Kent derives its name from the Cantii an early tribe that settled in this corner of England. Its current residents, numbering around 1.5 million, make it the most populous county in the UK. With excellent natural conditions for agriculture to prosper it has become universally know as the 'Garden of England'. This much coined summary, however, only partly describes the richness of attractions contained within its boundaries.A unique architectural heritage can be discovered among the particularly high density of castles, country houses and more modest listed buildings dotted around towns and villages. The contrasting old and new images within this book provide an insight into how the many changes of the past century have affected Kent. They also reveal the fine character of its true beauty and surprising diversity.

Robert Turcan is a retired fund manager who was brought up on a fruit farm in the North Kent horticultural belt. He has a lifelong interest in local history, in the pursuit of which he has amassed a considerable collection of topographical postcards, books and maps. His appreciation of the constantly changing environment is complimented by keen amateur photography, as well as a number of previously published titles on Kent's towns.