The Swan Inn

The Swan Inn is centrally set between Maidstone and Folkestone, half an hour’s drive from each if you fancy a wander around the shops of these cute Kent towns; for ambles in the countryside instead, the Stour Valley Walk takes you along the river through downland, woodland and orchards, and is accessible from Little Chart about a minute away on foot. The Greensand Way can also be joined from the village for longer strolls on the 108-mile ridge running from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent, but if you’d rather have someone else do the legwork, cantering about on the horses is possible from the equestrian centre a minute’s drive down the road. For gentler trots on your own two feet, Ashford’s Victoria Park with its fountain and preserved gardens is 10 minutes’ drive; other market towns in the area include Hythe, 25 minutes, a coastal settlement on the outskirts of Romney Marsh with a beach, and you could also swing by the seaside at Whitstable (35 minutes) to sight the colourful shopfronts and have a go at catching crabs for supper.