Historic and scenic county with rich heritage, dramatic coast, and vibrant culture.
Temple Manor is a Grade I listed historic house in Strood, Kent, originally built by the Knights Templar around 1240. It features a stone vaulted undercroft supporting a first-floor hall and has been restored and preserved by English Heritage. The manor is open to the public on weekends during the season and offers an indoor historic experience showcasing medieval architecture and history.
Rochester is a historic port town in Kent, England, known for its Roman origins, medieval castle and cathedral, and strong literary connections to Charles Dickens. It offers a rich blend of historic architecture, cultural festivals, and riverfront charm.
Dymchurch Martello Tower is a historic coastal defence tower in Kent, England, now serving as a museum showcasing the history of Martello towers. Visitors can explore the restored tower and learn about its role in protecting the coastline during the early 19th century.
Broadway Shopping Centre is a large indoor retail complex in the centre of Bexleyheath, Greater London, featuring over 59 shops including major chains. It offers covered malls that meet at a central square and ample parking, making it a principal shopping destination in the area.
8–9 Oct, 15–16 Oct…
An exhibition at Red House presents personally significant domestic objects selected by architects, designers, local residents and young people from Bexley, exploring the memories and stories connected with everyday possessions. It can only be visited as part of a guided tour of the house.
Fremlin Walk is an outdoor shopping centre in Maidstone, Kent, featuring over 50 shops including major high street brands, cafés, and a department store, set on the historic site of Fremlin's Brewery with preserved brewery features.
Maidstone is the historic county town of Kent, with a rich history from Neolithic to modern times, situated on the River Medway, offering diverse cultural attractions, shopping centers, parks, and accessible public transport, making it a vibrant tourist destination.
Westwood Cross is a pedestrianised shopping centre in Westwood, Kent, featuring over 40 stores, leisure facilities like a casino and cinema, and ample parking. It is housed indoors across three floors and offers a modern retail and leisure experience.
Lakeside Shopping Centre in West Thurrock, Essex is a large indoor retail complex featuring over 250 shops, numerous dining options, a cinema, and a leisure area including a lake with a diving school. It offers extensive parking and direct public transport links, making it a major regional shopping and leisure destination.
The Mall Maidstone is a large covered shopping centre in Maidstone, Kent, featuring over 100 shops and an integrated main bus station, making it a key town centre shopping and transport hub.
Ashford Designer Outlet is a large indoor shopping centre in Ashford, Kent featuring over 120 designer brands, a notable green wall, and a dedicated children's playground. It provides a modern shopping experience with extensive retail and dining options.
Ashford is a historic market town in Kent with a well-preserved town centre, strong railway connections including an international station, diverse shopping and dining options, and cultural venues including a medieval parish church repurposed for arts and entertainment.
St Augustine's Conduit House is a medieval archaeological site in Canterbury featuring a historic water supply system for St Augustine's Abbey with surviving 12th century structure and tunnels.
St Mary's Church, Reculver, is a historic ruined Anglo-Saxon church founded in the 7th century on the site of a Roman fort in Kent, England. Although the church was mostly demolished in 1809 due to coastal erosion, the iconic twin towers remain as a landmark for shipping. The site offers visitors a glimpse into early Christian architecture and monastic history, with archaeological remains and connections to Kentish kings and Viking attacks. Managed by English Heritage, it is an outdoor heritage site showcasing ruins and a rich narrative of medieval religious and community life.
Pentagon Shopping Centre is a major indoor retail destination in Chatham, Kent, featuring over 70 shops, dining options, and leisure facilities including a bowling alley, set in distinctive brutalist architecture.
Coldrum Long Barrow is a Neolithic chambered long barrow ruin located near Trottiscliffe in Kent, England. It is part of the Medway Megaliths and features stone burial chambers from the Early Neolithic period. The site is open year-round without charge and hosts both archaeological interest and modern Pagan activities.
Bluewater Shopping Centre is a major indoor retail and leisure destination in Kent, England, featuring over 300 stores, multiple dining options, a large cinema, and extensive free parking. It serves millions of visitors annually and offers a comprehensive shopping experience in a unique triangular architectural layout.
Dartford is a historic market town in Kent, England, with a rich industrial and religious heritage, accessible by rail and serving as a cultural and shopping hub for visitors.
St Leonard's Tower is a ruined Norman stone keep in West Malling, Kent, dating from between 1077 and 1108, managed by English Heritage with its exterior open to the public. The tower offers a glimpse into medieval military architecture and local history.
West Malling is a historic market town in Kent featuring Norman architecture, historic abbey buildings, and a Georgian High Street alongside cultural heritage and commuter accessibility.
Milton Chantry is a historic 14th-century chantry chapel in Gravesend, Kent, now housing the Chantry Heritage Centre museum with exhibits about the local area, set within Fort Gardens park. The site offers both indoor museum experiences and outdoor historic park surroundings.
Eynsford Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Kent, featuring extensive stone ruins including a curtain wall, a moat, and the foundations of a great hall and gatehouse. Visitors can explore the historic site managed by English Heritage, situated overlooking the River Darent.
Camber Castle is a 16th-century Device Fort built by Henry VIII near Rye, East Sussex, to protect the coast from invasion. It is a ruined concentric artillery fortress operated by English Heritage, open to visitors for guided tours. The castle is notable for its historic military architecture and coastal location.
9–13 Oct, 16–20 Oct…
An exhibition exploring the connection between Max Beerbohm and Henry James, featuring Beerbohm’s caricatures of James alongside sketches by William Rothenstein and John Singer Sargent.
Faversham Stone Chapel is a unique medieval chapel built atop a Romano-British mausoleum, combining Roman architectural remains with historic church features in Kent. The site presents both indoor historical structures and an outdoor setting for visitors to explore.
14 Oct (next Wednesday)
Participants make a seasonal herbal spiced tincture and discuss simple kitchen remedies, then explore the herb beds to discover plants for a home garden pharmacy.
Horne's Place Chapel is a late medieval timber-framed private chapel dating from 1276 near Appledore, Kent, noted for its exquisite architecture and historic significance as a Grade II* listed building. The chapel is open to visitors to view its interior, but the attached manor house remains private.
The Knights Templar Church in Dover is the ruins of an 11th-century medieval church located on Bredenstone Hill as part of Dover Western Heights. The site features a circular nave and is recognized as a scheduled monument, attracting visitors interested in historical architecture and Templar heritage.
10 Oct (this Saturday)
Join a volunteer-led walk along the White Cliffs of Dover to South Foreland Lighthouse, hearing about the cliffs’ natural and human history and seeing wartime remains and coastal views. At the lighthouse, the guide gives a brief introduction before visitors can explore the grounds and make their own way back.
Dover is a historic English town and major ferry port in Kent, known for its White Cliffs, castle, maritime heritage, and vibrant cultural and retail scene, accessible by train and local transport.
The Darnley Mausoleum is a neoclassical Grade I listed building in Cobham Woods, Kent, designed by James Wyatt. It is an outdoor historic monument on a prominent hill in the landscape, restored and open to the public with visitor facilities nearby. The mausoleum features distinctive classical architecture and forms part of the parkland designed by Humphry Repton.
St Augustine's Cross is a historic stone memorial in Kent commemorating St Augustine's 597 AD mission to England. The cross features intricate Saxon and Celtic carvings and stands near Pegwell Bay and Pegwell Bay Country Park, marking a significant religious and cultural landmark.
Old Soar Manor is a small 13th century stone manor house in Kent, England, now owned by English Heritage and the National Trust, featuring historic rooms such as the solar, latrine, and chapel for visitors to explore.
One Tree Hill and Bitchet Common is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Kent, featuring ancient mixed woodland and diverse habitats with rare flora and fauna, located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and accessible via public footpaths.
14 Oct (next Wednesday)
A guided tour of Ightham Mote’s walled garden, led by garden volunteers. Hear about its history, seasonal planting, sustainable growing and plans for its future.
Kit's Coty House is a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Aylesford, Kent, part of a unique regional group of prehistoric megalithic monuments known as the Medway Megaliths. The site, managed by English Heritage, is open year-round and offers visitors a view of ancient stone structures set in a rural landscape.
Whitefriars Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping mall in Canterbury, Kent, featuring over 70 shops across three floors and a large multi-storey car park. The centre combines modern retail with historical significance, located on a former monastic site and includes specialized shopping arcades.
Oldbury Camp is a large Iron Age hill fort in Kent featuring defensive earthworks and archaeological rock shelters, with public access to its wooded southern area managed by the National Trust.
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Explore 30 illustrated Pikachu trading cards around Ightham Mote, learn facts about the character and design your own Pikachu card as part of an indoor and outdoor art trail.
The White Cliffs of Dover are iconic chalk sea cliffs on the Kent coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France, offering stunning natural views, wildlife habitats, and cultural history including nearby Dover Castle. Visitors can explore outdoor trails, enjoy the National Trust visitor centre with food facilities, and learn about the area's ecology and heritage.
Royal Victoria Place is a partially covered shopping centre in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, with 99 retail units and a community centre, offering an indoor shopping experience.
Bayham Old Abbey is a historic 13th-century Premonstratensian abbey ruins located near Lamberhurst, Kent. Now maintained by English Heritage, visitors can explore scenic outdoor ruins featuring ornate stonework and a nearby gatehouse, set within landscaped grounds enhanced by famous landscape gardener Humphry Repton.