Kent is known as 'The Garden of England', representing the English countryside at its best with a landscape of rolling hills, wooded valleys, orchards, vineyards and many fruit farms. Among the picturesque Kentish villages you will find splendid castles, gardens and historic houses.

Surrounded by a gentle landscape of orchards and hop gardens, the thriving County Town of Maidstone in Kent combines a wealth of historical attractions with arts, culture and superb shopping and entertainment facilities. Situated on the River Medway halfway between Dover and London the town has always been a bustling centre for local and regional trade.

The attractive country town of Sevenoaks is set amidst the woods, hills and valleys of the North Downs. Named originally after seven oak trees in the town, it was established in the 12th Century. Its long High Street is a picturesque hotchpotch of buildings of all shapes and styles - from the Vine Cricket Ground to the north (one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country), to the fine landscape of Knole bordering it on the east. One minute you can be in the bustling High Street, and the next you can be surrounded by wild deer under beech trees in the deer park at Knole.

Tonbridge has been a market town since the Middle Ages. The Normans chose it for their splendid motte and bailey castle, which dominates the town to this day.

Royal Tunbridge Wells has been a fashionable spa town since the 17th century when it became popular among royalty and aristocracy. Today it is an affluent town with a modern shopping centre at one end, and at the other is the historic Pantiles, the colonnaded shopping street where you can sample the Chalybeate spring water.

The towns of Ashford and Tenterden are focal points for this delightful corner of the Heart of Kent region. In Ashford visitors can enjoy the very best of an old market town and all the vibrancy of a modern international gateway. A rich mix of historic buildings, some dating from mediaeval, and Georgian times, beautiful floral displays and plenty of street entertainment create a welcoming feel, while Ashford’s International Eurostar Station and street cafés lend a truly continental ambience.