This corner of Kent is stunning, with a wealth of areas of outstanding natural beauty, quaint villages and pubs all within an hours drive. The home area of the Warren country park is unique and easily walkable, with the cliff walks and footpaths nearby, there's a perfect walking holiday to be had - for ramblers and strollers alike!

There are three invigorating cliff paths, which take you down into the Warren and onto the beach, but a welcome break awaits halfway at the Little Switzerland Café - excellent fish and chips! The Cliff Top Café on your way back has stunning sea views with great home made cakes and our local Lighthouse Inn offers a good evening meal. Eagles Nest is on the ancient Saxon Shore Way, which stretches from Gravesend to Rye as well as the North Downs way, running from Farnham to Dover.
 

Highly recommended is a trip to St Margaret’s at Cliffe, about 20mins by car passing Dover Castle and crossing over the famous White Cliffs. Walking from St Margaret’s in any direction is inspiring but particularly so when walking towards Kingsdown and on into Deal.

The Pines garden and new Calyx conference centre are well worth a visit. This building is entirely constructed from local material, particularly chalk and blends in perfectly with its beautiful surroundings, mainly because it has a novel grass roof. Opposite the gardens are the delightful tearooms and museum, part of which is dedicated to Noel Coward who spent a large part of his life here.


  
 
Dover Castle is an obvious ‘must do’. Dover waterfront is well worth a look and a coastal boat trip great fun. Most visitors to Dover miss this part as they are usually en-route to the continent.

Canterbury also speaks for itself, being one of the most visited cities in the country; best try to arrive early to make parking easier. Just six miles further on is Whitstable, home of the best oysters and the most wonderful sunsets ever. Just sit on the harbour wall with your supper and enjoy!

 
 

Folkestone as you can see from the house has its own very pretty harbour with fresh fish to die for bought from underneath the arches on the waterfront - perfect for your evening barbecue. Looking east from the terrace towards Dover, Samphire Hoe can be seen, made from the spoil extracted from the Channel Tunnel and transformed into a nature reserve. A new piece of England!

West of Folkestone, are Sandgate and Hythe, with their quaint little streets and long beaches. There is a particularly good fish restaurant at Hythe Bay overlooking the sea and beach - it is very popular so booking is recommended.

The wonderful sandy beach at Camber is further west with the ancient town of Rye beyond is well worth a visit – lots to do and see with early arrival being a good idea.

Romney Marsh, which lies behind Camber and stretches over to the escarpment that rolls down into Hythe, is remote and wild and quite an acquired taste, but for painting, being at one with nature or just imagining the smugglers that frequented the area it is quite unique.

  
 

Dungeness could be visited on the way home, the Pilot’s fish and chips need to be sampled which will give you the chance to spend some time in this unique part of the south coast. There is a tiny photographic studio on the beach selling wonderful shots of the surrounding wilderness.

Port Lympne, John Aspinall’s former home and zoo is fabulous, so why not walk around the estate, not only for the animals but to gaze out over the marsh to the sea and visualise how it all was centuries before.

 
 



With the Channel Tunnel Terminal and Dover Docks just 15 minutes away, trips to France couldn’t be easier to arrange. Golfers are well catered for with Kingsdown and Sandwich courses within half an hours drive.

 

A weeks’ holiday in this fascinating and varied area, staying in Eagles Nest - self catering accomodation will fly by leaving you wanting to see more of what is still a relatively quiet and undiscovered part of Kent in the busy South East.