From Wikitravel

Ashford is a town in Kent, in the South of England.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By car 2.2 By train 2.2.1 Eurostar 3 Get around 3.1 By bus 3.2 By taxi 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 9.1 Camping 9.2 Budget Hotels 9.3 Mid range 9.4 Splurge 10 Get out

Understand

It is thought that Ashford originates from an original settlement established around 893AD, which became large enough to have a mention in the doomsday book, listed with a church and two mills under the name "Essetesford" in 1086. Ashford officially became a market town in 1243 and by 1600 had risen to become an important market town, primarily for livestock.

In 1996 Ashford International train station opened, the first stop in England on the Channel Tunnel rail link, for passengers arriving on the Eurostar.

Get in

By car

The main roads into Ashford are the M20, which runs from the M25 via Maidstone and on to Folkestone, and the A2070, which connects Ashford with Hastings in the south and the A28 to Canterbury in the north.

By train

Ashford has train links to London, Canterbury, Tonbridge, Dover, Folkestone and Hastings.

Fare and timetable information is available from South East Trains, tel. +44 (0)8457 484 950.

Eurostar

Ashford International is on the Channel Tunnel rail Link, and Eurostar trains depart regularly for Lille, Paris, Brussels and Disneyland Paris. See the Eurostar website for further information.

Get around

By bus

Arriva is the bus company that operates in Ashford. Timetables and fares are available on their website. Buy your ticket from the driver when you board the bus.

By taxi

• AFM Private Hire tel. +44 (0)1233 333 500
• Arrow Taxis tel. +44 (0)1233 666 666
• Blue Line Taxis tel. +44 (0)1233 666 123
• United Taxis tel. +44 (0)1233 666 999

See

• Biddenden vineyards for local wine and cider (very good and strong!)
• Local villages - Wye and Tenterden
• Ashford Local Tourism - List of tourist attractions in Ashford
• Factory shopping outlet near to the International station
• Willesborough Windmill is a a white smock mill built in 1869, open to the public at weekends.
• Ashford Green Corridor, the natural 'green' route through Ashford
• Brockhill Country Park
• Godinton House and Gardens
• North Downs Way
• Port Lympne Wild Animal Park & Gardens
• Stour Valley Walk
• Woodchurch Rare Breeds Centre
• Wye Rural Museum

Do

• The surrounding countryside, particularly the North Downs are good for walking, with the Pilgrims' Way, North Downs Way and the Stour Valley Walk all in the area, catering for the long distance walker or the day tripper.
• Port Lympne Wild Animal Park is a 600 acre estate with Mansion House and Zoo.
• Cineworld Cinemas is a 12 screen multiplex cinema, on the Eureka Leisure Park, near Junction 9 of the M20 motorway in Ashford.

Buy

Eat

Ashford is well served by many different restaurants. A short walk around the town centre will find most varieties of cuisine.

• Pizza Express, 14 North Street, +44 (0)1233 637 700. Typical Italian, Pizzas, Pasta dishes and salads. Pizzas upto £8.25 Menu
• The Royal Spice, Ashford Rd, Bethersden. +44 (0)1233 820280. Good Indian food served in a very modern environment, in a converted public house on the A28, towards Tenterden. The Royal Spice restaurant
• Trattoria Romana Restaurant, 32 Bank St. +44 (0)1233 638033. Italian food in a friendly atmosphere.
• Yeung's, 6-10 North Street, +44 (0)1233 613 813. Open seven days, 12noon - 3.00pm and 6.00pm - 11.00pm. Oriental Buffet restaurant with over 40 freshly prepared dishes to choose from, eat as much as you like. £5.80-£10.80 per person.
• Zarin, 31 Bank Street, +44 (0)1233 620 511. Opening Hours: Open 7 days a week (including Bank Holidays). Lunch: Mon - Sat 12noon - 2:30pm, Dinner: Mon - Thurs 6pm - 11:30pm, Fri & Sat 6pm - 12 midnight, Sunday: 12noon - 11pm. Smart, modern Indian restaurant. Zarin restaurant

Further out of town, pubs offer good food at reasonable prices. Wye also has some good restaurants.

• The New Inn, Canterbury Road, Etchinghill, (jnc 11, M20), +44 (0) 1303 862026. [1]A 16th century coaching inn, village pub and highly popular restaurant. Fantastic reputation for fine cuisine, open seven days a week for lunches and evening meals. Terrific food, real ale, oak beams & cosy atmosphere. The New Inn website

Drink

Locally produced Biddenden wine and cider are high quality. The cider at 8% ABV is only sold by the half pint in some pubs. There is no shortage of good pubs and bars although the best tend to be in the villages around the town.

There are many good pubs around the town.

• Bar 27, 27 High Street. Very friendly bar with great food, nice interior and outside seating in Summer.
• The County Hotel, 10 High St. A large Wetherspoons pub serving food and drink.
• Riverside Inn, Torrington Rd. Small pub located in South Ashford. (From the designer outlet shopping centre, walk across the foot bridge over the road and you are there.
• William Harvey Inn, Church Rd, Willesborough. A 350 year old traditional pub. From Ashford town centre travel out along the A292, Hythe Road towards Hythe, with the windmill on your left turn right at the traffic lights in to Church Road
• The Hare & Hounds, Maidstone Rd. An old pub just a couple of miles out of the town along the A20, heading towards Maidstone.
• The Hoodeners Horse, The Street, Great Chart. Serving Mexican style food, located in the village, near the A28 on the way to Tenterden.
• The Flying Horse Inn, Boughton Lees. An old pub on the Pilgrims Way, adjacent to the village cricket field in Boughton on the A251 heading towards Faversham.
• The Tickled Trout Public House, Bridge St, Wye. A busy country pub adjacent to Wye railway station and the River Great Stour.

Sleep

Camping

• Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park, Steeds Lane. Tel: +44 (0)1233 620859 - Follow Romney Marsh Road through Kingsnorth and turn left into Steeds Lane. 3.7 miles from Ashford. broadhembury.co.uk
• Dunn Street Farm. Tel: +44 (0)1233 712 537 - Head North-West along the A20 and then right to Westwell. 4.9 miles from Ashford.

Budget Hotels

• Travel Inn, Orbital Business Park, Sevington. Tel: 0870 197 7305
• Travelodge, Eureka Leisure park, near M20 junction 9. Tel: +44 (0)1233 213 000

Mid range

• Holiday Inn, Maidstone Rd, Tel: +44 (0)1233 713333
• The Conningbrook, Canterbury Road conningbrookashford.co.uk, Tel: +44 (0)1233 636 863

Splurge

• Ashford International Hotel, Simone Weil Avenue, near M20 junction 9. Tel: +44 (0)1233 219 988
• Eastwell Manor, Boughton Aluph. An old manor house that must be seen. It is expensive to stay, but lunch is available by booking for £10 for 2 courses or £15 for three. OS map 189 - TR016475 GPS: 51° 11.501 N 000° 53.061 E for those arriving by helicopter! Tel: +44 (0)1233 213 000 eastwellmanor.co.uk

Get out

• Liquid & Life Nightclub, The Flour Mill, East Hill. Tel: +44 (0)1233 613 333

A nightclub based in the Flourmills 5 minutes walk downhill from the town centre. 'Life' plays cheesy music from 70's, 80' and nineties, 'Liquid' opts for dance orientated music and R&B.

Over 21's, Smart Shoes and Collar on Saturdays.

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