiraling yew maze that ends in a dark and damp grotto underground. This bit of childish fun shouldn't be passed up.
After all of the time spent on your feet, treat yourself to the 50 pence train ride across the grounds back to the main gate. Thrilling for those visitors under the age of five, it's a relaxing way to see new angles of the castle and unexplored corners of the grounds.
Leeds Castle (leeds-castle.com) is a prominent feature in the Kent countryside that has dominated the region's history for hundreds of years. Don't miss out on this national treasure!
CANTERBURY
The medieval town of Canterbury gained name recognition with Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', a rowdy telling of pilgrims' travels to the city, notably written in English (quite scandalous when the royal court was speaking French). But as the story suggests, the town had long been the site of religious pilgrimage, which was only heightened when Archbishop Thomas Beckett was murdered inside the Canterbury Cathedral.
Now the medieval alleys and mews are crammed with an eclectic mix of high street shops and recreation period stores. Wander through the streets and take in the feel of the town as it would have been five hundred years ago, with crammed walkways and narrow storefronts. Don't miss Ye Olde Chocolate Shoppe just outside the cathedral for chili pepper dark chocolate bars and home-made marzipan.
To get the real historic experience, dare to enter The Canterbury Tales Experience (canterburytales.org.uk) on St. Margaret's Street two blocks from the cathedral. Fork over £7.95 to be transported into Chaucer's story complete with the sounds and smells of medieval England.
Emerge from the hour and a half time warp tour and make your way down St. Margaret's street to Canterbury Cathedral (canterbury-cathedral.org). You may not be a pilgrim making a religious trek, but the architecture and history (and the astounding amount of dead important people buried in the walls and under the floors) make this cathedral a site to behold. For £9.50 you are granted free access to the multiple areas of worship, corridors, crypts and courtyards.
Canterbury is a perfect stop-over on your way from London through Kent to the coast.
DOVER
Before you venture to Dover, understand one thing: you are not going to Dover for Dover. You are going for the white cliffs, and the medieval castle. The actual town of Dover is run down, consists of one main street (while it is cobble-stoned it does not capitalize completely on any notion of 'quaint'), and closes down at six in the evening. But all of this is worth looking past, if you are looking past it to the pristine white chalk cliffs at the edge of town.
Drive yourself to the White Cliffs Visitor Centre (nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-thewhitecliffsofdover) and head out on the hour and half hike atop the white cliffs to the South Foreland Lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is closed in the winter, but the trek out there (about two miles) provides breathtaking views across the channel, to France on a clear day.
At points the path runs within feet of the edge of the cliff-side, and no barrier exists between you and a drop down to the water below. Brave the edge for some jaw-dropping photos but don't get so carried away that the gusts get the best of you.
The lighthouse at the end of the path is an understated point of finish for the breathtaking trek. Now just turn around and walk the two miles back to the visitors centre (feel free to stop for some water at their cafe once you emerge winded and sweating from the return journey).
Driving back from the cliffs towards the highway, stop off at Dover Castle (english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/dover-castle/). The site of the stone turreted beauty has origins in the pre-historic Iron Age, and the actual castle was built by Henry II in the 1160s and once hosted Queen Elizabeth I. The fortress was garrisoned continuously until as recently as 1958, and was used during WWII for a series of underground wartime tunnels and hospital.
The £16 entrance fee is a bit hefty (concessions are available) but once inside you are granted access to the entire castle, including the multiple museums, recreations, and the secret wartime tunnels. Check out the Great Tower for endless stone spiral staircases and hidden damp rooms full of chain mail and fake props. It's easy to get lost in the twisting passageways, but make sure you eventually find your way to the top for some one-of-a-kind views of the town, the cliffs, the castle grounds and the channel.
Dover doesn't have much to offer the holiday-maker, so save just an afternoon for the White Cliffs and the castle. If you still have some time after your time in Kent, hop on a ferry at the Dover docks and head to France.
EAT, DRINK, SLEEP
Where to Eat:
The City Fish Bar, in Canterbury, serves up fresh piping hot breaded fish (of all kinds) with chips. Regular fish and chips £6.50. Two blocks from the cathedral on St Margaret’s Street.
Dickens Corner in Dover on the main square. Their classic English breakfast and lunch menu is extremely affordable, and the two story restaurant offers a quaint comfortable atmosphere.
Where to Drink:
The Cherry Tree in Canterbury. Tucked off the main road, this little cosy pub serves real ales at great prices. The crowd is usually heavily students from the nearby university, and a jukebox provides the music for dancing when the place gets crowded later on a Saturday night.
The Eight Bells in Dover. One of the only restaurants open past six on a Saturday night. Not the most original, this family-friendly bar provides drinks for extremely reasonable prices (try two pitchers of cocktails for £10).
Where to Sleep:
The Victoria Hotel, in Canterbury within walking distance to the cathedral, provides a regal atmosphere with thick carpets, leather furniture and canopy beds. Double rooms start at £65 (thevictoriahotel.co.uk).
Westbank Guest House in Dover sits five minutes from the rail station and town center. Double ensuite rooms start at £50 (westbankguesthouse.com).
WHEN TO GO:
See Kent in the late summer or early fall for a festive harvest experience. Avoid the coast in the winter if you are expecting to leisurely, pleasant stroll along the cliffs.
GETTING THERE:
Coaches from London Victoria Coach Station to Canterbury Kent with National Express from £5.50 return, 1 hr 45 min (nationalexpress.com). Trains from London to Canterbury Kent with Southeastern Railway from £50, 1 hr 45 min (southeasternrailway.co.uk).
See more: visitkent.co.uk
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