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15 Best Castles in Kent to Visit

The castles in Kent are some of the most historic in all of England and make for an excellent day out and can also be easily done as day trips from London if that’s where you are based.

Although there are quite a few castles in Kent these are the main ones to see, especially the first four on the list.

Important: It’s best to check ahead if the castle is open for visits just to be safe. There are links under each castle mentioned to the official websites for them where you can check.

Tip: If you’re an overseas visitor to the U.K. you can get an English Heritage Pass that will get you into a lot of these castles.


Dover Castle

best castles in Kent - Dover Castle.

Dover Castle is the number one out of the castles in Kent that you should visit. It’s been called the “Key to England” because it’s very strategically located on the English Channel.

Its origins date back to the 11th-century when William The Conqueror started building a castle on the site of a former fort.

There has been a lot of history that happened in the area with the most recent important one happening during WWII when the massive network of underground tunnels (some of which you can see) was used.

This is one of the largest castles in England that you can visit.

There’s a great day tour from London to Dover Castle you can do that includes Leeds Castle.

It’s open for visitors.

Rochester Castle

Rochester Castle has a lot of history behind it and is a must-see castle in Kent. It’s also one of the closer castles near London making it easier to get to if visiting Kent from there.

The origins date to the 12th-century when William The Conqueror had the castle built and it has held a strategic location on the Medway River during its history where it guarded one of the few bridges to cross the river back in the 12th-13th-centuries.

It has been famous for the 2-month long siege by King John against the rebels who held the castle during the First Barons War.

It’s open for visitors.

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle is one of the most popular castles in Kent to visit and was described as “The loveliest castle in the world” by Lord Conway.

Most of what you see these days is from construction done in the 19th-century, although the origins of the castle go way back to the 12th-century.

You can spend a night in the castle itself like booking a room in the Maidens Tower. There’s also the option to go glamping in the Knight’s Village.

As mentioned under the Dover Castle section, there is a day tour from London to Leeds Castle that includes Dover Castle as well.

It’s open for visitors.

Castles in Kent England - Leeds Castle.

Hever Castle

Hever Castle started out as a country house in the 13th-century and then evolved into a castle over the preceding centuries.

An old Tudor bridge connects the castle across the moat to the land. The oldest portcullis that still works in England is at Hever Castle.

It’s partly famous for being the childhood home of Anne Boleyn who was one of Henry VIII’s wives.

During the summer there may be old jousting tournaments on display as well as archery shows.

It’s also well known for its stunning Tudor Gardens and easily makes for one of the best castles in Kent to visit.

It’s open for visitors.

Upnor Castle

Upnor Castle is technically an artillery fort from Elizabethan times that was built only a few miles from Rochester Castle in the late 16th-century to defend Royal Navy ships that were docked further up the river.

Upnor Castle is worth visiting if you go to Rochester Castle as they are close to each other.

It’s open for visitors.

Chiddingstone Castle

Chiddingstone Castle is not far from London and it’s really a historic house rather than a full-on castle as that’s how it initially started out in the 16th-century before being transformed somewhat to a castle in the 19th-century but is still good to see.

Like many of the castles in Kent mentioned here, it has stunning gardens to wander around and a lovely tea room to relax after.

Tip: Chiddingstone Village is one of the oldest and prettiest villages in Kent so make sure you have a look around when there and grab a bite to eat at the Castle Inn.

Chiddingstone Castle is also very close to Hever Castle and combining the 2 for a long day trip is a perfect idea.

It’s open for visitors.

Chilham Castle

Chilham Castle is a large manor house not far from the medieval city of Canterbury and dates to the 17th-century when the house was built on the site of a medieval castle.

It’s not open for visits but every Tuesday in summer you can go and wander around the gardens. If you get in touch early on they might be able to arrange a special tour of the house.

Walmer Castle

Walmer Castle is part of a chain of artillery forts constructed along the coastline of the English Channel by Henry VIII in the 16th-century to protect against attack from the sea, especially from the French.

It eventually became the home for the Lord’s Warden of the Cinque Ports.

It has some great gardens to wander around when there such as the Queen Mother’s Garden and a delicious looking kitchen garden.

It’s open for visitors.

Deal Castle

Deal Castle goes along with Walmer Castle as one of the artillery forts built along the coast and essentially has a similar history.

You can see all of the castle including the tunnels below. It makes a great idea to combine Deal Castle and Walmer Castle on the same day.

Tip: If you have a bicycle there’s a good cycle path between Deal Castle and Walmer Castle.

It’s open for visitors.

Tonbridge Castle

Tonbridge Castle is a great Motte and Bailey Castle that dates back to the 11th-century although much of the stoneworks came in later centuries.

Having undergone heavy renovations in the early 2000s’ it is now in great condition to visit.

Tip: There is a good cycle ride (or walk) you can do along the ‘Tudor Trail’ from the castle that is 6 miles and takes you to Penshurst Place, another great historic building in the area to visit.

It’s open for visitors.

Lullingstone Castle

Lullingstone Castle is a large manor house dating to the 13th-century, although much of what you see today was started in the late 15th-century.

It has the honour of being one of England’s oldest family estates.

It’s well known for its gardens and although the castle itself isn’t really a ‘castle’ so to speak, it’s worth going to.

It’s open for visitors.

Scotney Castle

Scotney Castle is a country house that dates to the early 12th-century. From 1778 it was in the hands of the Hussey Family until the late 20th-century.

It has some good gardens to walk in and being a small castle you can really slow down and not rush around trying to see a lot.

There’s an excellent tea room there to enjoy some tasty food and drinks.

It’s open for visits.

Eynsford Castle

Eynsford Castle is in a very ruined state as it’s one of the oldest medieval castles in Kent and was built by William de Enysford in the late 11th-century.

This castle I would only recommend to go to if you have a real interest in castle history. However, if you are just looking for 1 or 2 castles in Kent to visit then skip it to save time.

It’s open for visitors.

Canterbury Castle

Canterbury Castle is also in a very ruined state of affairs and is only recommended to see if you have a deep interest in castles.

However, it’s located in one of the most famous medieval cities, Canterbury, and Canterbury should be on your list of places to visit in Kent when there to see the historic cathedral, so stop by and see the castle as well.

It’s open for visitors.

St Leonard’s Tower

St Leonard’s Tower is just an added bonus to have a look at only if you’re in the area as it’s nowhere near as impressive as other places to see.

However, it is a perfect and well-preserved example of a free-standing Norman tower keep that dates roughly to the late 11th-century.

It’s open for visitors.


Castles In Kent

There are plenty of castles in Kent to choose from but in my experience, if I had to choose only one then make it to Dover Castle, with Rochester Castle and Leeds Castle as other options.

Have a read of 5 of the best things to do in Kent.

For more castles in Britain take a look at the 15 best castles in Cornwall to visit.

For a good book on castles in Britain take a look at this one from one of the best historians, Marc Morris: Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain (Amazon affiliate link).


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