Kent has always been the gateway to England, as the English Channel is at its narrowest between Dover and Calais. In Roman times the invasion army of Claudius landed at Richborough in 44AD, and Roman remains are plentiful. The main road, Watling Street, ran in a straight line towards London and this route was preserved in the present day A2. Today, the present port of Dover is amongst the busiest in Britain, whilst it was natural that the Channel Tunnel should be constructed where the Britain and France came closest together.

Following the Roman withdrawal in 408, the Saxon chiefs Hengist and Horsa landed at Pegwell Bay in 453AD. This was the foundation of the Saxon kingdom of Kent, with its capital at Canterbury, and it was also a natural point for St Augustine to land in 598 on his mission to Christianise the English. Thus, the county is full of history.

Its name came from the Kingdom of Kent. The county town is Maidstone. The two cities in Kent are Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Rochester, the seat of the Bishop of Rochester.

Kent enjoys warm dry summers, but winters can be cold and heavy snowfalls are not uncommon. The county is called "The Garden of England", and in many ways it remains a picturesque rural county. However, its closeness to London means that there a strong demand for housing and the London conurbation has spread outwards, checked only be green belt planning policies. But before the spread of London, farming was the predominant activity, important crops including hops, a flower used in making beer, and fruit, especially apples. The picturesque Oast houses, distinguished by their conical roofs, were constructed for drying the hops, but most have now been converted into houses.

Over the centuries many industries have been of importance and some still are, such as woollen textiles cloth-making, iron-making; paper; brick-making cement and engineering: all have been part of the industrial scene. Fishing and tourism also occupy many people, especially the coastal resorts. The latter developed from the end of the eighteenth century, beginning with the Thanet towns of Margate and Ramsgate, and later, Broadstairs. Folkestone, whilst primarily a port, also developed as a resort, as did Deal. Other towns of interest include Hythe, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Robertsbridge and Faversham, an important port and brewing centre.

There are many places of attraction to visitors: Leeds Castle, Sissinghurst, Penshurst, Hever, and the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

Dover Port