Kent News

The picturesque town is dubbed the ‘Jewel of the Weald’ and boasts award-winning wineries

If you’re after a UK destination to visit that’s away from the usual tourist trail, look no further than this underrated town. Like many British market towns, this spot has seen businesses come and go, but it has generally remained resilient thanks to tourism and its emphasis on independent retailers.

New cafés, salons and professional services have continued to open in recent years, helping maintain a lively town centre despite the wider challenges facing UK high streets. Its high street is often described as one of the most attractive market-town high streets in Kent.

Rather than being dominated by chain stores, it has retained a strong independent character, with a broad, tree-lined layout that makes it feel more like a promenade than a conventional shopping street.

When it comes to independent shopping you’ll find boutiques, gift shops, bookshops, galleries, jewellers, delicatessens, cafés and specialist retailers alongside a handful of familiar national brands. This mix has helped the town remain a shopping destination for both locals and visitors.

Walking along the high street today, you’ll pass several historic landmarks, including St Mildred’s Church, whose origins date back to the 12th century and the 1792 Town Hall, an elegant Georgian building.

Kent town

Nicknamed the “Jewel of the Weald” by locals, the picturesque town of Tenterden in Kent is easily accessible and boasts arts and folk festivals, restaurants and award-winning wineries and historic architecture.

Although the population is only around 8,200, Tenterden serves a much wider rural area. People from dozens of surrounding villages come into town for shopping, healthcare, banking and cafés, so it often feels busier than its size would suggest.

For a relatively small place, Tenterden has a busy calendar. Annual events include:

• May Fair
• Folk Festival
• Christmas Market
• Classic car gatherings
• Steam railway events
• Food and drink festivals

Many of these take place on or around the high street, making it the perfect spot for locals and visitors to get together.

History

One of Tenterden’s most fascinating stories is its unexpected maritime past. Although the town now lies several miles inland, it was once closely connected to the sea.

During the Middle Ages, ships could sail up the River Rother to the nearby port of Small Hythe, which became an important centre for shipbuilding.

Over time, the river silted up and the coastline gradually shifted, leaving Tenterden inland.

The Kent & East Sussex Railway is one of Britain’s best-loved heritage railways and an integral part of Tenterden’s character.

Stretching 17 km between Tenterden Town and Bodiam, the line takes passengers for “a nostalgic journey” through the scenic Rother Valley to view a 14th-century structure, Bodiam Castle, which is regarded as “one of the best loved and best known castles in England”.

Combining rich railway history with some of the finest countryside in Kent and East Sussex, it remains one of the region’s most popular visitor attractions.

The town is home to Chapel Down Winery, which provides tours and tastings of its award-winning wines, ciders, and spirits, according to WorldAtlas. The town also regularly plays host to arts and crafts fairs and folk festivals, amongst them a free-entry community festival taking place this summer.

Tenterden is a popular base for exploring both Kent and East Sussex, and within 20 minutes, you can also reach:

• Rye
• Romney Marsh
• Bodiam Castle
• Great Dixter
• Sissinghurst Castle Garden
• Camber Sands

This is the UK’s only desert – and it looks like a dystopian filmset

When picturing a desert landscape, the UK is unlikely to be the first place that springs to mind. Yet, while we may not have our own Sahara, Britain does technically lay claim to a desert of its own.

Nestled along the Kent coastline is Dungeness, the UK’s only desert and a truly one-of-a-kind holiday destination. This stark, barren landscape boasts a decommissioned power station, deserted huts and fishing boats, vast gravel pits, and an aged lighthouse.

Don’t be fooled by its appearance, though — this is also a nature reserve that has grown into a much-loved hotspot for birdwatchers and horticulturalists alike.

Dungeness is home to a remarkable 600 species of plants — a third of every plant species found across the UK. On top of that, rare insects and spiders can also be spotted amongst its sands.

These extraordinary plant and animal species have earned it the status of a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

It is also an RSPB reserve, drawing birdwatchers in droves, particularly during the spring and autumn months when migratory birds pass through.

And it’s not solely the plants and wildlife that make this corner of England so extraordinary, as Explore Kent notes: “The appeal of Dungeness lies just as much in its human history as its natural riches, however.

“On the beach you’ll find remnants of bygone fishing methods, military installations dating from WWII and the Napoleonic wars, sound mirrors and radio research stations – all dotted incongruously about the landscape as a result of the fact that the shingle beach continues to expand as the tides deposit ever more material in its shores.”

In addition to this heritage, visitors can also explore the historic Dungeness Lighthouse.

First constructed in 1615, the original lighthouse on the location was reportedly engulfed by shingle, prompting the building of a replacement in 1901.

Rising to 43 metres in height, it boasts a distinctive black-and-white striped appearance that renders it a popular choice amongst photographers in the region. While public access is not typically allowed, guided visits are sometimes offered.

A further distinctive feature of Dungeness is the pair of nuclear power stations. Dungeness A initially opened in 1965, though it has now been decommissioned, while Dungeness B hasn’t generated electricity for the National Grid since 2018, and is presently undergoing defuelling.

The lido is a beloved outdoor swimming pool for families, and with its Mediterranean-inspired design and 300-metre lazy river, it’s reminiscent of a luxury hotel pool abroad

A lido that is often likened to pools found in Greece and across the Mediterranean has opened its doors for the summer season, just in time for the third expected heatwave to hit the UK.

The pool has been loved by local families ever since it first welcomed visitors in 1896, and nowadays draws tourists from far and wide too. It’s not difficult to understand why.

One glance at the lido, with its strikingly blue waters, splashpad and 300 metre-long lazy river, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were lounging at an overseas hotel pool.

Yet this dazzling blue pool is actually tucked away in Kent, just over an hour from London. The Strand Lido in Gillingham also holds the unique distinction of being the only riverside saltwater pool in the entire UK.

Fed directly from the River Medway, the water is filtered and chlorinated to ensure it’s perfectly safe for swimmers of all ages. The Lido Guide wrote about the Strand: “Nothing about the exterior gives away what lies within. What lies within is a riot of Mediterranean-resort-style colour and fun. Any children in the party will be completely unable to contain their excitement.

“The whole thing is a freeform riot of bright white painted concrete, edged in royal blue, that gives the treated river water that fills the pool a hue that is more reminiscent of Greece than Kent.”

There are six 25-metre long lanes for swimming, alongside a paddling pool for toddlers and enjoyable extras such as water fountains. As the pool is unheated, it operates on a seasonal basis only, and it reopened for 2026 on May 23.

The pool then opens at weekends until the school summer holidays, when it operates daily before closing at some point in September. Tickets must be booked online through the Medway Council website to secure your spot at this much-loved pool.

During opening days, the pool offers two sessions: the first from 10.30am to 1.30pm and the second from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. There’s also a free to use Splash Pad in the park that has the same opening hours as the lido.

Alongside the pool itself, the complex boasts sunbathing and relaxation areas, a café serving food — though you’re more than welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy it in one of the park’s shaded spots — as well as play areas. There are changing rooms, poolside showers and a shop stocking inflatables, though you can also bring your own rubber ring.

The Strand Leisure Park is also home to a miniature railway that operates seasonally, trundling around the park on sunny days, along with plenty of riverside walks to explore.

One glowing review read: “We travelled from Suffolk and booked the afternoon session. Stopped for some lunch on the way. Lovely day out. Pool has a lazy river, kids pool and adult pool, changing rooms, toilets, café. Lots of space to set up camp for the afternoon but not a lot of shade.”

Another visitor commented: “Very good few hours. Looks like we are on holiday. Lazy river all around the outside (take a rubber ring). “

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