Hythe

This historic town in Kent is a hidden gem that’s worth getting to know

- Helena Cartwright

WHERE TO GO

History is tangible in Hythe, from the 11th-century St Leonard’s Church with its skull-packed ossuary to the family-run stores and antiques shops all over town. The church’s crypt has become a popular attraction, attracting thousands of tourists every year.

Saltwood Castle, a mile north of Hythe, is known as the site where the plot was hatched to assassinate Thomas Becket.

Known as ‘Kent’s Mainline in Miniature’, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, which opened in 1927, offers a scenic, marsh-side, steam-powered puff from Hythe, through New Romney, to Dungeness. It’s a must-do activity.