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Town in Kent, England
Photo: Iain Crump, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Ashford is a town in Kent on the River Great Stour at the southern or scarp edge of the North Downs in the South East of England. In 2021, it was home to 83,000 people.
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For local wine and cider (very good and strong!)
A white smock mill built in 1869.
A natural 'green' route through Ashford.
Wye Rural Museum
Operates between Tenterden and Bodiam in East Sussex, passing through some very attractive countryside. A one-day adult unlimited ticket costs £33.00. Bodiam Castle is at the end of the line. A trip on the train and a visit to the castle make a good day out. There is a pub at the entrance to the castle which provides good food. The castle has a gift shop and a tea room.
The surrounding countryside, particularly the North Downs, are good for walking, with the Pilgrims' Way, North Downs Way and the Stour Valley Walk all in the area, catering for the long distance walker or the day-tripper.
Ashford is surrounded by woodlands which are ideal for day walks. To the North East of the town, you can find Kings Wood, Denge Wood and West Wood. Kings Wood is large and it is not unknown for people to get lost and require police assistance. All of these woods have free parking.
12-screen multiplex cinema. You can also find many restaurants here and a hotel. Short-term parking in Sainsbury's car park, on the other side of the motorway, is possible.
A beautiful area on the North Downs and North Downs Way. It claims to have the best view in Kent, overlooking Ashford District. You can see as far as Beachy Head in Sussex. There is also an easy 1.5km walk to Wye Crown.
The crown is best viewed from a distance, however it is a good walk and is on the North Downs Way. The view over Kent is stunning. There is no car parking above or below the crown, so the best way is to walk from the Devils Kneading Trough (1.5 km) or up hill from Wye following the North Downs Way (2.5 km).
Mexican English, cosy pub eaterie fresh food cooked to order and a range of real ales.
Typical Italian, pizzas, pasta dishes and salads.
Italian food in a friendly atmosphere.
Oriental buffet restaurant with over 40 freshly prepared dishes to choose from, eat as much as you like. £17-24 per person.
Particularly good country pub near Charing. Serves local produce, including local beers/cider.
Very friendly bar with great food, nice interior and outside seating in Summer.
A large Wetherspoons pub serving food and drink busy from Thursday to Saturday.
A 5-minute walk from the International Station this country-feel family pub has a reputation for homecooked food with daily specials and an extensive menu. Two beer gardens. Tuesday Steak Night and Wednesday Mexican Night.
A 350-year-old traditional pub
An old pub
An old pub on the Pilgrims Way.
Local village pub just outside Ashford serving cask ales, home-cooked food. Breakfast, and lunches. Take-aways also available on bar food.
Ashford's first proper brewery. It has a restaurant on site offering gourmet burgers and similar fare.
A busy country pub on the bank of the River Stour.
Follow Romney Marsh Road through Kingsnorth and turn left into Steeds Lane. 3.7 miles from Ashford.
Head North-West along the A20 and then right to Westwell. 4.9 miles from Ashford.
Orbital Business Park, Sevington.
Eureka Leisure park, near M20 junction 9. Just like every other Travelodge, but it is right next to fast food outlets such as Nando's, Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonald's.
Basic rooms. Although on its own out of the town in the countryside the motorway unfortunately runs close by so always traffic noise. Small gym, friendly staff.
Simone Weil Avenue, near M20 junction 9.
Stylish 10-bedroom hotel in a Jacobean manor, with good dining.
An old manor house that must be seen. It is expensive to stay and don't expect to get lunch for less than £42. Very much into 'wellness' and spa type treatments.
Covered shopping centre with 85 designer brand stores, running the gamut from Armani to Zwilling. A major expansion project was completed during 2019 which increased the number of shops and removed some of the more downmarket food outlets (McDonald's).
Supermarket.
By train
Eurostar high-speed trains running from Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille (Europe), Calais (Fréthun) and Brussels (Zuid-Midi) stop at Ashford International.
By plane
Ashford's closest airport is Lydd Airport (London Ashford Airport) (LYX). A small airport with its own airline LyddAir which offers charter flights in 9 passenger planes.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Southend-on-Sea, Essex · Regional · SEN
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