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QUIRKY KENT – HIDDEN GEMS 041
Reasons to fall in love with our EAST KENT COAST AGAIN…
Kaz Russell-Graham T
his part of the country has it all: glorious coastlines, historic towns and the city of Canterbury plus rural beauty in abundance. The Strait of Dover is the narrowest
crossing point to the continent. This meant that for centuries East Kent was perfectly poised to both observe and play its part in British history, whether it’s Roman forts and invasions, strategic Cinque Ports, or Victorian watering holes. Not for nothing is Dover Castle, with its Roman lighthouse, Tudor chambers and Second World War tunnels known as the ‘Key to England’! But times change.
Today there is less fishing
and fighting, and more time to delight in entertainment. Our modern way of life has expectations of art, fun, leisure, education and rest. We also appreciate unusual and quirky attractions that are found nowhere else – and East Kent has plenty of those, too, so it’s no wonder both UK tourists and those from abroad love to spend their time here. However, it’s easy to be complacent and take your home patch for granted – or not look up to see the changes taking place. Read on and take a fresh look at our amazing corner of the country and just a few of its many glittering gems that shine from this part of our ‘sceptered isle’.
Head for the coast –
the East Kent Coast! Taking the water for your health goes back to 1750, when people entered the sea in bathing machines, helped by ‘dunkers and dippers’ into the water before being given a pint of seawater to drink. Victorian London was a dirty, smoggy place to be and Thanet a ride away by steamship. The oldest surviving amusement park in Britain today dates back to the railway boom of the 1870s. Renamed Dreamland in 1920, it drew crowds looking for excitement and an escape from the city. Due to cheaper flights and the rise of foreign travel to hotter destinations East Kent went into decline. Now, however, it’s on the upsurge, with a wealth of accommodation and huge range of entertainment on offer – whether it’s the arts, wildlife, city life, beach life, fine food and drink, or rolling open countryside. We have it all – and
it’s waiting to be explored! • For more information, visit
www.visitkent.co.uk and www.
visitthanet.co.uk
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