A heritage to treasure

It was in Kent that Julius Caesar landed in 55 BC and uttered the immortal line: "I came, I saw, I conquered". William the Conqueror and Napoleon passed this way too. And it was in these skies that the critical Battle of Britain was waged. Kent's most outstanding military sites are linked to fortified towns in France and Belgium through the Historic Fortifications Network. The same Kent shores also witnessed the arrival of St Augustine in 597 AD to reclaim England for Christianity. Canterbury, the seat of Christianity, now draws up to 1.5 million visitors to its Cathedral every year.

Many royal visitors have made their mark in the area too, including King Henry VIII who met Anne of Cleves here for the first time. The king's fruiterer planted the first apple and cherry trees in Teynham, establishing Kent's reputation as the 'Garden of England'.

"By far the most civilised are those who inhabit Cantium (Kent)", or so Julius Caesar said. And he must have been right, because for centuries the great and the good have made Kent their home, leaving a rich heritage of grand houses and castles, more than anywhere else in England. There's imposing Dover Castle, with its Secret Wartime Tunnels from which the Dunkirk evacuation was masterminded during World War II. Romantic Leeds Castle was the home of six medieval queens and more recently, a very wealthy American heiress. Then there's 13th century Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife.

There are remarkable houses and stately homes too, from the magnificent Penshurst Place to Chartwell, the retreat of Sir Winston Churchill.

The famous and the infamous have all left their impression on this fascinating area. Leave no stone unturned as there's a story and a famous name around every corner.

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