Things to do in Kent
Places to visit from Horne's Place Oast & Barn
Appledore, Kent
If you can tear yourself away from Horne’s Place Oast & Barn, you’ll find there are plenty of things to do in Kent and specifically in our local area – from country walks and wine tasting to family days out. There’s lots of information in the Welcome Book at the Oast house but here’s a taster...
Gusbourne Vineyard
The Gusbourne Vineyard is one of our favourite places to visit in Kent – so it's handy that it's just next door! The vines you’ll see close to the oast house belong to the Gusbourne estate. Their winery and tasting room, The Nest, is less than a mile from the oast house. You can take yourself on a self-guided tour of the vineyard any time, or book a guided two-hour tour and tasting. It's available 10am-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday but should be booked in advance.
Places to eat & drink in Kent
There are lots of lovely places to eat and drink in the Kent countryside – in fact there are three good pubs and two vineyards within walking distance of Horne's Place Oast & Barn. Head to our dedicated Eat & Drink pages for a few suggestions if you want to get something booked up before your stay here.
Local Walks
There are some lovely walks right outside the front door - starting with the short stroll to the Gusbourne Vineyard and Tasting Room. For a longer walk how about heading through Appledore and down to the Royal Military Canal or across the fields on the Saxon Shore Way to The Woolpack at Warehorne?
Towns & Villages
Horne’s Place Oast is on the edge of historic Appledore, a quaint village with a post office, antiques shop, pub, tea room and 13th-century church on the edge of the Royal Military Canal and Romney Marsh. The historic towns of Tenterden and Rye are within 10 miles, quaint Hythe and modern Ashford are within 15 miles with Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover all within 25 miles.
The Rare Breeds Centre
Just a ten-minute drive from the oast house is The Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch. The centre is great fun for families and animal lovers with rare breeds of British farm animals, the chance to meet the animals in the barn, see falconry displays and enjoy tractor rides and pig racing in the summer.
Camber Sands and other nearby beaches
The closest beach is at Camber Sands where there are vast expanses of sand. In the summer the beach can be busy thanks to the holiday parks which are located around the village of Camber but there’s plenty of space. There’s also a sandy beach at Dymchurch where there are amusements and fun fair rides. For a shingle beach and a local fishmonger head for Hythe (pictured) or Dungeness.
Kent & East Sussex Railway
Heritage railway, the Kent and East Sussex Railway has a station at Tenterden (six miles away) where you can step aboard their vintage trains. The tracks run through the beautiful countryside of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Bodiam, where you can disembark and visit the National Trust castle.
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch
Railway
The closest place to step aboard the miniature steam and diesel trains of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is at the New Romney Station (10 miles). Take a train to Dymchurch for some seaside fun, to explore historic Hythe or to the end of the line at Dungeness. A great way to see the countryside of the Romney Marsh. There’s also a museum and model railway at the New Romney station.
Port Lympne Reserve
See lions, tigers, rhinos and gorillas at Port Lympne, a wild animal park that’s part of the Aspinall Foundation’s conservation programme. A safari experience gives you the chance to ride on an open-sided safari vehicle through grassland where animals, including zebra and giraffe, wander freely. It also has a Dinosaur Forest with life-sized models.
Bodiam Boating Station
Bodiam Boating Station is situated on the River Rother, 12 miles from Horne's Place Oast and Barn at Newenden. They offer paddleboards, kayaks, rowing boats and canoes for hire as well as operating cruises to nearby Bodiam Castle. There's a great café there too for a post-paddle bite to eat!
Bodiam Castle
The National Trust-protected Bodiam Castle is a 30-minute drive (about 15 miles) from Horne’s Place Oast. It’s a 14th century, moated castle with tea rooms and often has events on. If you don’t fancy driving all the way, you can always head to Tenterden and hop aboard the Kent and East Sussex Railway to arrive by train.
Chapel Down Vineyard
The 22-acre Chapel Down vineyard and winery is just eight miles from Horne's Place Oast, near Tenterden. Visitors can walk through the vineyard, visit the shop or dine at the vineyard's restaurant, The Swan. Guided tours of the vineyard and winery are also available but pre-booking is essential.
Warehorne Vineyard
A family-owned vineyard, just three miles down the road from Horne's Place Oast & Barn, Warehorne Vineyard offers self-guided tours and tutored tastings on weekends only. The vineyard was planted in 2020 and produces a range of still wines – including, unusually for the area, reds.
A private chef
For a special occasion dinner at Horne's Place Oast, how about letting someone else do the cooking? Kent-based private chef Silvestre Inácio is able to come to the property and cater a dinner party for up to 25 people. Take a look at his website, The Chef Touch, to find out about the range of menus available.
In-house catering
Wendy and Julie of Larkins' Kitchen provide event catering for groups of between six and 200 people. They can provide a huge range of dishes from home-cooked family-style meals delivered ready for you to heat to sit-down meals and buffets. They are also able to provide a mobile bar.
Coach hire
If you're planning a group stay at Horne's Place Oast, why not plan some of your trips using the services of Scotland and Bates, our local coach company? It's especially good for larger groups hoping to visit Chapel Down vineyard or the Curious Brewery as no one has to be the designated driver! Costs start at £300.