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Home / Destination / Europe / UK / Kent / 8 historical Kent attractions for families

8 historical Kent attractions for families

February 26, 2016 by Gretta Schifano 17 Comments

Hever Castle, Kent. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Hever Castle, Kent. Copyright Gretta Schifano

The county of Kent stretches from the southeastern edge of London down to the English Channel, and is known as the Garden of England. We live just across the border from Kent and have enjoyed countless days out there over the years. Here’s my pick of some of the best historical Kent attractions for a family day out.

Hever Castle

Hever Castle dates from the thirteenth century and was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second of King Henry VIII’s six wives. Hever’s a beautiful place to visit and is very family-friendly – it has a water maze, a yew maze, a brilliant woodland adventure playground and you can also go boating on the lake. There are always activities on offer during the school holidays and you can take along a picnic or eat at one of the restaurants.

Read more in my post about a family day out at Hever Castle.

Quex Park

Quex Park, near Margate, is an historic country estate which dates from the 15th century. The estate centres around the Powell-Cotton Museum and its nineteenth century animal dioramas and objects which naturalist and adventurer Percy Powell-Cotton brought back from his travels. Besides the museum, there’s a host of activities on offer for all ages in the grounds of Quex Park, from paintballing and archery to soft play to a farm shop and a fantastic cafe.

Read more in my post about our day at Quex Park.

A day at Quex Park. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Quex Park. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Chartwell

Chartwell, near Westerham, was the country home of Winston Churchill and his family from 1922 until his death in 1965. Chartwell is now owned by the National Trust and is a fascinating place to visit. You can tour inside the house, but the gardens and surrounding grounds have more to offer families with children. Kids can play in the brick playhouse which Churchill built for his daughter Mary, there are tree swings to enjoy, and in the woods and there’s a reconstruction of the camp where Canadian soldiers were stationed to guard Churchill during WWII.

Read more in my post about Chartwell.

Marycot, Chartwell. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Marycot, Chartwell. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Penshurst Place

Penshurst Place dates from the 13th century and has some of the most beautiful formal gardens that you can imagine. The gardens are divided into different areas by yew hedging, and so walking through them gives a feeling of exploration and discovery – the gardens really are a great place for a family picnic. There’s an excellent adventure playground and a very good cafe, and you can also explore the interior of the historic building. There are usually children’s activities on offer during the school holidays.

Read more in my post about Penshurst Place and Gardens.

Spanish Armada weekend, Penshurst Place. Copyright Gretta Schifano.

Spanish Armada weekend, Penshurst Place. Copyright Gretta Schifano.

Groombridge Place

Groombridge Place, near Tunbridge Wells, was one of our favourite places for a family day out when the kids were small. Visitors can’t actually go inside the 17th century manor house, as it’s privately owned, but we love exploring the grounds. There’s a beautiful formal garden, a cafe, free roaming peacocks, a woodland with zeedonks (donkey-zebra animals), an assault course, giant swings and play areas, and when you reach the end of the woodland, you can take a boat ride back to near the entrance.

Groombridge Place, Kent. Image courtesy of Groombridge Place

Groombridge Place, Kent. Image courtesy of Groombridge Place

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, was originally the seat of a Royal Saxon family, and was the home of England’s Kings and Queens for 300 years. At one time, it was the home of Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The castle is beautiful, and is one of the most visited in Britain. It has 500 acres of parkland and formal gardens and offers many family activities, including children’s trails around the grounds, an adventure playground, a Go Ape centre and punting.

Leeds Castle, Kent. Image courtesy of Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle, Kent. Image courtesy of Leeds Castle

Chatham Historic Dockyard

I haven’t been to Chatham Historic Dockyard yet – if you’ve been, do let me know what it’s like! Chatham Docks played a vital role in building and repairing ships from Tudor times until the 20th century, and today it’s one of Britain’s top maritime heritage attractions. There are historic warships and submarines on display and there’s a varied programme of events and activities.

HMS-Cavalier, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Kent. Image courtesy of Chatham Historic Dockyard

HMS-Cavalier, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Kent. Image courtesy of Chatham Historic Dockyard

Dreamland

Dreamland is considered to be the oldest amusement park in Britain, and dates from the 1860s. The Margate attraction has been completely renovated, and reopened last year, billing itself as the ‘UK’s original pleasure park: reimagined.’ It sounds like a brilliant place for a fun family day out, and I’m definitely going to organise a trip there this year.

Find our more about Kent

If you’d like to know more about what Kent has to offer, go to the Visit Kent website – or ask me, and I’ll do my best to help. If you’d like a guided book, I recommend  The Rough Guide to Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Over to you

Do you have any recommendations to add to the list? have you been to any historic attractions in Kent which are great for a family day out?

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Related

Categories: Kent
Tags: family-friendly attractions, historical attractions, Kent

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Ting at My Travel Monkey says

    March 29, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    These look like wonderful days out – we’ve yet to visit Hever or Leeds but they are on our list! We do love Chartwell, it’s definitely one of my favourite places for a great family day out.
    Ting at My Travel Monkey recently posted…Monday Escapes #31My Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 2, 2016 at 3:04 pm

      I’m sure that your family would especially enjoy Hever – it’s great for little ones.

      Reply
  2. Kirstie says

    March 28, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Golly that’s a lot of history in one area. Will have to come down for the weekend and explore. Some of the buildings look amazing. I’ve read a lot about Dreamland and am keen to visit.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 28, 2016 at 2:46 pm

      Come on down, we’re for you!

      Reply
  3. Globalmouse says

    March 4, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    I grew up in this area so it’s lovely to read about all of these places again – my favourite is Hever Castle, I love it there.
    Globalmouse recently posted…A family stay in the Stølstunet Apartments, Beitostølen, NorwayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 4, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Whereabouts did you live? We’re just across the border, in Surrey.

      Reply
  4. Sarah Ebner says

    March 3, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    I think Kent’s brilliant – there’s so much to do there, and it’s so varied! We loved Groombridge Place and Hever Castle, which we saw on one weekend, and also Dreamland too. I’d love to visit Quex Park as your post makes it sound amazing!

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 3, 2016 at 8:10 pm

      I really want to go to Dreamland – I need to organise a trip there. I think that you would all really enjoy visiting Quex Park!

      Reply
  5. Cathy (MummyTravels) says

    March 3, 2016 at 12:45 pm

    I love Leeds castle, such a beautiful spot but Hever is very high up my wishlist – every time we drive past, I think I must visit… The dockyards sound really unusual too.
    Cathy (MummyTravels) recently posted…City Tripping #16My Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 3, 2016 at 8:11 pm

      Hever’s fab, definitely worth making a trip for.

      Reply
  6. Hung Thai says

    March 1, 2016 at 4:28 am

    Okay… when I saw Kent I thought it was Kent, Washington and I was super curious because how can there be anything there… But this is much better! 🙂

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 1, 2016 at 8:25 am

      I didn’t know that there was a Kent in Washington!

      Reply
  7. Shobha says

    February 27, 2016 at 1:22 pm

    My kids loved Leeds Castle and Hever Castle! I haven’t heard of Dreamland — that sounds like it would be a fun day out.
    Shobha recently posted…From Dawn until Dusk on the Beaches of RioMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Jenny says

    February 27, 2016 at 7:28 am

    Hi Gretta , those places sound really interesting … I’m looking forward to a trip to Kent in a couple of weeks – so good to know about these places to visit. Do you think they are good for teenagers too?

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      February 27, 2016 at 11:04 am

      It depends on the teenager! Mine still like going got Hever Castle in the summer, particularly as there’s delicious ice-cream on sale there.

      Reply
  9. Rebecca Beesley (The Beesley Buzz) says

    February 26, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    What a great round up. Have not yet been to Quex park yet and have been meaning to go for a while. x
    Rebecca Beesley (The Beesley Buzz) recently posted…February 2016 half-term in picturesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      February 27, 2016 at 11:05 am

      It’s great – there really is something there for all ages.

      Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

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