23 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Kent

Checkout places to visit in Kent

Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west, and East Sussex to the south-west. The county also shares borders with Essex along the estuary of the River Thames, and with the French department of Pas-de-Calais through the Channel Tunnel. The county town is Maidstone.

Popular Activities And Trips in Kent

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Kent

Godinton is a remarkable country house, nestled in the heart of Kent. Dating back to the 14th century. It has a Rose Garden, an Italian and Walled Garden, Delphinium borders, a Wild Garden and Ponds. The gardens include one of the longest Yew hedges in England, as well as having spectacular displays of delphiniums, irises, wild flowers and roses.

A majestic and beautiful house in Kent and is now preserved as a historic property by the National Trust. The house was purchased by Winston Churchill in 1922 and he used it as his main base during the ‘20s and ‘30s for writing, painting, and entertaining. It is the largest collection of Churchill’s paintings and filled with treasures from every aspect of Churchill’s life, the rooms remain much as they were when he lived there, offering a unique opportunity to explore the home of one of Britain

Chiddingstone Castle

hiddingstone Castle is an historic house, set in 35 acres of Kentish countryside. It features large lawns for picnics, an intimate rose garden, woodland and a beautiful fishing lake. The house features the amazing collections of the late Denys Eyre Bower, a passionate and gifted collector of art and artefacts, Japanese lacquer and Samurai armour, Ancient Egyptian treasures, Buddhist objects, Stuart paintings and Jacobite manuscripts.

Deal Castle is one of the finest Tudor artillery castles in England, and a must-see on your visit to the quirky seaside town of Deal. It was built in 1539–40 on Henry VIII’s order as an artillery fortress, designed to allow all-round firepower from over 140 guns. For over 250 years it defended the important naval anchorage called the Downs, and in 1648 endured a hard-fought siege between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil Wars.

A majestic castle in Dover, Kent, England. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Step inside the Great Tower and discover the grandeur of Henry II’s medieval palace. Explore vividly-recreated rooms filled with colorful furnishings and imagine the world of courtly intrigue and royal ambition. Make sure to climb to the rooftop for unmissable views across the English Channel.

Groombridge Place Estates

The Groombridge Place estate is a truly historic moated castle that stood on the site in the 13th century with the house standing today built-in 1662 as its replacement. As well as the moated manor house, the estate boasts more than 200 acres featuring formal gardens, a canal, vineyard, farmland, and ancient woodland. It has become a tourist attraction, noted for its formal gardens and vineyards. The manor house has an associated Dower House.

Hever Castle & Gardens

Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge. It was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I. The stunning grounds and award-winning gardens, with statues, fountains, chess pieces cut from golden yew, 4000 roses, a Loggia at the Lake and many more wonderful sights, is a delight to walk around in.

Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England. It is the ideal venue for hospitality during the 149th Open at Royal St. George's, Kent in 2021. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. The castle and its grounds are a major leisure destination with a maze that is exited through a shell grotto, a golf course and what may be the world's only museum of dog collars. There are two castle-themed children's adventure play areas targeted at the under-sev

Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden

Lullingstone Castle is one of England’s oldest family estates, dating back to the time of Domesday. The World Garden combines plant heritage with cutting-edge horticulture. The design of the World Garden is a (roughly drawn) map of the world consisting of continent-shaped beds. Plant species from around the world are planted in the map according to their country of origin.

Lullingstone Roman Villa

Lullingstone Roman Villa is a villa built during the Roman occupation of Britain, situated in Lullingstone near the village of Eynsford in Kent, south eastern England. The villa is located in the Darent Valley, along with six others, including those at Crofton, Crayford and Dartford. The villa was occupied over various periods within the Romano-British period, but after its destruction, it is only thought to have been reoccupied during the Medieval Times. The occupants were most likely wealthy

Mount Ephraim Gardens

Mount Ephraim Gardens is an Edwardian terraced garden located at Hernhill, near Faversham, in the English county of Kent. For over 300 years the Dawes family have lovingly cared for the country house and gardens and today they present one of the breathtaking spots in the southeast of England. Ten acres of classical gardens lie within an 800-acre farm with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The gardens are open to the public from April to September on Wednesdays to Sundays and Bank Ho

National Trust - Emmetts Garden

Emmetts Garden is an Edwardian estate located at Ide Hill, near Sevenoaks in Kent, UK. It is now owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. The gardens were initially laid out between 1893 and 1895 under the influence of Lubbock's friend William Robinson in the fashionable Edwardian style popularised by Gertrude Jekyll. The shrub garden was added later in 1900-1908.

National Trust - Ightham Mote

Ightham Mote is one of the oldest medieval manor houses to survive in England. The core of the house dates from the 1340s, although a complicated series of alterations and additions were made in the late 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Ightham Mote and its gardens are owned by the National Trust and are open to the public. The house is a Grade I listed building, and parts of it are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

National Trust - Knole

Knole has been the home of the Sackville family since 1603 when the building was substantially changed for Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset. The current house dates back to the mid-15th century, with major additions in the 16th and, particularly, the early 17th centuries. The house apparently ranks in the top five of England's largest houses, under any measure used, occupying a total of four acres.

National Trust - Smallhythe Place

Smallhythe Place in Small Hythe, near Tenterden in Kent, is a half-timbered house built in the late 15th or early 16th century and since 1947 cared for by the National Trust. It has existed as a simple working farm, one of the most significant shipyards in medieval England, and later the home of distinguished Victorian actress, Dame Ellen Terry. The unique Barn Theatre radiates the spirit and history of Ellen's life. Discover this hidden gem in the Kent countryside.

Penshurst Place

Penshurst Place is an authentic stately home with 11 acres of formal gardens and a beautiful historic house. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier, Sir Philip Sidney. The original medieval house is one of the most complete surviving examples of 14th-century domestic architecture in England. Part of the house and its gardens are open for public viewing. Many TV shows and movies have been filmed at Penshurst.

Reculver Towers and Roman Fort

Reculver Towers are a striking pair of 12th-century church towers built within a Roman fort on the very edge of the Wantsum Channel. The most dominant features of this site are the 12th-century towers of the former monastic church, which stand out on the skyline for miles around. Coastal erosion has brought the edge of the beach to the towers, which act as a navigation marker for shipping. Much of the site has now been lost to the sea.

Richborough Roman Fort And Amphitheatre

Richborough is a key site in the history of Roman Britain, used during the entire length of the occupation from the invasion of AD 43 until the end of Roman rule around 410. . Explore the huge stone walls which mark the site of this Saxon Shore fortress, the rolling defensive ditches and impressive foundations showing the scale of this once bustling Roman settlement. The site is now under the care of English Heritage.

Map of Iconic Buildings to Explore in Kent