"O famous Kent!

What county hath this isle that can compare with thee?
Which hast within thyself as much as thou canst wish;
Thy conies, venison, fruits, thy sorts of fowl and fish ;
As what with strength comports, thy hay, thy corn, thy wood :
Nor anything doth want that anywhere is good."

Polyolbion, Song xviii.

The principal hop-gardens are situated near Maidstone, between Faversham and Canterbury, and between Godstone and Ashford; they cover about 30,000 acres. The hop was first cultivated in England toward the beginning of the 15th century.

The cherry-orchards are found in the north, and cluster along the route of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway in great profusion. This popular fruit was probably indigenous to England, but fresh grafts and choice varieties were introduced into Kent by Richard Hareys, fruiterer to Henry VIII., who planted about 100 acres at Tynham.

The more important Gentlemen's Seats in Kent are:Chevening Park (Earl Stanhope), Lees Court (Lord Londes), Cobham Hall (Earl of Darnley), Knole Place (Earl Delawarr), Penshurst (Lord De L'Isle), Charlton House (Sir Thomas Wilson, Bart.), Leeds Castle (C. W. Martin, Esq.), The Mote (Earl of Romney), Lullingstone Castle (Sir P. Hart Dyke, Bart.), and Eastwell Park (Earl of Winchelsea).

Kent is divided into 5 lathes :-Sutton-at-Hone, Aylesford, Scray, St. Augustine, and Shepway; and subdivided into 61 hundreds, besides the peculiar liberties of its 4 Cinque Ports (Dover, Deal, Sandwich, and Winchelsea). It contains 2 cities (Canterbury and Rochester), and 18 markettowns, with a population of 847,507.

The Assize Town is Maidstone. There are 424 parishes, which are grouped into 27 poor-law unions. The county is mostly in the diocese of Canterbury, but also in those of

INTRODUCTION.

Rochester and London. For judicial purposes it is included in the Home Circuit, except so much of it as lies within 10 miles of St. Paul's Cathedral, and accordingly under the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court. There are 19 county courts.

The Kentish rivers are the Medway, Stour, Darent. Cray, and Beult.

Railways open, nearly 400 miles.

PRINCIPAL RAILWAY STATIONS.

S.E.... South-Eastern Railway [Termini, Cannon Street and Charing Cross; North Kent (N.K.) Branch, London Bridge].

L.C.D. London, Chatham, and Dover Railway [Termini, Victoria, Pimlico; and Ludgate Hill].

BATHS.

Broadstairs...... Collins, Albion Street; Brine.

Dover

Gravesend

Brest, Marine Parade; March, Marine
Parade.

Broadbridge, Milton Baths; Albion;
Luke's Clifton Baths.

Herne Bay. Gipson, Marine Baths; Ottaway, Parade;

and Homersham, East Cliff.

Austin, High Street; Foat, Lower Marine
Parade; Hayward, Fort Crescent;
Perry, Belle Vue; Philpott, High
Street; Pittman, New Town Baths;
Pribble, High Street.

Royal Baths, West Cliff; Royal Victoria
Baths, Sands; Royal Clarence, Bath
Place; Ratcliff's, Taylor's, Barling's,
Foat's, and Dyson's.

RACES AND RACECOURSES.

Canterbury: In April, and second half of July.

Dover: In August.

Folkestone: In March.

Wye: In second half of May.

FISHING STATIONS.

Medway: Above Rochester Bridge, for carp, chub, dace, gudgeon, perch, pike, roach, and trout.

Cray: For trout.

Darent: For pike, perch, and trout.

Ravensbourne: Near Bromley, for trout; and below Bromley, for jack, perch, roach, etc.

Stour and Rother: For trout.

The ANTIQUITIES of KENT are fully indicated and described in the body of this volume. We have adopted the usual arrangement of architectural periods and styles-viz.

Saxon

Norman

Anterior to 1066.

... From 1066 to 1150.

Transition Norman 1150 to 1250.

Early English...... From 1250 to 1350.

Decorated

Perpendicular

From 1350 to 1480.

From 1480 to 1640.

The Archaeological Society of Kent (founded in 1858), issues its Transactions, at intervals, under the title of Archaologia Cantiana.