One of the most beautiful places in the UK is Kent. It is called the "Garden of England." Thanks to this comparison, many tourists wish to visit this beautiful corner. And immediately in front of my mind's eye there are village paintings, well-groomed fields and even lanes of roads, apple orchards, meadows and beautiful mansions, castle towers and fortress walls, rural churches, etc. However, not only the beauty of nature attracts tourists here, but also various historical sights that can be found in such ancient cities as Canterbury, Dover, Rochester and others.
The villages in Kent (Merevors, for example) are also very interesting in terms of sightseeing tours. They say that some roads here were laid even during the time of the ancient Romans. By the way, Kent is the largest producer of apple wine - cider.
Description
Kent (England) is located in the southeastern part of the country on the banks of the English Channel. Today he enters the sleeping zone of London. The capital of the county is the city of Maidstone, but Medway, which is part of it, has the status of a unitary unit. Kent is located between the capital and continental Europe, in view of this, the inhabitants of the county several times in their history found themselves in the theater of war. The last time on its territory was the battle for Britain (during the Second World War). Eastern Kent was especially affected, which was then called the "Hellfire vent". The white stones of Dover are considered a symbol of the county, and indeed of all of England. From here, in fine weather, you can see the coastal area of France, in particular the city of Calais.
Etymology
Was the county always called that? Kent (Kentus) is of Breton origin and means “frontier”, “frontier”. After all, the eastern part of the county adjoins the strait and, of course, is the country's border zone. There is also evidence in history that in the first century BC, Julius Caesar piled on these edges of Cantium, which meant “the birthplace of the Kantiacians”. So they were called until the 8th century, and after, as today, the area acquired the name of Kent.
A bit of history
According to historical data, Kent began to be settled in the Paleolithic era, and during the Neolithic period megaliths were built in the area of the Medway River. The land was not empty during the Roman occupation. This is evidenced by archaeological finds. In 597, Pope Gregory I, deciding to spread the Catholic faith in Britain, appointed Augustine the first archbishop. And he, in turn, converted King Ethelbereth (pagan) to Christianity. Since then, the Canterbury Diocese has been the Christian center of Britain.
How to get there
Most tourists who wish to explore Kent County first fly to London, and from there arrive by land transport to one of the planned cities on the route. The trip takes approximately one hour. Of course, the fastest way is by car. Since there is only 50 km between the capital and the county, the journey will be 25-30 minutes by car and about an hour if you travel by train.
Kent Attractions
Kent was once conquered by the Belgian tribes who sailed to the island from neighboring Gaul. However, before leaving, they managed to build many dugouts, various military fortifications, stone circles, etc. Then, Roman legionnaires — the troops of Julius Caesar — landed on the land of Kent. They decided to equip the occupied territories, began to build roads, fortresses, villas and cities.
Archaeologists have found a large number of clay, glass and bronze products, lead coffins with a beautiful ornament. However, the Romans did not stay here for a long time, they were pushed away by a humid climate and constant fogs. The Anglo-Saxon tribes who came to the islands after them founded the kingdom here. Then Archbishop Augustine sailed to Britain with a Christian mission, and the Canterbury Diocese became the center of Christianity in the country. On the territory of the county, defense structures were preserved, which were erected to protect against Normans, French and Dutch.
Cities of Kent
Canterbury is the oldest county town . It was first mentioned in 597. As already noted, the Canterbury Archbishop’s Chair is located here. The city has many attractions. The main one is Canterbury Cathedral, which was built in the Gothic style in the 7th century. By the way, he is included in the UNESCO list as a masterpiece of world cultural heritage. The cathedral is famous for the fact that the relics of St. Dunstan are stored here.
Other attractions are the abbey of St. Augustine, however, only ruins remained from it, and the church of St. Martin, which was founded by St. Berta of Kent in the 6th century.
The city of Dover is known as the seaport. It was founded by the Romans. The city has a beautiful castle, built on coastal cliffs and called the "Key to England." This is the main attraction of Dover. Today it houses a historical museum. The cliffs towering near the castle are dazzling white; they are a signal for sailors to approach the shores of Misty Albion.
Rochester is also full of attractions, including cathedrals and castles. This city is younger than the previous two, although the first buildings were made in the era of the Roman Empire. The mighty Rochester castle rises on the banks of the main river of County Medway. It is a protective bastion on the way to London.
Sometimes tourists look for the city of Harley (Kent) in the UK. However, there was no mention of such a settlement here. Most likely, tourists confuse it with the city, which is located in Australia, near Melbourne, in the Kent district of the same name. Surely in ancient times, immigrants from Britain decided to call this settlement just like that.