GuideCastles & History, Parks & Walks
Hawkhurst’s Moor, Bedgebury Pinetum and the villages around
Hawkhurst's Moor and St Laurence's Church, Bedgebury National Pinetum, and the Goudhurst, Kilndown and Sandhurst sites linked to local history.
Things to Do in Kent
Castles to explore, beaches to stroll and museums for rainy afternoons. Find your next day out in Kent, whether you've got an hour to spare or the whole weekend.
Guides
GuideCastles & History, Museums & Galleries
Cranbrook: St Dunstan’s, Union Mill, the museum and Sissinghurst
St Dunstan's Church, Union Mill and Cranbrook Museum in Cranbrook, plus Sissinghurst Castle Garden: what each offers and what to check first.
GuideFamily Days Out, Parks & Walks
Hythe, Lydd and New Romney: the canal, Port Lympne, Dungeness and the miniature railway
The Royal Military Canal, Port Lympne, All Saints Lydd, RSPB Dungeness, Prospect Cottage, the Romney railway and Romney Warren, with seasons and access.
GuideBeaches & Coast, Museums & Galleries
Folkestone: the Harbour Arm, the museum, the Warren, the Lower Leas, the artworks and Hawkinge
Folkestone Harbour Arm, the museum, the Warren, the Lower Leas, the public artworks and Mermaid, and the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge.
GuideCastles & History, Parks & Walks
Dover: the castle, the White Cliffs, Samphire Hoe and the Battle of Britain Memorial
Dover Castle, the White Cliffs, Dover Museum, Western Heights, Samphire Hoe, Kearsney Abbey and the Battle of Britain Memorial, with access notes.
GuideCastles & History, Parks & Walks
Deal and Sandwich: the castles, the pier, Betteshanger, Richborough and the town museum
Deal Castle, Walmer Castle's gardens, Deal Pier, Betteshanger, Richborough Roman Fort, Sandwich Guildhall Museum and the Quay and Fisher Gate.
GuideFamily Days Out, Parks & Walks
Ashford and Tenterden: heathland, woods, nature reserves and the steam railway
Hothfield Heathlands, Conningbrook Lakes, King's Wood, Wye and Ham Street Woods reserves, plus Tenterden's steam railway, St Mildred's and Kiln Field.
GuideBeaches & Coast, Castles & History
Whitstable and Herne Bay: the castle, museums, harbour, pier, Reculver and the Oyster Bay Trail
Whitstable Castle, the museum, Horsebridge and harbour, then Herne Bay Pier, the Seaside Museum, Reculver and the Oyster Bay Trail.
GuideCastles & History, Museums & Galleries
Ramsgate: the Royal Harbour, the tunnels, Pugin’s church and the Manston museums
Ramsgate Royal Harbour, the tunnels, Pugin's church, Ellington Park, Pegwell Bay and the Manston museums, with the days each is open.
GuideFamily Days Out, Museums & Galleries
Margate: the gallery, the Shell Grotto, the caves, the harbour and Quex
Turner Contemporary, Dreamland, the Shell Grotto, Margate Caves, the Crab Museum, the Harbour Arm, Walpole Bay and Quex, with winter days.
Places to visit
Town
Type
Audience
Parks & Walks
Ashenbank Wood
Woodland Trust ancient wood near Cobham with a waymarked circular trail, spring flowers and links to the Darnley Trail.
Dog Friendly
Free
Beaches & Coast, Family Days Out, Parks & Walks
Barton’s Point Coastal Park
Forty-acre coastal park in Sheerness with a salt-water lake for crabbing, an adventure playground, cycle route and the Queenborough Lines monument.
Dog Friendly
Family Friendly
Free
Family Days Out, Museums & Galleries, Parks & Walks
Betteshanger Country Park
Former colliery site turned country park with cycle tracks, mountain bike trails, a play area, cafe and the Kent Mining Museum.
Family Friendly
Free
Museums & Galleries
Blue Town Heritage Centre (The Criterion)
Volunteer-run museum, music hall, community cinema and tea room in Blue Town, Sheerness, telling the story of the dockyard. Heritage centre entry free.
Free
Family Days Out, Parks & Walks
Central Park, Dartford
Dartford's town-centre park on the River Darent, with the Buccaneer Bay play park, summer water play, gardens, a cafe and visitor centre.
Family Friendly
Free
Castles & History, Parks & Walks
Cobham Wood and Darnley Mausoleum
National Trust woodland near Cobham, open dawn to dusk, around the 18th-century Darnley Mausoleum (mausoleum closed for winter).
Dog Friendly
Free
Family Days Out, Museums & Galleries
Crab Museum
Independent museum above the Pie Factory on Broad Street, all about crabs and Kent coast wildlife. Entry is free. Open Friday to Sunday.
Family Friendly
Free
Museums & Galleries
Cranbrook Museum
Free local history museum on Carriers Road, Cranbrook, open Tuesday to Saturday afternoons from April to October. Closed for the winter.
Free
Parks & Walks
Darent Valley Path
19-mile waymarked walk following the River Darent from the Thames at Dartford, through Central Park and the Kent Downs to Sevenoaks.
Free
Family Days Out, Parks & Walks
Darenth Country Park
Millennium country park above the Darent Valley with chalk grassland, an orchard of 150 fruit varieties, a Saxon burial site and a play area.
Dog Friendly
Family Friendly
Free
Parks & Walks
Darland Banks
Kent Wildlife Trust chalk grassland reserve in Gillingham with sweeping views and orchids in summer. Open at all times; free.
Dog Friendly
Free
Castles & History, Museums & Galleries
Dartford Borough Museum
Free council museum in the Carnegie library building by Central Park, telling Dartford's story from the Stone Age to Kerr's draper's shop.
Family Friendly
Free
Sport & Fitness
Margate Yacht Club
A volunteer-run sailing club offering dinghy racing, social sails and training with RYA qualified instructors, plus a welcome for kayakers and paddleboarders. Beginners can start with RYA Level 1 and 2 weekend courses.
Music & Choirs
Canterbury Choral Society
A large auditioned choir with a 75-year history of performing in Canterbury Cathedral. Prospective members can visit an open rehearsal first, and reduced-fee places are offered to younger singers.
Arts & Crafts
Knit n Natter at Chatham Community Hub
A relaxed library session where you can bring your knitting or crochet and enjoy a chat over a cuppa. It is open to all ages and abilities, so beginners are very welcome.
Looking for something on a particular date?
Markets, shows and family events are in What's On, with a date filter.