Castles & Gardens of Kent

Thursday

Depart from Henley we travel to Kent, arriving during the afternoon at the Bridgewood Manor for our 4-night stay.

Friday

In the morning we travel to Royal Tunbridge Wells and then in the afternoon we visit one of England's most famous and romantic gardens, Sissinghurst, with its famous twentieth century garden. Throughout the day we travel through pretty Kent villages including Pluckley, the setting for the filming of The Darling Buds of May.

Saturday

Enjoy the best of the Kent Coast as we first travel to Margate, the original seaside destination. We continue to Ramsgate, where we include a visit to the historic Ramsgate Tunnels, a huge and cavernous subterranean world of underground tunnels that were built to hide people during the blitz in World War II. A marvel of engineering, that we will discover on our Guided Tour. There are also a series of wartime reconstructions including an abandoned train station and an underground bunker. From here, we continue to Deal, possibly the prettiest seaside town in Kent.

Sunday

After breakfast we will visit the historic city of Rochester, known for its connections to Charles Dickens and its cathedral, the second oldest foundation in England. Next, we head for nearby Chatham, where we visit the fascinating Historic Naval Dockyard, a vast treasure trove of all things nautical.

Monday

Departing our hotel we visit historic Hever Castle and gardens with its enchanting double-moated castle and 125 acres of spectacular gardens before returning home in the late afternoon.