Guide to Country Cottage Holidays in Kent

Great holidays await you in Kent, known as the garden of England, where orchards supply apples and cherries to the British market, hops for breweries. There are beautiful gardens for tourists to visit, including Goodnestone Park Garden, Mount Ephraim and Yalding and more importantly, numerous country cottages and country houses to rent for a self-catering break.  Let us guide you through the highlights of Kent for cottage holidays.

 

Browse through our Kent accommodation for a short break or self catering holiday in Kent:

Self catering cottages in Kent

 

Top Towns and Places to Visit in Kent

Canterbury

Canterbury with its magnificent cathedral is a popular destination on many tourist lists and rightly so. It will be of interest to both Christians and historians. Canterbury has a wealth of history.  It is also a very charming and pleasant place to spend time.  In Canterbury you can marvel at the ancient city walls, walk along the city wall trail and see a number of fascinating historic buildings.  Canterbury's castle which is pretty much a ruin, goes way, way back, dating back to around 1070.  Canterbury cathedral is another magnificent building which dates back to the medieval period.  There are a number of swanky bars and restaurants in Canterbury and a busy shopping area which includes many upmarket shops.

Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer can be rediscovered at the animated tourist attraction that takes visitors through several of the tales in the town. Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, was born in Pett's Bottom,near Canterbury. And if you think that Pett's Bottom is a rather amusing name,then you will have a delightful time discovering numerous pretty villages with equally bizarre names including Pratt's Bottom and Old Wives Lees.

Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, was born in Petts Bottom, near Canterbury. And if you think that Petts Bottom is a rather amusing or peculiar name, then you will have a delightful time discovering numerous other extremely pretty villages in Kent, often with a duck pond and quaint village pubs, including Pratt's Bottom. Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer can be rediscovered at the animated tourist attraction that takes visitors through several of the tales.

 

Tunbridge Wells

This town is also known as Royal Tunbridge wells, and with good reason, as this place deserves its regal title.  Being a spa town, Tunbridge wells has a wealth of beautiful georgian buildings and there is still a place that you can take the waters, in the historical Pantiles area.  Tunbridge Wells is the only spa town in actual fact in the South East of England.  Tunbridge Wells is great for shopping, with a variety of shops from high street to high end and also has a number of interesting independent boutiques.  There are plenty restaurants, bars and pubs.  To get the most out of a visit to Tunbridge wells you may want to take a walking tour of the town to learn more about its history.  If you visit Tunbridge Wells by car, do pop in to High Rocks on the outskirts of the town.  At High Rocks you will find interesting geological formations from millions of years ago which you can walk amongst.  Take care though as you have to have a head for heights and must take care due to steep drops in areas.     

 

Dover 

The white cliffs of Dover and secret underground passages at Dover Castle have long been a popular visitor attraction, as has the ferry crossing to France or Belgium for cheaper goods. The Euro Tunnel makes it very easy for day trips to Calais in France. Bluewater is the ultimate shopping experience that must not be missed. It's Europe's largest shopping mall, located close to the M25, near the Dartford Tunnel and is luxurious in the extreme with many designer shops, wide, wide aisles with seating areas. For antiques visit the 17th Century Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Around the coast are several very British seaside towns with beaches and traditional attractions for the family. Don't miss Howletts the world's biggest collection of lowland gorillas.

If looking for a place to stay for your self-catering break in Kent, do consider country cottages in Kent which provide good clean holiday accommodation, often in an attractive rural setting. Apartments in towns are also always available.

The large seaside resorts in Kent; Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs may have suffured in competition with foreign package holidays but there remains a faithful following of people who love coastal towns in Kent and return for a holiday each year. Whitstable is one town that people express special affection for, a town that many hope to retire to. And who can fail to appreciate the sheer loveliness of the South Downs and the white cliffs at St Margarets at Cliffe near Dover? We have a number of cottages with good sea views to fully appreciate those seascapes on holiday.

Maidstone

The county town of Kent is Maidstone, and this charming settlement is perfect for a self-catering cottage holiday with loved ones as there is so much to see and do here that you won’ want to leave! The picturesque River Medway flows through the town centre and there are plenty of opportunities to go for relaxing walks along its banks, or stop off for a picnic and take in the lovely surroundings.

There are countless things to do in Maidstone. Lovers of retail therapy will love the exciting shopping district here, especially as the town is placed in the top 5 for shopping centres in south east London. There are two shopping centres with a variety of high street chains and unique boutiques, and there is a new centre by the riverside as well as stalls selling goods in the market square of Maidstone. Along with shops, the town is home to various cinemas, restaurants, pubs and cafes, and there are also a number of theatres which produce excellent plays and musicals.

If you wish to soak up a bit of culture when in Maidstone, then there are a number of museums and art galleries that are fantastic to visit. These include the Stepping Stone Studios Art Gallery and the Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages.

Maidstone is a delightful settlement with a friendly population and lots of things to keep you busy. There are plenty of cottages available to rent for a memorable and exciting self-catering break in Kent.

• Coastal cottages in Kent - for those who prefer to stay by the sea.

 

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Great self catering holidays await you in Kent, the garden county of England, where orchards supply apples and cherries to the British market, and hops to breweries. There are beautiful gardens for tourists to visit, including Goodnestone Park Garden, Mount Ephraim, and Yalding.

There are many places to visit in Kent to add interest to your holiday  The whitecliffs of Dover and secret underground passages at Dover Castle have long been a popular visitor attraction.  The EuroTunnel makes it very easy to drive under the Channel for shopping day trips to Calais in France.  In Kent itself, the Bluewater Shopping Centre is the ultimate shopping experience that must not be missed. It's Europe's largest shopping mall, located close to the M25, near the Dartford Tunnel and is luxurious in the extreme, with many designer shops, wide, wide aisles with seating areas. And, if you're into antiques, then you will enjoy the 17th Century Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Please click on the town links to view holiday cottages and self-catering accommodation in Kent

 

 

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