Ashford (England)

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

Understand

It is thought that Ashford originates from a settlement that was 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 was designated a market town in 1243, and by 1600 had risen to become an important market town, primarily for livestock.

Ashford is in the centre of Kent, and was one of the first towns in Kent that drastically changed into a highly developed town with modern standards. Ashford International was opened on 28 February 1996 and received trains from France terminating at Waterloo, London. Now trains terminate at St Pancras International in London. The town also has an airport with regular flights to France. The town's name is derived from "ash tree" and "ford" (meaning "river crossing").

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

International

Eurostar high-speed trains running from Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille (Europe), Calais (Fréthun) and Brussels (Zuid-Midi) stop at 🌍 Ashford International railway station (QDH  ^IATA). Passengers travelling by Eurostar to the UK from Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille (Europe), Calais (Fréthun) and Brussels (Zuid-Midi) stations undergo UK passport/identity card checks in France/Belgium before boarding, rather than on arrival in the UK. The UK passport checks take place after the French/Belgian passport/identity card exit checks in the stations. However, UK customs checks take place on arrival in the UK.

Passengers travelling to France/Belgium from Ashford International go through French passport/identity card checks in the station before boarding the train, whilst selective customs checks take place on arrival in France/Belgium following disembarkation.

Ashford International is also served by domestic trains from several major London stations (see below).

All international trains depart from St Pancras International railway station in London. Trains operate each hour direct from St Pancras International via Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International stations, operating frequent train services to Brussels, Calais, Paris, Disneyland Paris, Moutiers, Avignon, Lille and Bourg St Maurice.

Local

Domestic trains to Ashford station are operated by SouthEastern Railway and Southern Railway to London St Pancras to Ebbsfleet (typical journey time 35 – 37 minutes), London Cannon St, London Charing Cross, London Victoria and coast bound Dover Priory, Canterbury West, Ramsgate, Margate.

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

Ashford International has onsite car parking for over 1000 vehicles. Fare and timetable information is available from South East Trains, tel. [phone].

By air

Ashford's closest airport is 🌍 Lydd Airport (London Ashford Airport) (LYX ^IATA). A small airport with its own airline LyddAir which seems to only serve Le Touquet and Champagne.

The closest major airport is London Gatwick (LGW ^IATA), approximately a 45- to 50-minute drive away up the M20, M23 and M26.

Get around

By bus

Most services are run by Stagecoach.

A hire car is a good investment to explore the surrounding country. For example Canterbury is a few pleasant miles away and the "Park and Ride "bus service to the center of Canterbury is tremendous and saves many hassles parking.

By taxi

• AFM Private Hire, ☎ [phone]. 
• Arrow Taxis, ☎ [phone]. 
• Blue Line Taxis, ☎ [phone]. 
• United Taxis, ☎ [phone]. 
• Xpress Cars, ☎ [phone]. 

By mini coaches & minibuses

• Ashford Mini Coaches. 
• Kent Minibus Hire - Nova Travel. 
• Crosskeys Coaches. 
• Minibus & Coach Hire in Ashford. 

See

• Biddenden vineyards. For local wine and cider (very good and strong!) 
• 🌍 Willesborough Windmill, Hythe Road, Willesborough. open to the public at weekends. a white smock mill built in 1869  
• 🌍 Ashford Green Corridor. A natural 'green' route through Ashford.  
• The Agricultural Museum, Brook (Wye Rural Museum), The Street, Brook. 
• 🌍 Godinton House and Gardens.  
• Woodchurch Rare Breeds Centre. 
• Kent & East Sussex Railway. Operates between Tenterden and Bodiam in East Sussex, passing through some very attractive countryside. A one-day adult unlimited ticket costs £11. Bodiam Castle is at the end of the line. A trip on the train and a visit to the castle make a good day out. There is a pub at the entrance to the castle which provides good food, the castle's gift shop and a tea room.  

Do

• Hiking. 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. 
• Cineworld Cinemas, Eureka Leisure Park (near Junction 9 of the M20 motorway). 12-screen multiplex cinema. 

Buy

Ashford is a hotspot in the southeast for shopping, having over 200 stores across the town. Over 100 in the main town centre, and 100 in the modern designer outlet.

• Ashford Designer Outlet (5 minutes walk away from Ashford town centre, adjacent to the Ashford International Eurostar). £5 parking a day. 
• Tesco Crooksfoot Extra (just off junction 10 of M20). 24 hour. Supermarket. 
• John Lewis (Just off junction 9 of M20). Large out-of-town department store. 

Eat

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

• Hoodeners Horse, The Street Great Chart, ☎ [phone]. Mexican English, cosy pub eaterie fresh food cooked to order and a range of real ales. 
• Pizza Express, 14 North Street, ☎ [phone]. Typical Italian, pizzas, pasta dishes and salads. 
• Mumbai Gate, Ashford Rd, Bethersden (on the A28, towards Tenterden), ☎ [phone]. 
• Trattoria Romana, 32 Bank St., ☎ [phone]. Italian food in a friendly atmosphere. 
• Yeung's, 6-10 North Street, ☎ [phone]. Daily noon-3PM and 6-12PM. Oriental buffet restaurant with over 40 freshly prepared dishes to choose from, eat as much as you like. £5.80-10.80 per person. 

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), ☎ [phone]. 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 Swan, A20 Charing (Maidstone side) (from roundabout in Charing, take Maidstone turn; other left after 100 m), ☎ [phone]. 3 restaurants in one: Thai, steak bar and sushi bar - all are highly recommended and reasonably priced. Well decorated in an unusual style. Booking is advisable at the weekend. 
• Plough Inn, Lees Road, Brabourne Lees (Near Smeeth), ☎ [phone]. A country pub. Good food and service. 
• Plough, Stalisford Green. Particularly good country pub near Charing. Serves local produce, including local beers/cider. 
• Bull Inn, Bull Hill, Bethersden, ☎ [phone]. 

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 busy from Thursday to Saturday. 
• Riverside Inn, Torrington Road (opposite the Designer Outlet, off Asda roundabout then right into Beaver Road and then 2nd right again into Torrington Road), ☎ [phone]. Daily: food served M-Sa noon-9PM, Su 2-6PM. A 5-minute walk from the International Station this country-feel family pub has a reputation for homecooked food with daily specials and an extensive menu. Two beer gardens. Tuesday Steak Night and Wednesday Mexican Night. 
• William Harvey Inn, Church Rd, Willesborough (from Ashford town centre travel out along the A292, Hythe Road towards Hythe, with the Willesborough Windmill on your left turn right at the traffic lights in to Church Road). A 350-year-old traditional pub 
• The Hare & Hounds, Maidstone Rd (a couple of miles out of the town along the A20, heading towards Maidstone). An old pub 
• The Hoodeners Horse, The Street, Great Chart (in the village, near the A28 on the way to Tenterden), ☎ [phone]. Serving Mexican-style food. 
• The Flying Horse Inn, Boughton Lees (adjacent to the village cricket field in Boughton on the A251 heading towards Faversham). An old pub on the Pilgrims Way. 
• The Tickled Trout Public House, Bridge St, Wye (adjacent to Wye railway station and the River Great Stour). A busy country pub. 
• The Queens Head, Ashford Road, TN23 3ED (295 from Ashford International Station or on the A2070 Ashford Road), ☎ [phone]. 8AM-11PM. Local village pub just outside Ashford serving cask ales, home-cooked food. Breakfast, and lunches. Take-aways also available on bar food. 
• The George, The Street, Bethersden. 

Sleep

Camping

• Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park, Steeds Lane, ☎ [phone]. Follow Romney Marsh Road through Kingsnorth and turn left into Steeds Lane. 3.7 miles from Ashford. 
• Dunn Street Farm, ☎ [phone]. Head North-West along the A20 and then right to Westwell. 4.9 miles from Ashford. 

Budget hotels

• Travel Inn, ☎ [phone]. Orbital Business Park, Sevington. 
• Travelodge, ☎ [phone]. Eureka Leisure park, near M20 junction 9. 

Mid-range

• Holiday Inn Ashford - Central, Canterbury Road (Just south of junction 9 of M20), ☎ [phone]. 
• Holiday Inn Ashford - North A20, Maidstone Road, ☎ [phone]. Basic rooms. Although on its own out of the town in the countryside the motorway unfortunately runs close by so always traffic noise. Small gym, friendly staff. 
• The Conningbrook, Canterbury Road, ☎ [phone]. 

Splurge

• Ashford International Hotel, Simone Weil Avenue, ☎ [phone]. Simone Weil Avenue, near M20 junction 9. 
• Eastwell Manor, Boughton Aluph, ☎ [phone]. 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. 

Go next

• Local villages - Wye, Bethersden and Tenterden
• Hythe (Kent)

Routes through Ashford

London ← Maidstone ←	NW  SE	→ Folkestone/Channel Tunnel → Dover
Hastings ← Tenterden ←	SW  NE	→ Canterbury → Margate