Kent

Map of the Kent Area

Kent is located in the South East of the UK and is designated as one of the Home Counties. Counties that surround Kent include Surrey, Greater London, East Sussex and Essex. Half way through the Channel Tunnel it has a nominal border with France. The county town is Maidstone Kent is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. It has a population of around 1634500 (source: link) and a density of 437 per km square.

Kent is located between London and the continent and has therefore has been in the line of fire in several conflicts. During World War II it was on the front line for the Battle of Britain and East Kent was so-called Hell Fire Corner because of it. The county's port has produced warships for England for over 800 years. The iconic White Cliffs of Dover allow the coast of France to be clearly seen in fine weather.

The name of the county is derived from Cantus which is the Brythonic word that means "rim" or "border" after its eastern coast. A series of ridges and valleys dominate the geography of the county, resulting from the weathering of the Wealden Dome. The Dome is made up of clay and chalk and was created by Alpine movements 10-20 million years ago . Dover and Westerham make up the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (source: "Kent Downs". KentDowns.org. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.). Due to coastal erosion and tectonic uplift the coastline of the county is constantly changing.

Kent is known for its orchards and hop gardens and the economy has historically been agricultural. However there has been a decline in agricultural and resources are slowly being switched to tourism. North Kent is industrialised heavily and the manufacturing industries include cement making, bricking making, shipbuilding, engineering, aircraft design and oil refining. The most affluent area in the county is the west (including Tunbridge Wells, Seven Oaks and Maidstone) due in part to its located on the commuter belt and proximity to London.

Several notable writers and artists have used the county of Kent as their inspiration. The Canterbury's Tales (Chaucer) was based on the religious role of Canterbury during the 1380's. The scenery of Rochester, Chatham and the Cliff marshes are featured in the novels of Charles Dickens due to his father's connection with Chatham Dockyard. J.M. Turner spent a portion of his childhood in Margate and the scenery was a focal point in many of his most famous seascapes.

• Kent & East Sussex Railway Co.
• Town Station Tenterden Kent TN30 6HE
• Phone: 087 060 060 74
• http://www.kesr.org.uk/