Luxury self-catering accommodation in Kent

Seagulls, shoreline and top-notch food; the fishing town of Whitstable has long been Kent's pearly jewel in the fish and chips crown. With Wheelers’ Oyster Bar bagging the title of 'oldest restaurant in town', upmarket Samphire just next door, and Michelin-starred Sportsman just a short drive up the coast. Say the name of this area and images of pastel beach huts spring to mind but the terrain here is varied, as you will see if you walk a bit of the Saxon Way, winding around to Dover and Folkestone, the landscape changes from chalky cliffs to pretty pathways.

Kent's inland cottages are set near local oast houses and close to vineyards; book a tour of the Chapel Down winery grounds for a refreshing taste of the area. A Canterbury townhouse is a good base to explore this history-rich city, immortalised by Chaucer's medieval Canterbury Tales. Guests who love authentic properties will be happy to book a unique historic home, then visit Leeds Castle – actually sited just outside the Kent hub of Maidstone and with something for everyone; playground, maze, falconry and even a Dog Collar Museum.