Chilham

Chilham makes a peaceful, characterful base for exploring this corner of the Kent Downs, with Canterbury only minutes away by train and the North Downs Way passing close by for walkers. Hotel options directly in the village are limited given its size, with the historic White Horse inn on the square offering a handful of characterful rooms right at the heart of things, close to the castle gatehouse and St Mary's Church. Staying in the village itself means waking up inside the postcard scene of timbered houses and cobbled lanes that usually only day-trippers get to see, and having the square largely to yourself once the coach parties have gone home.

For a wider choice of hotels, bed and breakfasts and boutique stays, Canterbury is only a short drive or a ten-minute train ride away, and offers everything from budget chains to characterful townhouse hotels within the old city walls, alongside its cathedral, restaurants and shops. Ashford, a little further along the same railway line, is another practical base with good transport connections, including high-speed services towards London, making it useful for anyone splitting a trip between Kent and the capital.

Wherever you base yourself, Chilham's compact size means a night or two is easily enough to take in the castle gardens on an open day, wander the square, and follow a stretch of footpath out into the surrounding orchards and downland before moving on to Canterbury or the wider Kent coast.

Chilham rewards slow exploration on foot. Highlights include:

• Chilham Castle and Gardens — a Jacobean manor house built for Sir Dudley Digges beside the shell of a Norman keep, with 25 acres of terraced gardens partly landscaped by Capability Brown; the gardens open to visitors on selected days through the summer.
• Chilham Square — the heart of the village, ringed by 15th- and 16th-century timber-framed houses and a favourite location for period dramas and films, from Winnie the Pooh adaptations to Miss Marple.
• St Mary's Church — a mainly 15th-century flint church with a squat tower overlooking the square, holding monuments to the Digges family of the castle.
• The North Downs Way — the long-distance path runs within easy reach of the village, offering waymarked walks through orchards and beechwoods with views across the Stour valley.
• Canterbury — the cathedral city is a short hop away by train or car, with its UNESCO World Heritage cathedral, city walls and riverside streets.
• Godmersham Park — the nearby estate, once owned by Jane Austen's brother Edward, sits just along the Stour valley and is a pleasant walking destination.

The White Horse, a 14th-century inn right on the square opposite the castle gatehouse, is the village's traditional local, serving real ales and pub food and hosting regular live music and quiz nights. The Church Mouse tea rooms, also on the square, are well placed for a cream tea after visiting St Mary's Church, while the Woolpack Inn on The Street offers a more spread-out country pub setting with a garden terrace, a short drive from the centre.

Chilham and the surrounding Kent Downs offer gentle, rolling countryside that suits campers looking for orchards, woodland and quiet lanes rather than dramatic wilderness. As with the rest of England, wild camping is not legal here without the landowner's explicit permission, so pitching up in fields or woodland on a whim is not an option; instead, campers should use licensed sites, certified caravan and camping club locations, or farm-based campsites in the villages around Chilham, several of which sit within easy reach of the North Downs Way and the Stour valley.

The terrain here is a mix of chalk downland, hop gardens and orchards rather than open moor, so sites tend to be small, tucked into farmland, and often family-run, with a more intimate feel than the large holiday parks found nearer the coast. Many combine a working farm with a handful of pitches, and some offer glamping options such as shepherd's huts, bell tents or converted horseboxes for anyone who wants the Kent Downs setting without bringing their own tent.

Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable season for camping around Chilham, when the orchards are in leaf or fruit and the North Downs Way is at its most walkable; blossom time in April and May adds a particular charm to the surrounding countryside, while high summer brings the warmest weather but also the busiest weekends, especially around any castle garden open days. Early autumn often rewards campers with settled weather, harvest colours in the hop gardens and orchards, and a quieter village to explore. Whatever the season, the compact scale of the area means a campsite near Chilham puts you within easy reach of the village square, the castle grounds, and a short train ride from Canterbury, making it a good option for a slower, more rural counterpoint to a cathedral-city break.