Rochester Cathedral - Medway

 Rochester Cathedral 

Date December  | Location Rochester | Open to the public

I visited Rochester on the weekend of the Christmas market, and I thought I would check out the cathedral properly. As a local, I hadn’t really explored the cathedral before. Being inside was a beautiful experience, especially with the sun starting to set and the light streaming through the windows. It was truly lovely.

The cathedral is formally known as the Church of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the second-oldest cathedral in England, built in the Norman style, and it is Grade I listed..

St Michael & All Angels, Offham

 

 St Michael & All Angels

Date November | Location Offham | Open to the public 

This was not a planned visit; we were just passing through the area, so we thought we would check out the church. The inside of the church is very pretty.

The text states that the church is a Grade I listed building, constructed around 1080 AD. It is a Saxo-Norman structure. Many alterations were made to the church during the 14th and 15th centuries

The Friars Aylesford Priory - Kent

The Friars Aylesford Priory  

Date November | Location Aylesford | Open to the public.

I have to say, this place is absolutely beautiful, and I’m sure it’s even prettier in the summer. We were in the area for a birthday party, and after it finished in the late afternoon, we decided to check out this priory, which had been on my list for a long time. I don’t know why I hadn’t visited sooner. The location is stunning, and since we arrived a bit later in the day, it wasn’t too crowded. The little churches inside were very cute and charming.

So it said that the Friars was founded in 1242

Kent Miming Museum - Deal

 Kent Miming Museum 

Date Oct | Location Deal kent | Open to the public 

I had some time on my hands, so I headed down to the Kent Mining Museum with my little one. We were only meant to spend about an hour there, but we ended up staying all day. The museum has a huge park, and we also took a walk around the area. It was really interesting; I didn’t even know about half of the mining collieries that were in the Kent area, except for one of them. This is definitely a little hidden gem worth visiting if you're in the Deal area or passing through. The museum itself is small but nice, with plenty of exhibits, and there are activities for kids as well.

The Kent Mining Museum showcases the history of east Kent's old fields. It has been open for over 1,000 years, and it was discovered in 1890. The last colliery closed in 1989, and the museum opened in 2022. It is located on the site of the old Betteshanger colliery. The history presented at the museum comes from former mining communities. The site is National Lottery-funded and is run by retired miners.