Off to Kent - Spotlight Online

KENT
M25
50 km
0
N
River Medway
London
London Gatwick
CLAUDINE WEBER-HOF hat fünf Tage in
Kent verbracht, um dort die vielen Gärten,
Schlösser, Burgen und die berühmte
Felsenküste für die Spotlight-Leser
zu erkunden.
Fotos: Stockbyte; Visit Kent; David John Weber; Karte: Nic Murphy
S
ome say that Kent is known as the “Garden of
England” because its hops grow in fields called
“hop gardens”. But drive through this “home county” close to London, and you’ll see that the name fits for
other reasons, too. Signs proclaim the fruit of Applegarth
Farm and the vegetables of Southern Salad. Further on, it’s
“barn dance Friday”, “free-range eggs” and “honey right
here”. Clearly, the nickname for this county in England’s
south-east refers to more than a plant used to make a pint.
at said, the famous oast houses — their round towers are used for drying the hops — can be seen everywhere. Local hops are used by Kent’s own Shepherd Neame,
Britain’s oldest brewer. eir ales go nicely with the food prepared by Dugald Patten at his restaurant in Wye. On page 4,
he talks about cooking with fresh ingredients from Kent.
Kent’s idyllic qualities also inspired the historical figures who lived here. One was Charles Dickens, pictured
below, whose 200th birthday is being celebrated this year
(see Spotlight 2/12). An ideal place to start a tour of Kent
is Rochester, which Dickens knew as a boy and used in
novels such as Great Expectations. e town is also close
to Gads Hill, Dickens’s country home.
Visit Guildhall Museum to learn about the author’s
life and, with exhibits that are an interactive thrill for
children, the area’s maritime history. e gardens at the
Six Poor Travellers House, for example, and those
behind Eastgate House, where Dickens’s Swiss “writing
chalet” stands, also make Rochester a lovely day out.
May it be the first of several, for Kent’s pleasures are
many. is booklet focuses on a select few:
ale [eI&l] UK
barn dance [(bA:n dA:ns]
(barn
brewer [(bru:E]
chalet [(SÄleI]
free-range eggs
[)fri: reIndZ (egz]
go: ~ with sth. [gEU]
(obergäriges) Bier
Bauerntanz
Scheune)
(Bier)Brauer(in)
(Garten)Häuschen
Eier aus Freilandhaltung
zu etw. passen
Rochester
Faversham
Canterbury
Leeds Castle
Deal Castle
Hever Castle
Deal
M20
Wye
Tonbridge
Dover Castle
Dover
Penshurst Place
Sissinghurst Castle
Kent
M25
England
London
M2
Chapel Down
winery
White Cliffs of Dover
Kent
Calais
Hastings
Strait
of Dover
Strait of Dover
English Channel
4
6
8
10
12
16
France
Sissinghurst Castle gardens with their
fantastic flowers, shown on the cover
Canterbury Cathedral, forever connected
with a famous murder
Hever Castle and the manor house of
Penshurst Place, each with grand gardens
and both associated with English queens
Dover, with its fine forts and the wonderful
white cliffs, shown opposite
A special short story, which takes you to the
original “Garden of England” with Kent’s
famous hops
Information for travellers, including hotel
tips, on the back cover
For further reading:
see Spotlight magazine 1/11
on the Chapel Down winery,
and Spotlight 6/11 on the
labyrinth at Leeds Castle
(see below).
hop [hQp]
manor house [(mÄnE haUs]
maritime [(mÄrItaIm]
nickname [(nIkneIm]
oast house [(EUst haUs]
pint [paInt]
proclaim [prE(kleIm]
thrill [TrIl]
Hopfen
Herrenhaus
See-, SchiffahrtsSpitzname
Malzhaus
hier: Bier
kundtun; hier: anpreisen
Erlebnis