Historic Highlights of Kent

Excursion One – Penshurst Place & Chartwell
We visit Penshurst Place, a medieval manor house surrounded by stunning formal walled gardens and ancient parkland. Previously used as a hunting lodge by Henry VIII, it has been owned by the Sidney family since 1552 and is still a much-loved family home. The house displays many of its original medieval and Tudor features, a magnificent Great Hall and State Rooms which house a fine collection of portraits, furniture and tapestries. We enjoy lunch here after our guided tour.

Our next stop is Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s beloved family retreat. Outstanding views over the Weald of Kent combine with an evocative, homely interior full of the great statesman’s personal and political mementos, including an amazing collection of gifts he received from other world leaders. Hidden in the beautiful grounds is Churchill’s studio, hung with scores of his striking landscape paintings. We enjoy a guided tour of the gardens, born from the creative minds of both Winston and Clementine Churchill. From the distinctive pastel colours of pink and white roses favoured by Lady Churchill to the fruit and vegetables framed by the walls Sir Winston Churchill helped to build, intimate history is embedded in this delightful garden. 

Excursion Two – Hever Castle & Bateman’s
We head to Hever Castle, the childhood home of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, where we enjoy a private guided tour. Dating back to the late 13^th century, this double-moated castle originated as a gatehouse and walled bailey and is home to various historic artefacts such as Tudor portraits and furniture, as well as two prayer books signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn. The castle was lavishly restored and extended in the early 20^th century by American millionaire, William Waldorf Astor. The spectacular gardens feature peaceful walks, two mazes and their own rose – the Hever Castle Rose.

We continue to Bateman’s, a 17^th-century house which so enchanted Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling when he discovered it, that he made it his home in 1902. With its stone-mullioned windows and Sussex oak beams, it’s a romantic retreat that has been left virtually untouched since Kipling’s tenure here. The tranquil gardens include an orchard, formal garden and a colourful wildflower meadow, through which a river flows.

Excursion Three – Leeds Castle & Ightham Mote
Our first visit today is to Leeds Castle, a quintessential moated castle set in 500 acres of glorious parkland. Dating back to the 12^th century, it was once home to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The castle’s last private owner was Lady Baillie, an Anglo-American heiress who lovingly restored the castle to its former glory. We discover more of the castle’s fascinating history on our private guided tour as well as its wealth of furnishings, paintings, tapestries and antiques on display.

Next, we explore the moated manor house of Ightham Mote. Once described by historian David Starkey as “the most beautiful and the most interesting of English country houses” and built nearly 700 years ago, atmospheric Ightham has been home to medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII and Victorian High Society.

Experience The History Of Kent

Excursion One – Penshurst Place & Chartwell
We visit Penshurst Place, a medieval manor house surrounded by stunning formal walled gardens and ancient parkland. Previously used as a hunting lodge by Henry VIII, it has been owned by the Sidney family since 1552 and is still a much-loved family home. The house displays many of its original medieval and Tudor features, a magnificent Great Hall and State Rooms which house a fine collection of portraits, furniture and tapestries. We enjoy lunch here after our guided tour.

Our next stop is Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s beloved family retreat. Outstanding views over the Weald of Kent combine with an evocative, homely interior full of the great statesman’s personal and political mementos, including an amazing collection of gifts he received from other world leaders. Hidden in the beautiful grounds is Churchill’s studio, hung with scores of his striking landscape paintings. We enjoy a guided tour of the gardens, born from the creative minds of both Winston and Clementine Churchill. From the distinctive pastel colours of pink and white roses favoured by Lady Churchill to the fruit and vegetables framed by the walls Sir Winston Churchill helped to build, intimate history is embedded in this delightful garden. 

Excursion Two – Hever Castle & Bateman’s
We head to Hever Castle, the childhood home of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, where we enjoy a private guided tour. Dating back to the late 13^th century, this double-moated castle originated as a gatehouse and walled bailey and is home to various historic artefacts such as Tudor portraits and furniture, as well as two prayer books signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn. The castle was lavishly restored and extended in the early 20^th century by American millionaire, William Waldorf Astor. The spectacular gardens feature peaceful walks, two mazes and their own rose – the Hever Castle Rose.

We continue to Bateman’s, a 17^th-century house which so enchanted Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling when he discovered it, that he made it his home in 1902. With its stone-mullioned windows and Sussex oak beams, it’s a romantic retreat that has been left virtually untouched since Kipling’s tenure here. The tranquil gardens include an orchard, formal garden and a colourful wildflower meadow, through which a river flows.

Excursion Three – Leeds Castle & Ightham Mote
Our first visit today is to Leeds Castle, a quintessential moated castle set in 500 acres of glorious parkland. Dating back to the 12^th century, it was once home to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The castle’s last private owner was Lady Baillie, an Anglo-American heiress who lovingly restored the castle to its former glory. We discover more of the castle’s fascinating history on our private guided tour as well as its wealth of furnishings, paintings, tapestries and antiques on display.

Next, we explore the moated manor house of Ightham Mote. Once described by historian David Starkey as “the most beautiful and the most interesting of English country houses” and built nearly 700 years ago, atmospheric Ightham has been home to medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII and Victorian High Society.