The county of Kent sits in England’s most south easterly corner where it benefits from a lovely mild climate. It’s known as the ‘Garden of England’ so it’s not hard to imagine that the area is full of lush green fields, blooming gardens in the summer and has more than 50 vineyards as well! Kent is home to the iconic Canterbury Cathedral, the White Cliffs of Dover as well as historic towns & villages. Read on to find 11 of the most Instagrammable locations in the county and scroll to the bottom for a map to help you plan out your road trip to visit them all!
Plus…make sure you’re following me here on Flying Scots Girl to be the first to know about a new biog post coming soon to plan a Kent Roadtrip 🚗
1. Butchery Lane, Canterbury
First up on this list is Butchery Lane situated in the heart of the wonderful city of Canterbury. Canterbury has plenty of Instagrammable locations (watch this space… 👀) but this one you absolutely cannot miss! Butchery Lane looks down a wonderful cobble stoned historic alleyway towards Canterbury Cathedral. For an uninterrupted view make sure to set an early alarm and come before the other tourists are up and about.
The Cathedral forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city along with some other historical religious buildings and is possibly the most famous cathedral in the whole of England. The wooden shop signs jutting out into Butchery Lane really add an extra level of charm to this shot.
2. Wheelers Oyster Bar, Whitstable
If you love a facade, particularly one in luscious pastel shades, then you have to get yourself to Whitstable! The pink and blue colours of Wheelers Oyster Bar and hand painted detailing give it proper Wes Anderson vibes and I’m sure you’ll have seen it pop up on your Insta feed before 🦪
For a post entirely about the best Instagram spots in Whitstable then check out 9 best Instagram spots in Whitstable for more!
3. The King’s Head, Deal
The King’s Head is another beautiful facade in Kent. This pub is always decorated with lots of flowers and its lovely yellow paintwork plus hand painted letter detailing make it a perfect spot to photograph. The King’s Head dates back to 1746 and with a perfect location looking out to the beach front of Deal, you’ll need to grab a pint to enjoy the view once you’re finished snapping 🍺
4. Scotney Castle
Scotty Castle is a popular National Trust spot all across Instagram and you’re sure to have seen its dreamy ruins that look like something out of a Disney movie before. The site has an interesting story and the old castle (the most photographed spot on the estate) dates back to the 14th century. When Edward Hussey bought the estate in the 18th century he thankfully kept the ruins and built his own mansion house within the grounds. The gardens are some of the last and most fabulous picturesque landscaped gardens before an alternative gardening style took over. Visit in spring to see the ruins drenched in wisteria or framed by rhododendrons. In summer roses take over and in autumn, the gardens surrounding the castle change to hues of orange and red.
5. White Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are some of the most iconic natural landscape features in England and have long been a symbol of ‘home’. The soaring white chalk cliffs have seen many significant historical events from the arrival of the Romans at their shores to the returning forces from Dunkirk and today you can step through this history with a walk along the clifftops or down to the beaches below. Whichever walk you choose, they’re an iconic location for adding to your Instagram feed!
6. Beach Huts, Herne Bay
Colourful beach huts of Herne Bay
With so much coastline defining its boundaries (350 miles of it in fact), Kent has lots of beach towns and with beach towns come some of my favourite beachside icons: beach huts! Popular British seaside resort towns are absolutely not complete without lines of these colourful little cabins and they are one of my favourite things to photograph. In Kent, there are of course plenty to choose from but the ones I’ve added to this list are in Herne Bay. The colourful beach huts here seem to come in every shade of the rainbow where they sit upon the shingle looking out across the sea to Essex beyond. If you fancy one yourself then you’ll be setting yourself back a rather small fortune (and considerably more than a house deposit…). Coastal breaks are so popular (particularly to Kent because of its proximity to London) that beach huts can be on the market for around £30,000 😳
7. Westgate Gardens, Canterbury
I feel a little bit cheeky having two locations on Canterbury on this list when it is for the whole of Kent but this spot is too good to leave off! The Westgate Gardens are situated along the River Stour (watch out for punts). During Spring / Summer the Gardens are completely bursting with colour as the flowers bloom along the riverside. This is the perfect spot to rest for an hour or so (ideally with a good book and a good coffee) as you watch the world go by and enjoy watching the ducks splashing around in the river! You won’t be stuck for angles 😊
8. Sandwich
Yup. You have read correctly. Entry number 8 is called Sandwich! This town is genuinely situated just along the road from the village of Ham so there are a number of signs in the vicinity that read ‘Ham Sandwich‘ you couldn’t make it up. Make it a mission to find one of the signs for the hilarity value alone…I promise IG content referencing it will get plenty of laughs 😂 All Sandwich jokes aside, the town is very pretty and we enjoyed an early morning stroll through the streets admiring plenty of historic buildings – it’s one of the best preserved medieval towns in England. The thatched buildings above are in the centre of town are on Strand Street and Potter Street was another one that I liked!
9. Sissinghurst
Sissinghurst is another National Trust property in Kent that has Instagrammable spots at every corner. The gardens are spectacular and alive with colour during spring and summer and it’s the perfect place to add lots of fresh greenery to your IG feed! Plus there are some wonderful and super varied buildings here so that you have lots of architectural treats to enjoy as well. Sissinghurst was created by poet Vita Sackville-West and her writer husband Harold Nicolson and the estate really mirrors their eclectic and vibrant personalities with unusual details and buildings everywhere. Particularly look out for The Tower, the Oast Houses, Library & South Cottage.
10. Botany Bay
We chose a decidedly overcast day to make a beach trip (it started raining as we got back to the car 🙃) but it wasn’t hard to see why Botany Bay in Broadstairs is a gem for a day at the coast. The sandy strip of bay is hidden at the base of white chalk cliffs and at the south, towering stacks rise up out of the sea to flank the end. The stacks and stark white cliffs make an incredible photo opportunity and I would love to return one day to capture the same image above at sunset with the colours leaking through the gaps.
11. Vineyards
As I mentioned in the introduction to this post, Kent’s mild and temperament climate means that it is home to over 50 vineyards and so it would be rude not to enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting when you visit 😉 You’ve got plenty to choose from and once you have you’re ready to document your descent through the vineyard on IG – just make sure to get the perfect grid photo as well, either amongst the vines or with an excellent glass of Kent grown and produced vino. The choice is yours 🍷
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Cat x