Kent

For fifteen years an increasingly dilapidated concrete arm has jutted out into the English Channel from Folkestone harbour. Once upon a time it was a railway station and passenger port with the steam trains stopping beside the steam ships departing for the continent. In 1891 it was possible to travel from London to Paris (via Folkestone and Boulogne) in just 7 hours 30 minutes.

During the First World War, Folkestone harbour was known as the ‘Gateway to the Trenches’ as millions of troops headed for the front line. With the last ferry leaving in September 2000 and the harbour branch line officially closed in 2014, Folkestone harbour is now waiting for development.

The refurbishment of the harbour arm, a £3.5 million project, is presenting Folkestone with a pleasure pier for residents and locals to enjoy. The Folkestone harbour arm consists of a lit walkway that goes all the way to the lighthouse at the end, pop up cafes to delight foodies and live entertainment.

The harbour arm lets you get a whole new perspective on Folkestone. My husband and I visited on the first day it opened and the weather was stunning.

Folkestone’s harbour arm will be open Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays all summer. Check out their Facebook page for the latest news.

Nearest station: Folkestone Central 1 mile – 54 minutes from London St Pancras International. Book online with Southeastern before 24th August to save 25% on off-peak tickets.

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than stuffing your face with yummy food? Last weekend my sister and I headed up to Chislehurst to check out the newly refurbished Bull’s Head pub. They’ve given their interior a brand new look and added their gorgeous English tea room complete with patterned tiled floor, tea cup light fittings and oodles of light flooding in through the glass roof.

The pub also has B&B rooms and a function room. There was an event on when we visited, which made parking in the car park impossible. After a little bit of fun trying to get back out again we found a nice space just a couple of minute’s walk away in front of the church.

Once we were seated at our table we got down to choosing our afternoon tea option. The options are a most traditional afternoon tea which comes with a choice of teas or coffee, a most unusual afternoon tea that’s served with a Hendricks gin cocktail in a teapot or a most decadent afternoon tea served with champagne. My sister and I both chose the traditional afternoon tea, Sarah had the Bull’s Head Blend tea and I opted for Blue Lady.

It wasn’t too long before the food came and we got stuck in straight away. The menu says ‘artisan bread’. I’m not sure what makes the bread artisan but the sandwiches were very tasty and didn’t last very long as we wolfed them down. Our afternoon tea was at 3pm and all I’d had to eat all day was a bowl of cereal in the morning because I didn’t want anything to spoil this experience.

I felt I should have a break before moving onto the tiny cakes but that was never going to happen. We both eagerly tucked in and enjoyed every last morsel. My favourite was this cute cube that looks a bit like a custard with a sponge layer at the bottom. I don’t know what it was but the coloured bits inside tasted amazing! So fruity.

The other cakes were a sponge topped with jam and coconut, my first macaron, a chocolate tart with a fruit filling topped with chocolate ganache, and a fruit tart. All were delicious. The last layer was the scones, cream and jam. These beat us. I don’t know if it was the fact that we tackled the scones last but I wasn’t that keen on them. They seemed a little dry and there could have been more cream and jam but that’s because I love mine slathered in both! Had we not been so full I’m sure we could have asked for a little more.

Overall, we both really enjoyed our afternoon tea at the Bull’s Head in Chislehurst. It made a nice change and it was a lovely place to spend some girly time. I’d recommend the Bull’s Head as it’s the ideal place to linger while having a good natter. At £15pp for the traditional afternoon tea option, it’s not cheap so it would be ideal for a special occasion or treat.

I had to get a photo of the refurbished restaurant as it’s gorgeous.

Many thanks to the Bull’s Head and Roche Communications for providing my sister and I with a complimentary afternoon tea for review purposes.

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The Bull’s Head

Royal Parade, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 8NR

Afternoon tea served daily between 2pm and 5pm

To book, phone 020 8467 1727