Kent’s Towns with a Twist!
If you’re searching for something a bit different to do this summer, look no further… We’ve rounded up Kent’s quirkiest towns, attractions and most unusual places for you to visit and enjoy! From destinations with eccentric history and odd landmarks to folklorian significance and creative communities, here are the lesser-known rarities to visit across the county this month.
Once known as the UK’s only desert, Dungeness is a headland on the Kent coast formed mostly of a shingle beach, with a large area of low-lying land that’s home to some of the county’s rarest wildlife. Over 600 species of plants can be found within the borders of Dungeness, making up one third of all those found in England, and the landscape is nothing short of striking, with two looming power stations overlooking this desolate stretch of beach that seems to go on for forever.
Just a stone’s throw from the shoreline, visitors can grab a bite of fish and chips at The Pilot Inn, which was originally constructed in 1633 out of the wrecked timbers of a Spanish ship named The Alfresia. Next to the Inn, you’ll find a sculpture of an airman looking up at the sky, with an information plaque serving as a poignant tribute to the airmen who lost their lives during World War II. Further along the beach, you’ll also be able to see Prospect Cottage, the former home of artist, filmmaker and gay rights’ activist Derek Jarman (1942 – 1994). From the garden’s poetic arrangement of plants to the treasures displayed within the cottage’s walls, you can wander through the same rooms that Jarman’s creative spirit once did. Between 9:30am-4pm until 7 December, make sure to pre-book a visit at creativefolkestone.org.uk.
The Lady in the Woods, Otterden, Maidstone
A nine-foot oak sculpture nestled within the edge of a small Kentish woodland, The Lady in the Woods is shrouded in local mystery. Seemingly pregnant and faceless, with her hands clasped in prayer, it’s thought that she represents the Christian icon of the Virgin Mary. Visiting The Lady in the Woods is a kind of pilgrimage, which visitors of Otterden’s Kite Hill Woods in Maidstone can complete by following the public footpaths and passing by an overgrown railway track to reach the statue. According to legend, she was carved by an Eastern European soldier during World War II, though Otterden’s village noticeboard tells a more believable story: that a student in the 70s came across a fallen oak tree within Kite Hill and tried his hand at woodcarving in the anonymity of the shrouded woodland.
Just a short drive away for those wanting to extend an adventurous day out in nature, Leeds Castle offers its own page in the local history books with plenty for visitors to learn and discover. Steeped in over 900 years of history, Leeds Castle is the perfect location for a historic tour or peaceful stroll through the grounds in the summer sunshine.
A medieval castle in Kent that was once erected on a Roman site, it’s a lesser known fact that Saltwood Castle was the site where the plot to assassinate Thomas Becket was hatched. After the Archbishop of Canterbury was killed by knights of Henry II at Canterbury Cathedral, tradition has it that Thomas Becket’s murder was planned by four knights in the Great Hall of Saltwood Castle.
In the present day, Saltwood Castle is not usually open to the public, though a few times a year visitors can get the chance to explore the castle. With a moat, battlements, a secret garden and plenty of free-roaming peacocks, the site has also been a popular location for TV shows and films such as My Week with Marilyn (2011). Owned by Jane Clark and her dedicated team of staff, the castle hosts regular charity fundraising events, open days and educational tours for private groups. If Kent locals can wait until 7 September, Saltwood Castle’s bi-annual Open Garden and Plant Sale will soon take place, offering plenty of crafts, plants and refreshments for visitors to enjoy from 10am – 4pm within the stunning grounds.
A Grade I listed Elizabethan townhouse, Eastgate House is a unique attraction for literature enthusiasts looking to delve into Kent’s written history. One of the most distinctive buildings on Rochester’s high street, the house was once the family home of Sir Peter Buck, a senior officer at the Royal Tudor Dockyard, as well as a Victorian boarding school, hostel, museum and great inspiration to the author Charles Dickens. Best known for his complex plots and striking characters, Charles Dickens wrote novels including Oliver Twist (1838) and A Christmas Carol (1843), achieving unprecedented popularity both during and after his lifetime. In the gardens of Eastgate House stands Dickens’ Swiss Chalet, the place in which he wrote many of his novels, which was relocated there from his home in Gad’s Hill.
Though visitors can’t yet explore inside Swiss Chalet, Eastgate House itself was restored as part of a £2.2 million Heritage Lottery Funded project and now welcomes guests to the second floor of the house. With its original features and decorative schemes, visitors can explore the remarkable history of those who lived, worked and played within Eastgate House over the centuries, making it a noteworthy stop on a tour of Kent’s most unique towns.
Image by: Louise Hubbard
The Historic Dockyard Chatham’s Victorian Ropery
Rope has been made at The Historic Dockyard Chatham for over 400 years, and The Ropery – alongside its related 18th-century manufacturing buildings – forms the last of four original Royal Navy ropeyards to remain in operation in Britain. With the ancient craft of ropemaking still taking place daily, visitors can be transported back in time with a 30-minute Ropery Experience to learn about its importance in supporting Chatham’s shipbuilding. An opportunity to get hands-on with the ropemaking machine and explore the historic buildings in which the iconic product is made, this is one of Kent’s most unique experiences to partake in this summer. At the Ropery Gallery, visitors can journey through the lives of workers both past and present and enjoy expansive displays of the Des and Liz Pawson rope collection.
With plenty of immersive exhibition galleries throughout The Historic Dockyard Chatham, an admission ticket also includes access to all ships for guests to explore the wider maritime world. With collections from the Royal Museums Greenwich and Imperial War Museums, there are over 70,000 objects to see within them. A guaranteed adventure through the tides of history, those who book online now can pay for a day and visit free for the rest of the year.
A historic pub dating back to the 15th century, The Black Horse originated as a coaching inn that served travellers along the old London to Dover road. With a plethora of well-preserved and characterful features like its timber-framed structure, beamed ceilings and inglenook fireplaces, the pub is a clear glimpse into local history. Over the centuries, The Black Horse has gained a reputation for paranormal activities, with one of the most renowned spirits that inhabit the pub being a young girl who is believed to have died in a fire during the 17th century. Visitors recall seeing her ghost on the upper floors, as well as smelling tobacco smoke from the former landlord who passed away in the 19th century. Reports have been made of objects moving on their own and unusual sounds echoing through the rooms, which only adds to the ghostly tales of Pluckley.
Named the most haunted village in Britain by the Guinness Book of World Records, Pluckley is a lovely place to visit for both skeptics and paranormal enthusiasts, with a wealth of walking trails through the countryside and a handful of quaint shops and cozy cafes to explore.
Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst
A labyrinth of man-made tunnels carved out over hundreds of years, the Chiselhurst Caves form a six-hectare maze below the woodlands of Chislehurst. Once dug for chalk used in lime burning and brickmaking for the building of London, the Chislehurst Caves first opened to the public in 1900 as a showplace. In the present day, visitors can take a 45-minute lamplit tour to learn about the fascinating history of the caves, with tales of their haunted passages and use as the largest deep air-raid shelter outside London during World War II to be told. Once a music venue for dances and concerts between the 50s and 70s, the Chislehurst Caves have a surprising history, and those who aren’t afraid of the dark can venture through them to discover the full story.
Above the caves, there is a Visitor Centre with a cafe open from 9am – 4pm that serves a variety of hot and cold drinks, ice creams and homemade cakes. With plenty of picnic area seating outside, groups of friends and families can enjoy a light lunch after their adventure, and perhaps find a souvenir to commemorate the day at the on-site gift shop.
Folkestone Creative Quarter, Folkestone
Folkestone’s Creative Quarter is an urban village of designers, musicians, filmmakers and artists that occupies a hive of 115 studios and offices as well as over 50 shops in the vibrant coastal town. A place to watch artists paint in their galleries, sign up to crafting classes or see bars transform into micro-performances spaces, the Creative Quarter is a playground for creative and digital businesses.
This year until 19 October, the Folkestone Triennial returns to the town’s cobbled streets with the theme How Lies the Land? One of the UK’s leading exhibitions of contemporary art in public space, the triennial invites artists from across the world to make new pieces that respond to the town’s deep histories and coastal landscapes. Featuring the work of 18 artists from 15 different countries, each has been invited to explore themes of migration, community, climate change and ancestral memories in their work, creating everything from large-scale installations to immersive soundscapes.
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