Betteshanger Park - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Deal Castle is one of the finest Tudor artillery castles in England, and a must-see on your visit to the quirky seaside town of Deal. It was built in 1539–40 on Henry VIII’s order as an artillery fortress, designed to allow all-round firepower from over 140 guns. For over 250 years it defended the important naval anchorage called the Downs, and in 1648 endured a hard-fought siege between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil Wars.

The Royal St George's Golf Club located in Sandwich, Kent, England, is a golf club in the United Kingdom and one of the courses on The Open Championship rotation and is the only Open rota golf course to be located in Southern England. The club was founded by the surgeon Laidlaw Purves in 1887 in a setting of wild duneland. Many holes feature blind or partially blind shots, although the unfairness element has been reduced somewhat, after several 20th century modifications.

Walmer Castle is an artillery fort originally constructed by Henry VIII in Walmer. You can explore over eight acres of award-winning gardens, situated in the grounds of a picturesque coastal castle with a fascinating history. Walmer Castle was once a Tudor artillery fortress that became a stately home for the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports, including the Iron Duke of Wellington.

Richborough is a key site in the history of Roman Britain, used during the entire length of the occupation from the invasion of AD 43 until the end of Roman rule around 410. . Explore the huge stone walls which mark the site of this Saxon Shore fortress, the rolling defensive ditches and impressive foundations showing the scale of this once bustling Roman settlement. The site is now under the care of English Heritage.

Pegwell Bay forms part of the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve. It has stunning views of Sandwich and Deal to the West and the cliffs of Ramsgate to the East and is a great place for a bracing walk or cycle ride. Part of the bay is a nature reserve, with seashore habitats including mudflats and salt marsh with migrating waders and wildfowl. The public can access the nature reserve via Pegwell Bay Country Park, which is off the A256 Ramsgate to Dover road.

A beautiful and romantic garden with connections to Jane Austen. It has been described by various writers as 'the very heart of rural England', 'one of the loveliest gardens in Kent', 'a haven of beautiful tranquility hidden away in South East England. Today the park has a well managed Arts and Crafts garden echoing something of the original layout. There is a formal pool, a fine herbaceous border and a woodland garden.