Castles and Gardens of Kent Tour
The picturesque county of Kent, with its stunning gardens, story book castles and quirky oast houses. Delve deep into this treasure trove in the south-east of England.
Highlights
- Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Georgian spa town popular with royalty, with its colonnaded Pantiles and array of independent boutiques, antique shops, bookshops and cafes.
- Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, home of author Vita Sackville-West, made up of 10 beautiful gardens and a moated Elizabethan manor house and tower. One of the most visited gardens in England.
- Great Dixter House with its topiary, long border, orchard, wild flower meadow and garden designed in the retro-folk art style of William Morris' Arts & Crafts Movement.
- 14th Century Hever Castle, as if drawn from a child's picture book. The childhood home of Anne Boleyn, where she first met King Henry VIII. An amazing 125 acres, these include Italian, Rose and Tudor gardens, topiary, a yew maze and informal areas including Sunday Walk and Anne Boleyn's Walk.
- Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill's home in the Kent countryside.
- Exquisite Leeds Castle, a favourite of Henry VIII and medieval queens, surrounded by a lake, woods, parkland and water gardens.
- The Kentish Gardens with an ornamental herb garden, herbaceous borders, apple orchards, Oast House and Vintage Village telling the story of the county's rural past.
Photo credits:
Slideshow: White Garden, Sissinghurst Castle © National Trust Images/Jonathan Buckley; Leeds Castle; Hever Castle.
Photos to the right of the tour: Chapel Down Vineyard, Kent © VisitEngland/Jean-Luc Benard.
