Kent - the garden of England.
Before I start this section of the East Kent pages I should give the following warning. I am not presently living in Kent, I actually live in Canada, and as a result I cannot guarantee that all information is up to date. Also, some locations only open in the Summer and not all year round. Where I am fairly certain that places are only open in the Summer I will mark them accordingly.
As a trip to East Kent is not complete without a visit to Canterbury and the Cathedral, I would suggest that anyone visiting for the first time go to the information centre at 34 St. Margaret's Street, Canterbury where mounds of current brochures are available. Tel: 01227 766567 They also have an E-mail address which is 101523.510@compuserve.com.
Finally, many of the towns and villages in the area are worth a visit, particularly if there is a genealogical connection for you. There is a separate section for this information which you should refer to.
Ashford Borough Museum.
Location: Dr. Wilk's Hall, Church Yard, Ashford.Dr. Wilke's hall was the old Ashford Grammar School constructed in 1635. It now houses a collection of Ashford's people and past. Open all year round from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Battle of Britain Museum.
Located in Hawkinge which is on the A260 between Folkestone and Canterbury.Situated on the edge of a corn field which was once the famous Hawkinge Battle of Britain fighter station. It contains huts full of WWII aircraft memorabilia including reconstructed planes, parts and engines dug up from the surrounding countyside together with personal items belonging to pilots that flew in the Battle of Britain which have been donated by their families. There is even a quilt made by some local ladies as a replica of the cover of a book, "A Harvest of Messerschmitts", written by Dennis Knight and based on the 1940 diaries of Miss. Mary K. Smith of Elham, who was my English teacher and family friend. A 'must' read for anyone interested in the Battle of Britain and the Elham Valley specifically. Open from May 1st to mid October, 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This is the same museum that was once housed at Chilham Castle.
Hear what "Winston" said at the time.
Bleak House, Broadstairs.
Location: Stands on the cliffs at the North end of the Bay at Broadstairs.This was the seaside home of Charles Dickens from 1851 until the time of his death and for any fan of Dickens is a must. Originally called Fort House (it will be obvious why when you see it), the name was not changed to Bleak House until about 30 years after Dickens died in 1870. It was here, in his study, that he wrote most of "David Copperfield" and much of the outline for "Bleak House". The study has a beautiful view out across the North Sea and it is easy to imagine Dickens sitting there watching the ship round the North Foreland while small fishing boats came to and from the harbour. The house was once owned by Mary Strong upon whom, Dickens based the character of Betsey Trotwood. Down below is the pub, The Tartar Frigate, which Dickens described as "the cosiest little sailor's inn, selling the strongest of tobacco and the strongest smelling rum that is to be met with around the coast."
Although not particularly extensive, there is a interesting museum about smuggling in the the Thanet area in the basement. (After Dickens died it was found that over half of the 2,400 bottles in his large wine cellar had no labels. This probably meant that they had been purchased from local smugglers even though the heyday of smuggling was over by the time Dickens lived in Broadstairs). In addition, there is also a display ot artifacts from the H.M.S. Stirling Castle, a 70 gun war ship which was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands during a violent storm in 1703 and rediscovered by Thanet divers in 1979. Open daily from April to October in the afternoons.
Chilham Castle Gardens. - NOW CLOSED
Location: Chilham near Canterbury at the West end of the Village Square.Most unfortunately, I have recently learned of the death in 1996 of Viscount Massereene. I understand that as a result the Castle has been sold by the family. The Castle and grounds will sadly no longer be open to the public.
Dover Castle
An English Heritage site.
A sombre and threatening edifice which straddles the hill on the top of the White Cliffs overlooking the Town, Dover Castle stands at the gateway to England and has been in continuous military occupation for over 800 years. In fact, it has seldom during its history been threatened and has served as army barracks for most of its life. The Norman Keep is one of the finest in England and also within the grounds are a Roman Pharos and an Anglo Saxon Church. The defences of the Castle are in excellent repair and of great interest to anyone with an interest in the construstion of these fortified buildings. On a clear day, the coast of France can be easily seen across the narrowest part of the English Channel. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Summer and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Winter.
I recently heard an interesting comment on "The Antiques Roadshow", a British T.V. series which some of you may watch. In the introduction, it was stated that during WWII that Hitler had given specific orders that Dover Castle was not to be bombed or shelled which is why it is still so well preserved despite the damage received nearer the harbour. The reason was apparently that he wanted to eat in first meal in Dover Castle after the invasion of Britain. (Tough luck, Adolf!!)
Hellfire Corner, Dover.
A guided tour of the secret tunnels dug out of the Cliffs near Dover Castle used as a command post during WWII. There have been tunnels in the cliffs here for many years and in some parts the initials carved by Napoleonic prisoners of war can be seem. Many local inhabitants still claim there is much contained within these tunnels which is still closely guarded and continues to be covered by official secrets acts. The entrance is through the grounds of Dover Castle. Open for the same hours as Dover Castle but the last tours leave an hour before closing.
East Kent Railway.
I have never visited this restored railway site at Shepherdwell so cannot personally recommend it or otherwise. However, a full desription can be found on the pages prepared by Mark Dewell and I would like to thank him for this link.
Howletts Wild Animal Park.
Location: At Bekesbourne - take the Patrixbourne turnoff to the East on the A2 to Dover, about three miles South of Canterbury.
Although this hasn't too much to do with genealogy (other than one of the members of my family tree, Thomas File was a farm bailiff at Howlett's in the mid-1800's), except that it might give you an insight into your ultimate roots, it might be a good way to appease the family if they're with you. John Aspinall, the owner, has the largest collection of Lowland Gorillas in the World at this Park. There are many other rare and endangered species to see in this beautiful Kent setting. The Wild Animal Park also funds a project in Zaire to re-introduce these Gorillas back to the wild. This used to be a private zoo until 1975 and as teenagers riding the highways and byways on our bicycles we would strain our necks to try and see the Bison that would roam the front lawn.
There is also a second Animal Park at Port Lympne, off the A20 Ashford to Folkstone Road. This is a larger park and includes a lot of the grazing animals. There are now gorillas at Port Lympne which is an added attraction for people who are interested in visiting this location. The grounds are beautifully kept and there are fine views of the Romney Marsh from the terraces around the historic Sassoon mansion.
The parks are open every day from 10am to dusk (except Xmas Day). A 24 hr Visitor Information Line is 0891 - 800 605.
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