Home to 150 miles of varied coastline, historic cities, hipster seaside towns and more medieval pubs than you can shake a hop bushel at, there’s more to Kent than you might think. Aside from beaches (take your pick from sand, shingle or stone), mighty cathedrals and whimsical castles, the lush Garden of England has gained serious traction among foodies for its natural bounty, with chefs flocking to the county to plunder its fresh seafood, salt marsh lamb, plump vegetables and soft fruit. Furthermore, with a long history of brewing beer (Faversham-based Shepherd Neame is Britain’s oldest brewery, dating back over 300 years), Kentish vineyards are now crafting wines that give the finest from neighbouring France a run for their money. So, whether you spend your Kentish nights in a fire-warmed shepherd’s hut, grand manor house or medieval pub, be sure to grab a glass of something local and raise a toast to the Kent microclimate.
The best hotels in Kent are:
If The Pig is known for one thing, it’s fantastic food
(The Pig)
Neighbourhood: Bridge
Tucked into the folds of the Kent Downs, with its rambling gardens bisected by the babbling Nailbourne stream, the Pig at Bridge Place’s bucolic setting belies its proximity to London (56 minutes by train to nearby Canterbury). Yet the rural charms of this Kentish Pig, a Grade II*-listed 17th-century mansion set in 10 acres of water meadows by the sleepy village of Bridge, pack an unexpectedly sultry punch: the grand pad was a notorious night club in the 1960s, hosting the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Kinks. This decadent past has been preserved in the form of intimate rooms daubed in dark hues, lit by flickering open fires and dotted with plush velvet sofas and oil portraits of voluptuous ladies.
Whether you sleep in one of the seven bedrooms in the main house, 12 coach house rooms, two family-friendly lodges, the two-storey Barn suite or seven Hop Pickers Huts, you’ll find signature Pig interiors, pantries and Bramley toiletries. Great news for foodies: the Bridge Arms, a six minute-walk from the hotel, has just scooped a Michelin star.
Price: From £225, room only
Looking for a weekend in the great outdoors? This is the place
(Will Pryce/Country Life/IPC+Syndication)
Neighbourhood: Hythe
What better way to instil a sense of adventure in your kids than by sleeping among tigers and waking to the call of howler monkeys? And you don’t even have to leave our emerald shores to enjoy such exotic adventure…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…