This article is about the English county of Kent. See also Kent (disambiguation).

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Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. The county town is Maidstone.

Kent was originally one of the Saxon kingdoms of England (see Kingdom of Kent), although its name derives from one of the Celtic tribes of Britain, the Cantiaci. As the closest part of England to the continent of Europe, it has frequently been the focal point for invasion attempts, and is traditionally the major embarkation point for overseas travel.

Because of its agricultural influence, extensive orchards and hop-gardens, Kent is sometimes known as the 'Garden of England'. Some addresses ending in 'Kent' are administered as part of London; these places lie within the Boroughs of Bexley or Bromley. (In the UK, postal addresses sometimes reflect the patterns of efficient or traditional mail distribution rather than patterns of municipal or county government.

Kent is traditionally regarded as a picturesque rural county, but there is a Kent coalfield which was extensively mined in the past. There is a nuclear power station located at Dungeness.

The Channel tunnel leaves England at Cheriton in Kent. It provides a rail link to and from France. There are airports at Biggin Hill, Headcorn, Lydd, Manston and Rochester.

Famous residents of Kent have included Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin.

Cities, towns and villages

• Ashford, Aylesford
• Bexley, Bexleyheath, Bromley
• Canterbury, Charing, Chatham, Crockenhill
• Deal, Detling county showground Dover, Dunton Green, Dymchurch
• Eythorne, Edenbridge
• Folkestone
• Gillingham
• Hartley, Cranbrook, Kent, Hartley, New Ash Green, Kent, Hawkhurst, Herne Bay, Higham, Hollingbourne, Hythe
• Kemsing
• Langley, Leigh, Linton, Lydd
• Maidstone, Manston, Marden, Margate, Marsh Green, Martin, Martin Mill, Mayfield
• Minster, Ramsgate, Maxton, Minster, Sheerness, Monkton
• Netlestead, Nettlestead Green, New Romney
• Orpington, Otford
• Paddock Wood, Penshurst
• Postling
• Ramsgate, Reculver, Rochester, Royal Tunbridge Wells
• Sandwich, Seal, Sevenoaks, Shoreham, Swanley, Sturry
• Tonbridge
• Walmer, Westerham, Whitstable

Places of interest

• Bedgebury Pinetum
• Bodiam Castle
• Brenzett
• Chatham Dockyard maritime museum, ropery, RNLI lifeboat museum, police museum
• Chiddingstone Castle
• Cinque Ports
• Dungeness Power Station
• Hever Castle
• Headcorn small aviation museum and parachuting school
• Isle of Grain
• Isle of Thanet
• Kent Battle of Britain Museum
• Leeds Castle
• Manston Airport with two aviation museums
• Minster Abbey, Minster, Sheerness
• Penshurst Place
• Reculver Roman Fort
• Romney Marsh
• Royal Engineers Museum of Military Engineering, Gillingham
• Scotney Castle
• St. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury
• Turner Gallery to open in Margate
• North Downs Way, a long distance footpath
• East Kent Railway, a heritage railway
• Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway, a heritage railway
• Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, a heritage railway