My wife and I leave this Saturday evening, and I would appreciate feedback on the following itinerary ...

Sun.1 - arrive Heathrow @ 11:00AM
Sun.2 - Chartwell
Mon.1 - Leeds Castle
Mon.2 - Cricket (Kent v Essex in Maidstone)
Tue.1 - Biddenden Vinbeyards
Tue.2 - Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
Tue.3 - Royal Tunbridge Wells / Pantiles
Wed.1 - Ightham Mote
Wed.2 - The Knole
Thu.1 - The Royal Pavilion
Thu.2 - Rye
Fri.1 - Canterbury
Fri.2 - Dover Castle
Sat.1 - Groombridge Place Gardens
Sat.2 - Penhurst Place Manor
Sun.1 - turn in car then off to London

Any substitution? Not listed above are sites such as Hever, Scotney, Hersmonceux, etc.

Thanks!

You can see a LOT more than what you have listed each day w/o rushing at all. Many of these properties are only a few miles apart.

i.e.: Just last week I picked up a rental car at LGW about 10:30 a.m. and had plenty of time for leisurely visits to Chartwell, Hever and Penshurst before driving on to our B&B SE of Royal Tunbridge Wells, arriving about 6 p.m..

Then the next day we visited Bayham Abbey, Sissinghurst, Scotney Castle and Bodiam Castle - finishing Bodiam just at closing time. There wasa not a 20 minutes drivve between any of these.

on day 3 we drove east to Deal castle, then to Walmer Castle/Gardens and finished up w/ about 4 hours at Dover castle.

Of the places you list the ones I would place on the "visit IF I had time but not make a special effort" list are Leeds, Biddenden, and Groombridge. They are all nice - but not nearly up to the status of Sissinghurst, Scotney, Dover, Knole, Hever, etc.

It's hard to find fault with what you've come up with - except that you may be too jet-lagged to enjoy one of my favorites, Chartwell.

Another of my favorites is the very memorable Seven Sisters hike from West Dean to Seaford. See if you can fit that in.

I agree that you can do more in one day than you've scheduled; tighten the list up a bit and you can add other places of interest. Hever would be first on my list.

I agree with janis in that Leeds, Biddenden,and Groombridge are not up to par with Sissinghurst,Scotney Castle, Dover, Knole and Hever. Also did Bayham Abbey(recommend it)Bodiam Castle and Scotney Castle in same day with time left over.

Thank you all for your input. I'm modifying our itinery accordingly. At the same time, given a 7-hour window, and allowing an hour for travel, visiting three sites suggests that an average 2 hours per site is adequate. That surprises me, but it's good to know.

Janis, I'm also surprised that Leeds topped your "nice, but ..." list.

jmf: Leeds has a major following here on Fodors - and advertises in ALL the tube/rail stations in London. But as castles/stately homes/historic sites go it is not nearly in the same league of some of the others you list (Knole/Chartwell/Hever/Igtham Mote, etc, etc.) It has a lovely setting, but inside is nothing to write home about.

And as for gardens - Sissinghurst, Scotney, Penhurst, Hever, and Great Dixter all have either more extensive grounds or prettier gardens.

Many people who rave about Leeds have not been to many (or any) other of the places on your list.

Do not get me wrong - it is very nice -- but I would not make a special effort to visit Leeds if my time was limited . . . . .

My mother lives in Kent, about 15 miles from Leeds and I have to say that I agree entirely with Janis.Leeds castle is just not in the same league as the others you've mentioned.

If you happen to be in Maidstone for the cricket I highly recommend a quick trip to Rochester Cathedral which is a fascinating mixture of styles and only about 15 minutes away. There are also the ruins of Rochester castle and the town has a connection Dickens but the cathedral is the most interesting.

Also if you are interested in gardens Great Dixter (which is Christopher Lloyd's garden is fairly close to Rye as is Rudyard Kipling's family home Batemans. AS you drive from Tenterden down to Rye going down onto the marsh you pass the great 19th century actress Ellen terry's home (also National Trust). Again these are quirky places worth visiting if the topic/interest inspires you.

If you do go to Leeds Castle do conside lunch at a lovely small market town near there called Lenham...I highly recommend that you buy the Good Pub or Good Food Guide which really helps you choose watering holes with historical ambiance and great grub!

Hope that helps!

I'm just returning from a week in Kent and I have to express a differing opinion. If you want to really see the sites and enjoy the gardens, I wouldn't try to squeeze more into your days. What you originally had scheduled seems very sensible.

Keep in mind that some of the places don't open until 10 or 11 AM and close around 5 PM.

And I don't think I would devote an entire day to Royal Tunbridge Wells. IMHO it can be done in a couple hours max. unless you're really into shopping. We really enjoyed Hever Castle - nice tour, beautiful gardens.

Canterbury and Dover Castle might be a lot for one day. We spent several hours at Dover Castle alone. Don't miss the Secret War Tunnels.

We also enjoyed the tour of Battle Abbey and Battlefield.