insideKENT Magazine Issue 43 - October 2015 | Page 103

DAYSOUT

KENT and SUSSEX COTTAGES

The County Town of

MAIDSTONE

If you’re looking for a quintessentially Kentish
experience, look no further that the county
town itself.

There’s no better way to enjoy the twinkling
autumn nights than snuggled up in a cosy
Kent cottage and enjoying the county’s frostbitten scenery.
And with the famous
Canterbury Festival
taking place in
October, the villages
around the historic
cathedral city are the
perfect base for
culture vultures.

Maidstone and its surrounding
villages have that unique Kentish
feel that so many visitors search for,
but with a vibrant, modern heart.
Think ragstone walls,
weatherboarding, Kent peg tiles,
green hop ales, and fresh produce
at the farm gate, with excellent
gastropubs, outstanding shopping
and trendy bars in the town centre.

Chilham is one of
Kent’s most
picturesque locations,
with its medieval
village square and
timber-framed buildings delighting visitors – and film crews – for decades.
Kent and Sussex Cottages has a new property available overlooking the
village, The Gate House at Pilgrim’s. Set in the grounds of a stunning arts
and craft house, this two-bedroomed property is perfect for a family of four
with lush gardens, a tennis court and friendly alpacas. Chilham is just 10mins
drive from Canterbury with good train and bus links as well.

A natural base for exploring the
county, you can set out from
Maidstone on a river cruise, hire a
self-drive boat, paddle your own
canoe, jump on a bus or train, or
walk and cycle along scenic routes,
no matter what the season.

For more information about Kent and Sussex properties, visit
www.kentandsussexcottages.co.uk
For full listing for the Canterbury Festival, visit www.canterburyfestival.co.uk

103

It’s Kent’s capital for big events too
– with tens of thousands of people
visiting huge pop concerts, classical
extravaganzas, and business
shows.
Maidstone’s roots may be Roman
and medieval, but the countryside
– with its timbered 16th-century
homes, oast houses, orchards and
vines – is quintessential Tudor
England; it was Henry VIII, after all,
who first ordered this land to be
named “the Garden of England”.
For more information on Maidstone,
go to www.visitmaidstone.com