The county of Kent, meeting Greater London’s South East border on one side and enjoying over 350 miles of coastline on the other, has a notable and rich history.
Why Is Kent Called Kent?
During Roman times, a Celtic tribe called the Cantii, or Cantiaci, lived in a district called Cantium. It covered modern Kent and some areas of Surrey, Sussex and Greater London, stretching from the River Thames across to the North Sea.
According to legend, when William the Conqueror marched through Kent en route to London in 1066, the local population rose up with weapons to demand protection of their ancient rights. Having secured this freedom, the Roman term for unconquered – Invicta – later became the motto for the county of Kent.
What Is Kent Famous For?
With thousands of historic buildings, including the Norman Canterbury Cathedral, the castles including the Boleyn’s seat Hever Castle, and the easily spotted oast houses scattered throughout the lush countryside which gave rise to the term ‘Garden of England’, Kent delights visitors and residents alike.
At the coast, Whistable’s colourful cottages and harbourside fish market allow you to soak up a historic atmosphere, while nearby Margate attracts artists and cultural visitors looking to appreciate both Turners and modern art.
If you’re an enthusiast of Roman Britain, a trip to the Canterbury Roman Museum should be at the top of your itinerary. But anyone who has read Chaucer will want to head straight to Canterbury Cathedral.
The Cities, Towns And Villages Of Kent
Maidstone is the administrative centre of modern Kent, but historically Kent’s only city, Canterbury, was one of the most important towns in England because of its religious standing and focus of long-distance pilgrimages.
Many counties are home to a city of the same, or similar, name. Kent is unusual because it is solely the name of the county.
But its location also presents a modern problem arising from the ever-larger spread of London. Several towns, including Sidcup, can now be described as being located in both London and Kent.
The cities, towns and villages of Kent include:
- Ashford
- Broadstairs
- Canterbury
- Chatham
- Cliffe
- Cranbrook
- Dartford
- Deal
- Dover
- Dungeness
- Edenbridge
- Faversham
- Folkestone
- Gillingham
- Gravesend
- Herne Bay
- Hythe
- Lydd
- Maidstone
- Margate
- Minster, Swale
- New Romney
- Northfleet
- Paddock Wood
- Queenborough
- Ramsgate
- Rochester
- Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Sandwich
- Sevenoaks
- Sheerness
- Sidcup
- Sittingbourne
- Snodland
- Southborough
- Strood
- Swanley
- Tenterden
- Tonbridge
- West Malling
- Westerham
- Westgate-on-Sea
- Whitstable
Local History Videos of Kent
If you see one of the place names above highlighted, you can click on it to be taken to a page focussed on that settlement. There, you will find links to a range of videos which you can access for free.
We’ll keep adding more pages as time goes on.
Local History Facebook Groups And Pages For Kent
- Margate Local History
- Old Photos of Rainham Kent
- Thurrock Local History Society
Have we missed your Facebook Group? Please let us know !
Kent’s Local History Groups and Resources
Appledore Local History Society
Ashford Arch. & History Society
Ashford Branch, Kent Family History Society
Aylesford History Society
British Association for Local History (BALH)
Barham Downs History Society
Barming History Society
Bearsted & District Local History Society
Bexley Civic Society
Bexley History Society
Biddenden Local History Society
Boughton Malherbe History Society
Brenchley & Matfield Local History Society
Bridge & District History Society
Broadstairs Society
Bromley Borough Local History Society
Canterbury Historical & Antiquarian Society
Capel Local History Society
Charing & District Local History Society
Chatham Historical Society
Chislehurst Society
Cranbrook & District Local History Society
Crayford Manor House Historical Society
Dartford Historical & Antiquarian Society
Friends of Dover Museum
Dymchurch & District Heritage Group
East Kent National Trust Association
East Peckham History Society
Elham History Society
Eltham Society
Farningham & Eynsford Local History Society
Faversham Society
Fawkham & District History Society
Folkestone & District Family History Society
Folkestone & District Local History Society
Goudhurst & Kilndown Local History Society
Gravesend History Society
Great Mongeham Society
Hadlow History Society
Halling History Society
Harrietsham History Society
Hawkhurst Local History Society
Headcorn Local History Society
Herne & Broomfield Local Historical Group
Herne Bay Historical Records Society
Higham Village History Group
Hildenborough History Society
Horsmonden History Society
Horton Kirby & S Darenth Local History Society
Hythe Civic Society
Kemsing Heritage Centre Association
Kent Archives
Kent Archaeological Society
Kent Family History Society
Kent Historic Buildings Committee
Kent History and Library Centre
Kent Museums Group
Lamberhurst Local History Society
Lamorbey & Sidcup Local History Society
Leigh & District History Society
Lenham Heritage
Lewisham Local History Society
Loose Area History Society
Friends of Lydd
Lyminge History Society
Lynsted with Kingsdown Society
Maidstone Area Archaeological Group (MAAG)
Maidstone History Society
Marden Historical Group
Margate Civic Society
Friends of Medway Archives
Meopham History Society
Mycenae House Local History Group
N W Kent Family History Society
Northfleet Historical Group
Otford & District History Society
Otham History Society
Oxney Local History Society
Paddock Wood History Society
Plaxtol Local History Group
Rainham History Society
Rolvenden History Group
Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society
Rusthall Local History Group
Rye Museum & Local History Group
Sandwich Local History Society
Seal History Group
Sevenoaks History Society
Shepherdswell & Coldred History Society
Sheppey Local History Society
Shoreham & District History Society
Shorne Local History Group
Sittingbourne Heritage Museum
Sittingbourne Society
Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne
Smarden Local History Society
St Margaret’s History Society
St Mary’s Platt & District Society
Staplehurst Society
Stelling Minnis & Upper Hardres Local History Society
Strood Fellowship
Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne (SHAL)
Swanley History Group
Tenterden & District Local History Society
Teston History Society
Tonbridge History Society
University of Kent Local History Collection
Wateringbury Local History Society
Weald History Group
Weald of Kent Probus Club
Westgate-on-Sea Heritage Centre
Whitstable History Society
Wingham Local History Society
Woodchurch Local History Society
Wrotham Historical Society
Wye Historical Society
You can find the contact details for many of these societies on the Kent History Federation website.
More Kent Pages
- Ashford, Kent: History in Old Images
- Old Images of Kent, England
- Old Images of Chatham, Kent
- Old Images of Rolvenden, Kent
- Old Images of Queenborough, Kent
Thanks for the featured image at the top of this page go to littlepixie from Pixabay.