Family days out in Kent

PUBLISHED: 21:03 08 March 2014 | UPDATED: 21:03 08 March 2014

Sarah Sturt

Visit Penshurst Place

Manu Palomeque

If you do one thing this month… get excited by science

A national focus on encouraging children to study sciences at school, college and university is currently ongoing, so now’s the perfect time to pay a visit to the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham.

Discover a fascinating collection of engineering artefacts and memorabilia, including rockets, military weapons, engineering recruitment posters and even a piece of Mount Everest brought back from a 19th-century Royal Engineers expedition to measure and record the mountain’s official height. Please note, the museum is closed on Mondays.

3 other great things to do this month…

• Spend Mothering Sunday (30 March) at Penshurst Place and Gardens near Tonbridge. Children can make personalised presents for their mums, before treating her to lunch in the Garden Restaurant.

• Experience a Mother’s Day outing with a difference, courtesy of Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, also taking place on 30 March. Go on a steam train ride into the glorious surrounding countryside and enjoy a special lunch or high tea. Tickets must be pre-booked on 01797 362353.

• Make Mum feel like a Queen with a trip to the lovely, historic Chiddingstone Castle in Edenbridge. The castle is serving special cream teas during the afternoon of 30 March - book in advance on 01892 872746. The gardens are also open for quiet strolls in amongst the pretty spring flowers.

Little Kent Loves… MAD MARCH WILDLIFE

Springtime brings with it a plethora of new life, both flora and fauna. Here are five places to go wildlife spotting this month.

• Wildwood, Herne Bay: a beautiful 40-acre woodland that’s home to over 200 native British species of animals, including beavers, bison, deer, red squirrels, badgers, dormice and more. Open daily.

• Eagle Heights, Eynsford: One of the UK’s largest birds of prey centre, this impressive centre houses around 150 birds at any one time. Other highlights include a large flying arena and a newly-opened reptile house. Open daily.

• White Cliffs of Dover, Dover: This attractive and iconic stretch of coastline is home to several rare flora and fauna, including the skylark, common blue butterfly, and various endangered orchids. Facilities include a car park, Visitor Centre and way-marked walking routes. Open daily.

• Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Sevenoaks: Cared for by Kent Wildlife Trust, this SSSI is roughly split in half between land and water, with a huge number of species taking advantage of its diverse habitat. A two-hour guided walk takes place on 2 March. Booking details online. Open daily.

• RSPB reserve, Dungeness: this is the perfect place to go bird watching, as its position jutting out into the channel and the unusual, shingle habitat makes it home to several fascinating waterfowl and sea birds. Families are encouraged to enjoy events and trails and borrow explorer packs. Open daily.

http://www.re-museum.co.uk

http://www.penshurstplace.com

http://www.rhdr.org.uk

http://www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk

http://www.wildwoodtrust.org

http://eagleheights.co.uk

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/white-cliffs-dover

http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/events

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves