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Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Original poster

What is the best castle in Kent?

42 replies

5foot5 · 17/09/2019 13:41

And why?

DH and I will be having a short break in Kent next month.

We like walks so have a few of those planned. We also want to look around Canterbury and will probably visit the coast. In addition we would like to go to a castle. I have read that Leeds Castle is very good. Also Dover and Hever. However, we don't want to spend the whole week doing castles so we are trying to work out which would be the best of the bunch. If you are going to do one castle in the county which should it be?

Oh and if anybody has other suggestions for things that might be worth a look please share!

We are late 50s / early 60s. It will be just us (i.e. DC grown up) We like walking and having a spot of lunch.

Thanks.

OP posts:
IWantMyHatBack · 17/09/2019 13:45

What kind of castles do you like?

I love Deal Castle, but it's tiny. Dover is second favourite.

Most of the ones in Kent are English Heritage too, so might be worth getting membership if you do a couple.

BertrandRussell · 17/09/2019 13:47

I love Bodiam. Not much there, to be honest. But somehow tht makes it nice!

IWantMyHatBack · 17/09/2019 13:47

Ooh Bodiam looks good

Duvetday8 · 17/09/2019 13:47

Definitely Hever without a doubt!

DramaFarmer · 17/09/2019 13:52

Bodiam.

So beautiful and romantic.

You could do Dover, Walmer and Deal by the seaside.

LilouBlue · 17/09/2019 13:55

Hever is the nicest. I went to Bodiam as a child with school and enjoyed it. Deal and Walmer are both very small and not overly exciting. Dover is more interesting but not the prettiest!

LilouBlue · 17/09/2019 13:56

Oh yes meant to say that Dover, Deal and Walmer are all very close together so you could do all of them in a day if you wanted!

BertrandRussell · 17/09/2019 13:57

There’s a lovely circular walk beginning and ending at Bodiam - I’ll see if I can find it.

Crawley65 · 17/09/2019 13:59

Dover Castle would be good as you could combine it with a walk along the White Cliffs. A stop off for tea and cake at the lighthouse is lovely with a great view.

Lllot5 · 17/09/2019 14:01

Leeds castle is beautiful. Especially this time of year.

Livebythecoast · 17/09/2019 14:28

I live in Kent and have been to Leeds castle many times. It's beautiful.
If you enjoy walking Samphire Hoe (Dover) is a nice nature reserve with a little shop selling tea/coffee snacks.
The little light railway that goes from Hythe to Dungeness is very quaint. Dungeness has a lighthouse and tea room.
Hope you enjoy your stay

IWantMyHatBack · 17/09/2019 14:35

I was going to suggest Samphire Hoe as well, lovely little place, and close to Dover

Original poster
5foot5 · 18/09/2019 13:45

Thank you all for the info so far.

I am tending towards Leeds Castle because they have a maze and that looks fun. However, I just noticed on the website that Dover Castle has an Escape Room and we are big fans of those so we might go there for that.

We will definitely be doing a walk along the cliffs to Dover and Samphire Hoe sounds nice.

Any recommendations for seaside visits? We once visited Herne Bay and I don't want to go there again (sorry Herne Bay)

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 18/09/2019 13:51

What sort of seaside do you want? Chips and sandcastles, swimming, rockpools or scenic?

user1474894224 · 18/09/2019 13:56

Dover castle is amazing because as well as the Royal heritage you have the war tunnels. If that interests you pop to Ramsgate to see their war tunnels (you must book in advance). Herne bay has got better in recent years but if you've been before no rush back. Whitstable is lovely for a walk along the front, mooch in town and some food. (The maze at Leeds is spoilt by the number of people there....it takes the fun out of it. Lol.)

UndergroundOverIt · 18/09/2019 14:01

Broadstairs is a quaint seaside town with a sandy beach. Charles Dickens used to spend his holidays there...

Callmecordelia · 18/09/2019 14:15

I love Walmer. Dover is unique and the history is amazing though, so if I had to pick one for a one off visit I'd choose Dover. I go to Walmer a lot though, it is a very happy place for me.

I echo Bertrand - what sort of seaside? Margate/Dymchurch or Hythe/Deal? Grin

Crawley65 · 18/09/2019 14:27

If you’re going to Canterbury then Whitstable is worth a visit. I’d park along Tankerton seafront and walk into Whitstable. Harbour Street has lots of independent and unusual shops. Wheeler’s is well worth a visit if you like seafood. If the weather is good you can sit outside the Neptune pub, it’s right on the beach. Fantastic sunsets.

Alternatively Camber Sands is more wild with sand dunes. Rye, beautiful historic town, is just down the road.

DoctorTwo · 18/09/2019 18:56

I adore Dungeness. I try to ignore the nuclear power station and focus on the bits I love. The tatty wooden shacks, the gorgeous former lighthouse, the beach etc. It's not for everybody but i love it.

DramaFarmer · 18/09/2019 20:25

Seaside:
Broadstairs; great little bay, lovely seaside town, fab 1950s ice cream parlour, Morellis.
Whitstable beach, harbour, seafood, good shops.
Camber Sands: vast sands,dunes.
Margate: Turner Gallery, old town shops, beach and harbour...but died have some Herne Bay characteristics.

Original poster
5foot5 · 19/09/2019 14:02

What sort of seaside do you want? Chips and sandcastles, swimming, rockpools or scenic?

Tend towards the scenic. Potential for good coastal walks. Nice town. Places for a nice spot of lunch. Whitstable is sounding tempting. Didn't Peter Cushing come from Whitstable?

Herne bay has got better in recent years but if you've been before no rush back.
I played in a concert on the Central Bandstand in 2015. We stopped when it started thundering. I know the weather wasn't Herne Bay's fault but it did look a bit grim in general.

OP posts:
Callmecordelia · 19/09/2019 15:17

For that sort of seaside Whitstable is probably a good idea - expect to pay an arm and a leg for everything.

I'd also look at Deal, Folkestone and Hythe. Although I know Rye isn't in Kent, it's only just over the border into East Sussex and it fits your criteria.

If we're going just outside of Kent, you could go on a day trip to France Smile. I love Wimereux, which has several excellent restaurants (I like l'Atlantic) and has a beautiful seaside promenade. Calais is good for lunch - Le Channel is very popular but the town is not scenic. You could also take a look at Boulogne.

BanningTheWordNaice · 19/09/2019 15:23

I love Scotney - it’s magical, like something out of a fairytale.

Original poster
5foot5 · 19/09/2019 17:21

If we're going just outside of Kent, you could go on a day trip to France

Grin I have actually been to France a lot more often than I have been to Kent. In fact, we were only saying when discussing this holiday, that Herne Bay apart, we have only ever visited Kent as somewhere to drive through on the way to the Channel ports.

I was in Northern France (Amiens and St Omer) just a couple of months ago.

OP posts:
MotherSpider · 19/09/2019 17:33

Leeds and Hever are beautiful but are owned and operated very much as "attractions". I prefer a less monetised atmosphere.
Must say I was blown away by Scotney Castle on a recent visit. Not all that much actual castle left but my, the moated setting was lovely. And you get a historic house just up the hill thrown in for good measure. It's owned by the NT.