Heathrow Airport 1 hr 19
Tilbury Fort (12 min)
Riverside fort built to protect London, with bastions, moats and a magazine house, plus a gift shop. Chalkwell Beach (34 min)
Pebble & sand beach with a large granite obelisk from the 1800s & a promenade with snack kiosks. Thorndon Country Park (24 min)
Trails through a landscape of ancient oak trees, marshes & meadows, with birdlife & grazing cattle. Hadleigh Castle (27 min)
Ruined 1200s castle, refortified by Edward III in the Hundred Years War, affording marsh views. Guildhall Museum (38 min)
This 1687 building houses a museum of local history & a number of rooms preserved in original style. Barleylands Farm Park (17 min)
Family-friendly attraction featuring farm animals, craft workshops, rides, play areas & more. Dickens World (40 min)
State-of-the-art animatronics, a 4D cinema and Victorian recreations expand on the work of Dickens. Rochester Castle (38 min)
Landmark 11th century Norman castle with large keep giving views over the River Medway, plus tours. RSPB Rainham Marshes (20 min)
Bird-rich former marshland firing range with accessible boardwalks and a modern visitor centre. Shorne Woods Country Park (31 min)
Visitor centre, cafe and marked paths in 288 acres of woodlands, lakes, wetlands and meadows. Rochester Cathedral (38 min)
Norman building with a Romanesque facade, a 14th-century library door and daily CofE services. Thames Estuary (1 hr 28)
1 of the country's largest, this landmark estuary features shipping routes & various lighthouses. Diggerland Kent (35 min)
Playful amusement park featuring life-sized diggers, excavators & more for kids & adults to operate. Upnor Castle (38 min)
Fort with tranquil grounds adjoining a riverside village with coin rubbing and canon firing. The Historic Dockyard Chatham (39 min)
Historic Royal Navy warships and shipbuilding heritage in an 18th-century dockyard museum. | 
