kent | A set of themed essays about Kent, a county in South East England, which include interactive maps and images. Kent has a rich history and provided inspiration for a number of writers and artists.

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Kent’s transport infrastructure has played a vital role in connecting the UK to the continent, but it hasn’t always been plain sailing.

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All Aboard the Hoy

During the second half of the eighteenth century, one of the most remarked-upon aspects of holidaying in Margate was the journey from London by hoy.

Canterbury Railways

The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, opened on May 3rd 1830, was the world’s first passenger steam railway. It became a branch of the London and South East Railway when in 1846 the main line reached Canterbury.

Canterbury Transport

Between 1900 and 1962 all traffic on the A2 from London to Dover passed through the High Street. At the mid-point of the pedestrianised High Street the 1950s traffic signs, pointing to Dover and Chatham, can still be seen.

Guglielmo Marconi and Wireless Telegraphy

Guglielmo Marconi

On 30 January 1899, Marconi demonstrated his wireless telegraphy apparatus at the South Foreland Lighthouse, St Margaret’s Bay, transmitting to the East Goodwin Lightship, twelve miles away.

Mapping the Dover Road: David Copperfield’s journey

David Copperfield gives his readers a detailed itinerary but what do we really know about the conditions he would have faced? The Dover Road has been established for quite some time; a well-travelled route from London via Kentish towns and cities en route to the coast.

Reminiscences of a Railway Worker

A Boy of Kent

Adam Baldwin lived opposite Teynham Station and as a child he would be serenaded by the sound of Southern electric trains rumbling past his house. He later joined his father working for the railways.

Richborough: The Secret Port

The old Roman port of Richborough, at the mouth of the Wantsum channel, was chosen for development during the first world war to transport men and machinery to support the war effort.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

No fewer than six of the Sherlock Holmes stories involve Kent railway stations with action taking place at Chiselhurst, Lewisham, Blackheath, Beckenham, Tonbridge and Chatham.

Staplehurst Railway Disaster 1865

On 9 June 1865, Dickens was travelling back from France with Ellen Ternan and her mother. They had joined the tidal train from Folkestone to Charing Cross and had reached Staplehurst when the train dramatically crashed