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
Castles & History, Museums & Galleries
Battle of Britain Memorial
Clifftop memorial and visitor centre at Capel-le-Ferne with The Scramble Experience and a cafe over the Channel.
Dog Friendly
Family Friendly
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, Museums & Galleries
Canterbury Roman Museum
Museum of Roman Canterbury on Butchery Lane, with a mosaic pavement still in its original place, a recreated marketplace and hands-on activities.
Family Friendly
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
Family Days Out, Museums & Galleries
Crampton Tower Museum
Volunteer-run museum in a Victorian flint water tower beside Broadstairs station, on Crampton the railway engineer, transport and local history.
Family Friendly
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
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
Castles & History, Museums & Galleries
Dickens House Museum
Small museum, staffed by volunteers, in the cottage tied to Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield, with Dickens letters, his writing box and Victorian displays.
Family Friendly
Family Days Out, Museums & Galleries
Dover Museum
Free council-run museum in Market Square with archaeology, port and wartime galleries and a Bronze Age boat.
Accessible
Family Friendly
Free
Castles & History, Museums & Galleries
Eastgate House
Grade I listed townhouse on Rochester High Street, built in 1590, with Charles Dickens' Swiss chalet in its gardens.
Family Friendly
Museums & Galleries
Eden Valley Museum
Free local history museum in the 14th century Church House on Edenbridge High Street, with displays that change regularly and school-holiday activities.
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.
Gardening & Nature
Alpine Garden Society Mid Kent Group
A friendly group of alpine and rock garden enthusiasts who have met near Maidstone since 1977. Monthly afternoons alternate between illustrated talks, garden visits and a local plant show.
Running
Canterbury Harriers
A well-established running club offering speed sessions, track intervals, steady group runs and a Sunday long run in Blean Woods. Newer runners are pointed towards the Tuesday sessions to find their feet.
Looking for something on a particular date?
Markets, shows and family events are in What's On, with a date filter.