Kent’s county town, Maidstone, lies at the heart of the Garden of England. Here orchards and hop gardens surround romantic villages and must-see heritage sights. This lush landscape is home to captivating Leeds Castle, which has been here since Norman days. In Maidstone itself you can view elaborate sleighs, sedan chairs and horse-drawn vehicles of the Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages or hop on the Kentish Lady for a scenic River Medway cruise through the Maidstone Millennium River Park to Kent Life, where oast houses, historic homes, farm animals and tractor rides provide a lively insight into Kent’s rural past.