Nightingale Camping

Get into shopping mode in Maidstone (15 minutes' drive) or Royal Tunbridge Wells (25 minutes), a historic spa town. If you’re in the mood to keep things high-energy, Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest (25 minutes) has outdoor activities and a Go Ape course, while Bewl Water (25 minutes) takes activities onto the water, with watersports and an aqua park. Historic places are in plentiful supply too… Leeds Castle (25 minutes) runs falconry displays and The Historic Dockyard (40 minutes) has a Cold War submarine on show. The 14th-century Scotney Castle (20 minutes), Sissinghurst Castle Garden (half an hour) and Canterbury Cathedral (55 minutes) are other historic places waiting to be ticked off… Further out, you might want to track down the sublime beaches on the Kent coast (around an hour), vintage rides at Dreamland Margate (an hour and 10 minutes) or London’s big lights (an hour and 15 minutes). Top wildlife centres include Kent Life (20 minutes), a heritage farm park, and the 600-acre Port Lympne Reserve (50 minutes), but there are plenty more further out.