Broadhembury Caravan and Camping Park

It’s not for nowt that Kent’s known as the Garden of England: over 180 gardens are in the county to pick from to suit all seasons and sorts. Have a cream tea at the Secret Gardens of Sandwich, with free entry from December to February, tour the orchards and sample the wares at Brogdale (home to the National Fruit Collection) or visit former royal haunt Lullingstone Castle to see the famous World Gardens – and Queen Anne’s bathhouse in the castle grounds. Kids not impressed with green-fingered sightseeing? The beaches of Kent are within easy driving distance of Broadhembury: take them to the amusement park at the seaside resort of Dymchurch or to scramble around the second largest shingle formation in the world at Dungeness Beach. To see the coast with a nostalgic twist, the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is the world’s smallest public railway and has regular events and train-driving experiences alongside its regular routes. The Kent & East Sussex Railway goes from Tenterden through the Rother Valley to Bodiam: stop off here for a look around the looming medieval moated castle. The long-distance path the Greensand Way passes through the nearby village of Kingsnorth for walking and cycling: follow it to the next stop at Hamstreet or double back along part of its 108-mile length towards Haslemere in Surrey. The old market town of Ashford has a designer outlet for retail therapy and a weekly street market, with leisure centres, swimming pools, a museum and the Rare Breeds Centre for rainy days. Several golf clubs are in the area too, with the closest at Kingsnorth. For day trips, Canterbury is a half hour's drive away, with gawping at the historic cathedral for grown-ups and meeting the inhabitants at Wingham Wildlife Park for kids; history buffs can also take a trip to Leeds and Dover Castles, and cruise along to Chartwell, the former home of Winston Churchill. Or hop on a train to the museums, galleries and sights of London: the high-speed train reaches the capital from here in less than forty minutes.