Kent Heritage Tour
Hever Castle
Penshurst Place
Knole House
Chartwell
This tour covers a number of the historic sites in Kent, the garden of England. You proceed to the east following the edge of the Gatwick air traffic zone. Just past Edenbridge, the first town you come across in Kent, you arrive at Hever Castle the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, tragic queen of King Henry VIII. You then continue eastwards to Chiddingstone Castle which was also built in Tudor times.
Nearby you fly over one of the oldest country houses in England, Penshurst Place, occupied since the 13th century. This huge house has been the ancestral seat of the Sidney family since 1552 and they are still in residence. You then turn north towards the North Downs and Sevenoaks and on the edge of the Downs sits Ightham Mote, the most complete small medieval manor house in the country.
You then climb up the hill as Sevenoaks spreads out in front of you and a few hundred feet below you will see the splendour of Knole House. The building of the house started in 1456 and it is set in middle of beautiful Knole Park. It is reputed to be a calendar house having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 14 entrances and 7 courtyards. Finally you head back west to Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill, England's famous wartime prime minister. Heading back towards the west and with Gatwick airport in the distance, the thrill of your life is coming to an end. Don't despair you still have the landing to look forward to!
