PENSHURST PLACE
SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM
GROOMBRIDGE PLACE
The UK ’ s closest point to Europe , Kent has seen many invasions throughout history . However Kent ’ s motto , ‘ invicta ’, meaning undefeated , really came into play during World War II . Kent ’ s geographical vulnerability meant it played a large part during the Battle of Britain , a battle fought in the skies above the county from July to October 1940 . Biggin Hill on the North Downs was one of the sector stations controlling the airfields at West Malling and Lympne . More than 454 known aircrew from Biggin Hill died during this conflict , but their resilience and sacrifice ensured that the Luffewaffe ’ s attack on Britain was in vain . More can be learned about the Battle of Britain at the Battle of Britain Museum in Hawkinge and the Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum in Ramsgate . The Little Ships of Dunkirk was another miraculous moment of united spirit during the Second World War that Kent bore witness to . Around 850 private boats sailed fearlessly from Ramsgate to the infamous beaches of Dunkirk in northern France between 26th May and 4th June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo , helping to rescue more than 336,000 British , French , and other allied soldiers who were trapped there .
Famous fictional moments have also been captured on screen in Kent , but with its dramatic landscapes and neverending list of historic houses and castles , that really comes as no surprise . Chatham Historic Dockyard has been the home of many movie sets , including Les Miserablés , Sherlock Holmes , The Mummy and Netflix ’ s The Crown . Penshurst Place was used in Mary Queen of Scots with Margot Robbie , and Saltwood Castle saw the making of My Week with Marilyn , whereas Knole House and Dover Castle created the perfect setting for The Other Boleyn Girl . The critically acclaimed 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen ’ s novel Pride and Prejudice made use of Groombridge Place in Tunbridge Wells , after all , most of Austen ’ s novels were based on her time spent at Kent ’ s grand country houses .
One of these grand country houses was The Old Palace at Bekesbourne in which author of James Bond , Ian Fleming lived from 1957-59 . It is rumoured that he took inspiration from the 007 bus that ferried passengers from Canterbury to the coast . Today , you can see a blue plaque on The Duck Inn at Pett Bottom which tells us Fleming wrote You Only Live Twice there in 1964 .
The much-loved ITV show that has recently had a remake , The Darling Buds of May , makes use of the beautiful countryside of west Kent and the county ’ s iconic oast houses . The original was filmed in Pluckley , the most haunted village in Britain , which claims to be home to over 12 ghosts .
Home not only to ghosts but plenty of celebrities as well , ( Jools Holland , Miriam Margoyles , Paul Hollywood , Gloria Hunniford , Vic Reeves and Sir Michael Gambon to name a few ), Kent has also seen many a famous face pass through . Back in 1966 , guitar legend Jimi Hendrix , made musical history at the Hillside Social Club in Folkestone , where he played a concert alongside Noel Redding . The building no longer stands , but a blue plaque can be found on the wall of the former Prince Albert Hotel in Rendezvous Street . It is also a fact that rock stars Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first met at Dartford train station , an encounter that would change pop music forever . A conversation about music began on the platform , which continued on the train and ended with The Rolling Stones .
To end our factual journey through Kent , we ’ ll finish with dessert - gypsy tart . A Kentish born delicacy , legend has it that the pudding was invented by a woman who wanted to feed hungry Romani children on the Isle of Sheppey . It is made with evaporated milk and muscovado sugar and is still very popular throughout the UK today .
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