I’ve visited every county in England, apart from Kent.

[EileenBrysonsTeabags]

Dds asked what counties I’ve been to and after looking at the map I realised I have properly physically visited all of them (not just driven through), apart from Kent.

I think I should go to Kent now even though it’s a total pain in the arse to get to from where I live in the north west.

What would draw a person to Kent?

1 Monastery Avenue
DOVER
CT16 1AB

This is the official address for Dover Castle . In Kent

It does not show Kent

Because they don't show counties.

Getting to France by ferry.

But I take your point about it not being in the address as @bellac11 pointed out - you don't need counties in the address.

I would do Sevenoaks down to Tunbridge wells, back up to canterbury and then whitstable and up to broadstairs

Yeah but have you ever thrown a kettle over a pub?

Martello towers and the sound domes too if you are into history @EileenBrysonsTeabags
Also if you go to Canterbury cathedral go round to the back to the where the school is, it's easily missed but its like a village within the grounds
Dream land in margate is a kent institution

Hever Castle, home of the Boleyns, Penshurst Place and Knole. Chartwell is disappointing. Sandwich and Deal are lovely.

Out of interest , what did you do in Gloucestershire , Berkshire , & Wiltshire ?

The beaches around there are beautiful - I like Botany Bay, Joss Bay and St Mildred’s Bay, but mostly because they are usually pretty empty compared with Viking Bay and Margate.

Tricky.
Top three (England) are probably North Yorkshire, Greater London and Shropshire.

Not going to do a bottom three as they’d probably only be there only due to inconvenience of getting there (like Cornwall or Isle of Wight) rather than them just not being very nice. Everywhere has got good bits, they just need someone to point them out.

So much beauty in Kent (DM lives there)

Leeds Castle
Ightam Mote (spelling might be off)
Penshurst Place
Hever Castle

Canterbury
Tenterden
Biddenden
and most of the Weald villages

Herne Bay
Minnis Bay
Ramsgate
Joss Bay
Broadstairs and Botany Bay have always been my favourie beaches

@cakeorwine So I would ask you the same question. By what formal definition is Bromley in Kent?

In terms of boundary= no
Covered by Kent police/fire service= no
Pay council tax to Kent county council? = no

Not the same thing at all. London Borough of Bromley is relatively recent, so Bromley is still referred to as being in Kent, just as Richmond and Kingston are referred to as being in Surrey, and Harrow in Middlesex, despite all having their own boroughs. The ex counties are still used on addresses to this day.

Sissinghurst
Scotney Castle
Whitstable

I haven't been for years now but one of those had a wonderful adventure playground and a little dolls house museum? or toys in general?

Took DD when she was little and she is almost 30 now.
It MIGHT have been Penshurst Place but its only a Might..

Whatever. My address had Kent in it.

Totally agree with You

I am a BR postcode but we are firmly under the London Borough of Lewisham regards rent, council tax etc etc.

As you rightly state, the Police are Metropolitan Police not Kent Police (not sure where it begins with Kent Police)

Rudyard Kipling - that is Bateman's Burwash East Sussex

@Mirabai Bromley ceased to part of Kent 58 years ago. Hardly "relatively recently"

Gloucestershire has the Cotswolds, Wiltshire has Salisbury, Stonehenge and Avesbury. Both massive tourist destinations.

I was going to say Berkshire doesn’t have many tourist attractions, but actually it has Windsor Castle, Legoland, and things like the Thames Path, boating holidays on the Thames, etc.

It's not in Kent.
I didn't say it was.

I was just responding to the post code - but I see what you were trying to say now.

I used to live in Biggin Hill and we would put Kent in the address - although we didn't need to.

If asked back then (the 80s), I would back then have said Bromley was in Kent.

But that was back then

Relative to Dublin which stopped being the U.K. in 1922.

People still use the old counties on the addresses. Non-Londoners are not necessarily au fait with the boroughs, and older people still use their original county name.

We’ve got some amazing castles. Dover (including the wartime tunnels) is best if you like your military history. The grounds of Walmer Castle are just beautiful and Leeds Castle has the best of both. Also, if you go into Tenterden you can take a steam train trip to Bodiam castle. It’s mainly just ruins now but a lovely place to wander about.

We’ve got Port Lympne and Howletts. (I prefer Howletts). They’re very focused on preservation and I believe they’ve just released some elephants back into the wild so it feels like you’re supporting a good cause.

There’s also the rspb bird watching and nature sanctuary at Britain’s only desert; Dungeness. They also do water sports there now. Don’t let the power station put you off! You could start your journey from Hythe and catch the miniature RH&D train down there. If the weather is good, there’s a place cooking seafood which has just got into the good food guide (seating outside). If the weather is ropey, go for fish & chips at The Pilot which is made from the wreckage of an old Spanish ship. If you fancy a walk, head back towards Dymchurch and past Reynold’s ice cream van for a pina colada sundae, served in a pineapple. There’s also a place round there where you can walk Alpacas.

There are a million tiny little villages, most with very good pubs. Chilham (near Canterbury) village square is incredibly pretty, as are places like Biddenden, Hawkhurst etc. Hythe has a military canal and you can hire rowing boats or pedalos.

Canterbury is a huge tourist attraction. There’s obviously the cathedral but a boat trip down the river is lovely. There’s a bridge halfway up the high street where you can see a ducking stool and there are always students there, selling boat trips. Folkestone has the Creative Quarter and the Harbour Arm. Deal and Whitstable are very pretty and famous for oysters. Dover has boat trips and cliff top walks.

Paul O Grady did a series about exploring Kent a couple of years ago, which is definitely worth a watch and is still on line. He went a little bit off the beaten track, as well as places like Canterbury cathedral.

i used to be surprised at people saying they lived in london when in fact they lived in Croydon for example,
which is a Surrey post code.

Hever Castle is great, lots of models of Henry VIII and his wives, beautiful garden, water feature - playground