Historic towns and villages in Kent

Tunbridge Wells is a fashionable Georgian spa town established in 1606 when Chalybeate Springs were discovered here. Over the next few centuries people flocked to drink the waters of Tunbridge Wells, and as a result, the centre of town is a pleasing mix of elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings. The highlight of Tunbridge is The Pantiles, a colonnaded walk established in 1698 by Queen Anne.
Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

A pretty town near Sevenoaks, Westerham is famous as the home of General James Wolfe (of Battle of Quebec fame), who grew up at Quebec House, at the eastern edge of town.
Westerham, Kent, England

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Famous for its oyster beds, which have been cultivated for over two millennia, Whitstable is a picturesque town on the coast of northeast Kent. Whitstable was a smuggler's haven during the Napoleonic Wars, and there are quite a number of narrow alleys leading down to the sea that were once used by smugglers.
Whitstable, Kent, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: Victorian opulence at Whitstable Castle

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Wrotham is a pretty village at the foot of the North Downs. The village dates to at least the 8th century, when it is recorded as 'Uurotaham', meaning the 'homestead of Wrota'. Another possibility is that the name comes from the Old English word 'wrot', meaning a snout of a pig, so Wrotham was a 'ham', or settlement, where pigs were raised.
Wrotham, Kent, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: St George's 13th century church

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

A village on the slopes of the Downs, Wye was settled as early as the Roman period. In the Saxon era, Wye was a royal manor and site of a royal court. It was later owned by Battle Abbey and supplied the abbey with tiles from a workshop here. The mid-15th-century college and school founded by Archbishop Kempe still stand.
Wye, Kent, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: St Gregory and St Martin's church

Nearest Self Catering Cottages