Kingsnorth

Kingsnorth itself has no hotels, being a small village rather than a town, but its location on the southern edge of Ashford means good accommodation is never far away. Ashford, just a couple of miles north, offers a solid range of options from budget and mid-range chain hotels near the Designer Outlet and station to independent guesthouses and inns dotted around the town and surrounding villages.

Staying in or near Ashford also puts you within easy reach of Ashford International station, useful for anyone combining a Kent stay with a Eurostar trip or onward rail travel, as well as the M20 for drivers heading towards the coast or Channel Tunnel. Further out into the Kent Weald, bed and breakfasts and country inns offer a quieter, more rural alternative for those who'd rather wake up to farmland views than town-centre bustle.

Whichever type of accommodation you choose, Kingsnorth's position means you're never more than a short drive from the village's own Queens Head pub, the cricket ground, and the wider countryside walks that make this corner of Kent worth lingering in.

Kingsnorth itself is small, but it makes a handy, well-connected base for exploring this corner of Kent.

• St Michael and All Angels Church — the village's parish church has a nave dating back to the fourteenth century and a stained glass window of Saint George and the Dragon believed to date from around 1400.
• Ashford Town Cricket Club — based in Kingsnorth off Steeds Lane, the club plays in the Kent League and its clubhouse overlooks the cricket ground; a good way to see village sporting life in action on a summer Saturday.
• Ashford Designer Outlet — an open-air outlet mall a short drive away with around 100 fashion and homeware brands, plus a run of cafes and restaurants.
• Julie Rose Stadium — Ashford's athletics and leisure centre, with an outdoor running track, gym, sports hall and multi-use games courts.
• Wye National Nature Reserve and the North Downs Way — a little further afield, this chalk downland reserve and its network of footpaths (including the Pilgrim's Way) give a proper taste of the Kent countryside beyond the village.

The village's main pub is the Queens Head on Ashford Road, an eighteenth-century Grade II listed building known for home-cooked food, especially its all-day breakfasts and Sunday roasts, alongside a changing range of ales. It's a family and dog-friendly community pub that also hosts quiz nights and live music. Beyond the village, Ashford town centre and the Designer Outlet add a wider choice of cafes, chain restaurants and coffee shops within a short drive.

Kingsnorth doesn't have its own dedicated campsite, but its position just south of Ashford makes it a workable base for exploring campgrounds scattered across the wider Kent Weald and Ashford countryside. This part of Kent is gently rolling farmland and orchard country rather than dramatic wilderness, so pitches here tend to be on established sites rather than truly remote ground. As in the rest of England, wild camping is not legally permitted without the landowner's permission, so it's worth sticking to registered campsites, farm pitches or glamping sites in the area rather than pitching up on open land.

The best months to camp around Kingsnorth are from late spring through early autumn, roughly May to September, when the Weald's countryside is at its most walkable and evenings are long enough to enjoy a campfire or barbecue outside. Kent's weather is generally milder and drier than much of the UK, but the region can still see its share of rain, so a decent tent and groundsheet are worth packing whatever the season.

For those who'd rather skip the tent pegs, glamping has grown steadily across Kent in recent years, with shepherd's huts, bell tents and pods available on farms and smallholdings within easy reach of Ashford. These sites suit anyone who wants a taste of the outdoors with a proper bed, and many are dog-friendly and geared towards families. Given Kingsnorth's good road and rail links, a site anywhere within the wider Ashford area can still make a sensible base, letting you combine countryside camping with easy access to the town's shops, station and the Designer Outlet, as well as day trips further into the Kent Weald or towards the coast.