A Guide to Kent - The Garden of England

Kent is the the most south-eastern county in England, bordering Surrey, Sussex, Greater London and Essex. Bordering the River Thames, North Sea, Straits of Dover and the English Channel, Kent is just 21 miles from France.

The county is traditionally known as the Garden of England, although the title was reallocated to North Yorkshire in a 2006 survey. The title of Garden of England, dating back over 400 years, was removed as the area has recently become overrun with new housing projects, excessive traffic and high crime rates.

Despite the residential, industrial and commercial growth in Kent, it remains picturesque and attracts many visitors every year with beaches, parks and historical buildings. The county town of Maidstone has a population of over 75,000 and has recently undergone a massive commercial facelift.

Canterbury, in eastern Kent, is the county's only recognised city and is home to the principal figurehead of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Current archibishop Rowan Williams is the latest in a long line of archbishops dating back over 1400 years.

Canterbury is also home to Kent County Cricket Club, with home matches played at the St. Lawrence Ground. The city also houses the University of Kent and one of England's oldest schools, The King's School. Canterbury is a popular tourist attraction, as well as having a large student community and high number of foreign-born residents.

Much of Kent is small villages and county towns, with transport links to the larger towns including Ashford, Rochester and Dover. Tenterden is a small vlllage near Ashford with a population of under 10,000. The town was built around its wool industry in the 1300s and is now home to actor Jazz Dhiman, historian ROderick Kedward and the unassuming rock guitarist Jonathan Clarke.

Ashford is located in the centre of Kent, with direct transport links to London and the Channel Tunnel. It is the home of the Ashford International Railway Station, with trains running to Paris and Disneyland Paris up to four times a day. These links enabled Ashford to grow, with a massive rise in population and the further improvements of rail and road transport links.

Kent has become a popular home for commuters working in London, with excellent bus and rail links to the nation's capital. As well as this growth in the area, the traditional summer invasion of London's holidaymakers continues to happen every summer with popular destinations including Dymchurch, Margate and the Isle of Sheppey.

The Isle of Sheppey lies of the North coast of Kent, near to the towns of Sittingbourne, Chatham and Faversham. Sheppey houses three major prisons as well as the beach resort Leysdown-on-sea. Tourists flock to Leysdown every year for the friendly atmosphere and warm climate, making the area a hotbed of activity for six weeks a year.

As Kent continues to grow due to its popularity with residents, tourists and businesses, it is inevitable that much of the Garden of England will be lost to new development. However, with such a large number of villages, history and culture, the Garden of England title will still belong to the green county of Kent.

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Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current focus includes Hilton Heathrow, airport parking and Airparks Luton.

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