Leeds, Hever, Penshurst and Knole are all within half an hour of the farm, Ightham Mote is ten minutes down the lane, and Canterbury, Dover and Bodiam make a full day. Every one of them has something for children.
Checked 11 September 2026. Hours and prices change, so follow the links to the official sites before you set off. Distances are from Hamptons Farmhouse.
Hamptons Farmhouse sits between Hadlow and Plaxtol in the middle of Kent, with the Greensand ridge behind us and the Weald in front. Most of Kent's great houses are within forty minutes. Distances are from the farm and approximate. Opening days and prices change, so check the official site before you go. National Trust and English Heritage members get in free to their own properties, and a year's family membership pays for itself in a week here.
Within half an hour
Ightham Mote
A moated medieval manor house in a wooded valley, the closest big house to the farm. National Trust.
Natural play area, croquet and table tennis on the lawn in summer, family trails, and a house small enough to see before anyone gets bored.
Knole, Sevenoaks
One of the largest houses in England in a thousand-acre deer park. National Trust.
The park is free on foot and the deer come close. Look, do not feed.
Penshurst Place
A medieval manor with a great hall of 1341 and formal gardens, still lived in by the same family.
The adventure playground has a commando trail, a big slide, a toddler area and a zip line. There is a toy museum too.
Tonbridge Castle
A Norman motte and thirteenth-century gatehouse on the Medway.
The hour-long audio tour has life-size figures and steep dark steps that children love. The grounds and riverside are free.
Leeds Castle, Maidstone
The moated castle on two islands in 500 acres of park.
Two adventure playgrounds, one for under sixes and one for six to fourteens, a maze with a grotto underneath, falconry displays, and a ticket that lasts a year.
Hever Castle, Edenbridge
Anne Boleyn's childhood home, with gardens laid out by the Astors.
A yew maze, a water maze on stepping stones with hidden jets (bring a towel), model houses and a military museum.
Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst
A ruined moated castle below a Victorian house and garden. National Trust.
The prettiest picnic spot in Kent. Car park booking is essential in 2026 while the overflow car park is rebuilt.
Worth the longer drive
Chartwell, Westerham
Churchill's home, with his studio, the gardens and the woods. National Trust.
2026 is sixty years since it opened to the public, with extra tours and displays.
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Vita Sackville-West's garden and tower. National Trust.
One for the grown-ups. Capacity limits in season, no advance booking.
Rochester Castle
One of the tallest Norman keeps in England, reopened in June 2026 after works. English Heritage.
Climb to the top, then Dickens' Rochester below. Picnics welcome, no café.
Bodiam Castle, East Sussex
The picture-book moated castle. National Trust.
Arrive by steam train on the Kent and East Sussex Railway from Tenterden.
Canterbury Cathedral
The mother church of England and the site of Becket's shrine.
In 2026 children go free with a paying adult and tickets last a year.
Dover Castle
The Great Tower with costumed characters, the wartime tunnels and the underground hospital. English Heritage.
A full day. Check which tunnels are open before you go.
“Leeds, Hever and Rochester castles and Penshurst Place are all within half an hour.”
From our Willow Cottage page
Questions we are asked
- Which castle near Hadlow is best for young children?
- Leeds Castle, for its two adventure playgrounds, the maze and the falconry, about 25 minutes away. Hever's water maze is the favourite on a hot day. Ightham Mote is ten minutes away and the easiest short visit.
- Is Hadlow Tower open to the public?
- No. It is a private house. You can see it from the lanes around the farm.