Historic Places in Kent

Uncover the incredible history of England’s mightiest castle. A day out at Dover Castle is a day out you’ll never forget. With just one ticket you’ll practice defending your own castle and burn off some energy in the Siege Play Area, climb the Medieval Great Tower to discover the pomp and pageantry of King Henry II’s court or take a tour in the Secret Wartime Tunnels where the story of Operation Dynamo is brought to life. Walk to the newly opened viewpoint for that perfect selfie or group photo with the castle in the background, and round off your day with delicious food and drink in one of the cafés.

Canterbury Cathedral is the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and one of the most historically and architecturally significant Christian buildings in the world, a cathedral of nearly two thousand years of continuous worship whose Norman and Gothic architecture, extraordinary crypt and world-famous associations with the martyrdom of Thomas Becket make it one of the essential heritage destinations in England. The cathedral has been a place of Christian worship since the mission of St Augustine in 597 and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior figure in the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the Anglican churches worldwide. The assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in the cathedral in December 1170, cut down by four knights of Henry II at the altar steps of the north transept in circumstances that made the archbishop immediately a martyr of international significance, transformed Canterbury into one of the greatest pilgrimage centres in medieval Christendom. The shrine of St Thomas, erected over the saint's tomb and enriched over centuries with jewels and gold offered by grateful pilgrims, became one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in Europe, a status celebrated in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Henry VIII destroyed the shrine in 1538 and appropriated its treasures, but the pilgrimage tradition is commemorated throughout the cathedral. The architecture of the cathedral spans nearly a thousand years of development from the Norman crypt of Archbishop Lanfranc, begun in 1070 and one of the finest Romanesque crypts in England, through the early Gothic of the Trinity Chapel and Corona where Becket's remains were translated, to the perpendicular Gothic of the fifteenth-century nave. The thirteenth-century stained glass in the Trinity Chapel windows, telling the story of miracles attributed to St Thomas, is among the finest medieval glass in existence. Canterbury's position on the medieval Pilgrim's Way from London to the cathedral and the survival of historic buildings including the West Gate and the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey provide a setting of considerable historical depth around the cathedral itself.

Eynsford Castle is a medieval castle overlooking the River Darent in Eynsford, Kent. Eynsford Castle is a Norman enclosure castle now in ruins. The original castle consisted of a bailey protected by a stone curtain wall, with an outer bailey beyond the wall. There is little evidence left of the outer bailey. The inner bailey is now little more than an earth mound surrounded by a curtain wall and moat. The curtain wall was about 9 m tall and about 2 m wide and parts of it still stand to the full height. The inner bailey was reached by a bridge over the moat. the original bridge has long since disappeared, with the current wooden bridge built in the 1960s. Facilities There is a small car park on the site. Parts of the site are wheelchair accessible, but some areas are accessed by steps. Eynsford Castle was built by the Eynsford family in the 11th century. A new hall was built in the 12th century along with a new gatehouse. The wall was also heightened around this time. In the 14th century, a dispute over castle ownership resulted in the castle being vandalized and later left vacant. The castle went on to be used a hunting kennels and stables during the 18th century until the mid 19th century. The north side of the curtain wall round the bailey collapsed in the 19th century, and some of the terrace edge is now retained with a concrete wall. Ownership of the castle was transferred to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1937, and later guardianship was passed to the Ministry of Works in 1948. The castle is now owned by English Heritage. Legends In 2018, the tabloid press reported stories about a 'black monk' ghost at Eynsford Castle. A visitor had apparently taken photographs with a mysterious black cloaked figure in the background. Was it a ghost or was there perhaps a more down to earth explanation?

Often mistaken for being in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, Leeds Castle is situated four miles south of Maidstone, Kent in the south of England. Set in 500 acres of parkland and beautiful gardens the renovated castle is accessed via a stone bridge across a moat. The site comprises of a medieval gatehouse, a Tudor tower, an elevated French gloriette or garden building and a two storey 19th century house extending out into the moat at the rear. Facilities Open from 10am every day, there are a huge range of things for visitors to do from self guided audio or family audio tours; taking visitors through the castle's history from the servants eyes, to playing a round of golf at the 9 hole golf course or taking a balloon flight. For a more sedate visit the Culpeper, Woodland and Mediterranean gardens with internationally renowned aviaries and free roaming birds are the place to visit for a quiet stroll. Get lost in the castle's yew maze or for the little ones a turf maze, visit the grotto, take the land train to various stops around the estate or visit the vineyard used to make the castle's very own vintage. The castle also has a restaurant and a number of the light refreshment kiosks around the estate as well as a shop selling souvenirs. The castle is also licensed for civil wedding ceremonies, choose from the gatehouse, tower, dining room or library, the staff can arrange every detail for the special day including a stay in the castles luxurious bedrooms with four poster beds. The first building on the site was a Saxon manor which was replaced in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoer. In 1278 the castle was transformed in to royal palace for King Edward I when a barbican with drawbridge, gateway and portcullis was added. During the rein of Henry VIII the castle was again transformed for his first wife Catherine of Aragon and was the place where his daughter, Elizabeth I was imprisoned before being made Queen. The Culpeper family were resident in the castle at the time of the Civil War and because they were parliamentarian sympathizers the castle did not sustain any damage. In 1926 the castle was purchased by the Honorable Lady Olive Baillie, she was responsible redesigning and decorating the interiors and having the castle totally renovated with French architects and designers. In 1976 the Leeds Castle Foundation was established and the castle was opened to the public for the first time. The Arts The castle grounds were the venue for two concerts by Sir Elton John in 1999.

Deal Castle is located right on the beach in the town of Deal in the south east of England, its important position was chosen to guard a stretch of water used as an anchorage and landing ground. This Tudor artillery castle is built of reused materials such as Caen stone, brick and Kentish ragstone removed from dissolved religious buildings nearby. The castle is surrounded by a curtain wall with six low bastion's and gun platforms. The castle itself consists of a three storey circular tower with six semicircular towers projecting from it. These towers give the castle the appearance of a Tudor rose form the air and are perfectly symmetrical. The castle is protected further by a dry moat and gatehouse with its murder holes and gun port which are still in good condition. Facilities The castle is open every day between1st April and the 30th September from 10am until 6pm. Visitors can explore the whole castle including the captains quarters, visit the interactive exhibition and shop. The castle was the earliest in a line of coastal forts built between 1539 and 1540 by Henry VIII to protect England against the Catholic invasion from Spain and France. The outer walls were rounded to offer more strength and protection against cannon fire and were constructed with over 200 cannon and gun ports. The anticipated battles never occurred, but during the Civil War in 1648 the castle did see hard fighting and was taken by both the Royalist rebels and the Parliamentarians before it was finally surrendered. Since the 1700 the castle has had a captain who commanded the garrison stationed there; although today the title is purely an honorary one. After this time the castle was fortified and improvements made in both the 18th and 19th centuries with the rebuilding of the Governor's lodgings before they were destroyed again by German bombs during the Second World War. In 1951 the Ministry of Public Works took over the care of the castle although it still remained part of the Crown's estate, it is now in the hands of English Heritage. Legends Accounts suggest that the castle was also used a resting place by Anne of Cleves on her long journey to London before her fateful marriage to King Henry VIII.

Scotney Castle is situated south-east of the village of Lamberhurst, 17 miles from Maidstone. Set in a large estate of wood, parkland and gardens Scotney Castle is not one but two manor houses. The ruins of the medieval castle surrounded by a moat are situated at the bottom of the valley surrounded by beautiful flowering shrubs and trees, forming a picturesque centre to the gardens. The old castle is now merely the remains of a circular tower and the four pillars of the gatehouse entrance. The 'new' Scotney Castle is built on the top of the hill from sandstone in a Tudor revival style popular in the 19th century. Facilities Visitors to the estate not only have the opportunity to visit the castles but also the shop selling 'Scotney Ale' and plants for the garden. The castle also has the Coach House Tearoom serving hot and cold food and drink. An extremely popular part of any visit to Scotney is to see the most ancient parts of the estate, is not the castles or the gardens but the footprint of a dinosaur which was found in the quarry dating back over a million years. The garden, shop and tearoom are open to the public from March until the middle of December 11am until 5pm Wednesday to Sunday. The castles are open from March until October; visitors are advised to check with the property as the opening times and dates vary at the beginning and end of the season. The first records of the estate in 1137 gave the owner as Lambert de Scoteni with the 'old castle' being built around 1378 by Roger Ashburnham. He built the castle as a rectangular fortified house with towers at the four corners. The owners of the castle for 350 years were a Catholic family called the Darrell's. During their long ownership they were responsible for rebuilding some of the castle's wings in the most popular styles. They also used the castle to hide a priest, Father Richard Blount, for seven years before he jumped into the moat to escape the authorities when Catholicism was illegal. In 1778 Edward Hussey purchased the property and it was his grandson, also called Edward, who was responsible for building the 'new' castle in 1843. The new castle was built on the slopes above the original castle which was then partially dismantled and the remainder left in ruins to become a romantic feature in the garden On the death of the final member of the Hussey family the estate was left to the National Trust.

The castle was built in the 16th century for Henry VIII, and forms part of a line of defence along the edge of the Downs. It has a low profile similar in design to nearby Deal castle. Gunpowder was becoming more widely used and high walls would only have provided a greater target area for attack. With low outer walls, reinforced with solid bastions, and the added protection of earth ramparts and moats, there was less of a target for enemy fire but plenty of strength to withstand a battering. By the time the Castle was completed, danger of a Spanish invasion had passed. It is now the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, currently Admiral Lord Boyce. It is managed by English Heritage, a body responsible for protecting the historical environment.