Farm Stays In Kent

Kent is England’s oldest county and boasts more castles and historic houses than any other region. Highlights include the double-moated 14th-century Hever Castle, once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, with panelled rooms filled with fine furniture, tapestries, antiques, and Tudor portraits, as well as formal gardens and a water maze to explore; Leeds Castle with both medieval and Art Deco interiors, alongside a birds of prey centre, a yew tree maze with an underground shell grotto, children’s adventure playgrounds, and what may well be the world’s only museum of dog collars; Chartwell, the family home of Sir Winston Churchill, filled with his personal belongings and gifts and surrounded by a beautiful rose garden; Knole, a magnificent country house with a gatehouse tower and a world-class collection of Royal Stuart furniture, set within a stunning deer park; and Sissinghurst Castle Garden, designed as a series of garden ‘rooms’ by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson in the early 1930s.

Families will enjoy Howletts Wild Animal Park, a dedicated conservation charity that cares for some of the world’s most endangered and rare animals, including giant anteaters, African elephants, western lowland gorillas, eastern black rhinos, and lion-tailed macaques. If wild cats are more your thing, visit The Big Cat Sanctuary, where you can see Sumatran tigers, pumas, bobcats, white lions, and cheetahs, with opportunities to get up close, take photographs, and even enjoy the unforgettable experience of hand-feeding them.

For native wildlife, head to Dungeness Nature Reserve, an eerie landscape of open shingle, freshwater pits, wet grassland, and wildflower meadows. It is home to more than 600 plant species and is one of the best places in Britain to spot invertebrates such as moths, butterflies, bumblebees, and beetles, as well as breeding birds including swallows, swifts, lapwings, redshanks and cuckoos. The area also has two lighthouses, decommissioned nuclear power stations, and a quirky collection of weatherboard beach houses and converted railway coaches, making it a fascinating destination for photographers. Broadwater Warren, set within the High Weald National Landscape, is also well worth visiting, with restored heathland and woodland that provide habitats for Dartford warblers, lesser spotted woodpeckers, nightjars, and the elusive dormouse.

The iconic White Cliffs of Dover has a range of walking trails to suit all abilities, with steeper paths closer to the cliff edge and gentler routes further inland. From the top, there are superb bird’s-eye views of ferries arriving and departing from the port below, as well as marvellous vistas across the English Channel, and on clear days, you can even see as far as France.

Along the rest of the coastline, Kent has a wonderful variety of beaches, seaside towns, and fishing villages. Margate has a wide stretch of golden sand, a world-class amusement and entertainment park, an abundance of vintage and antiques shops, and a vibrant arts scene centred around the Turner Contemporary gallery. Secluded Botany Bay, the northernmost of seven bays in the popular resort of Broadstairs, is a favourite for watersports such as kayaking, canoeing and body-boarding, and is also excellent for fossil hunting when the tide is out. Herne Bay offers a classic British seaside experience, with a shingle beach, calm waters ideal for swimming, deckchairs, colourful beach huts, a bustling pier, an old-fashioned fairground, and an excellent selection of fish and chip shops, all set against a backdrop of grand Victorian architecture.

For a relaxing countryside escape with opportunities for walking, cycling, wildlife watching, waterspouts, and a range of cultural and historic attractions, choose a farm holiday in Kent for your next break.