The Hop Pocket

For history stretching from Roman times to World War II, Canterbury 20 minutes’ drive away is famed for its castle, cathedral, city walls and winding medieval old town. With an equally impressive timespan, Leeds Castle is 40 minutes away, combining falconry and jousting with grand gardens and a house with nine centuries of stories to tell. Castle buffs are in for endless treats around here, as the once heavily fortified coast is 40 minutes’ drive away, and many of its ancient strongholds, like Deal, Dover and Walmer are still intact and worth a wander. For more recent history, the South Foreland Lighthouse explains the game-changing radio transmissions Marconi made from here, and you can top it off with a cuppa in the lighthouse's 1950s tearoom and a tour of the World War II tunnel networks. For seaside towns where the buildings are as big a draw as the beaches, you can't beat Broadstairs and Rye (50 minutes). As well as bucket and spade stuff, the coast between Whitstable and Sandwich Bay serves up a fine spread of paths on dunes and cliffs, taking you through a changing landscape of wetlands and heaths. Pack your picnic and make for the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve for the contrast of wildflower meadows up high, wading birds on the estuary below and sea trips out to the seal colonies.