Garden of England
London Victoria → Kent → London Victoria
The Garden of England is the Belmond British Pullman's most quintessentially English day journey — a leisurely loop from London Victoria deep into the heart of Kent, the county that has worn its floral epithet since Tudor times. Departing at around 10:55 and returning to Victoria by approximately 16:10, this five-hour round trip offers a front-row seat to rolling orchards, ancient hop gardens, patchwork farmland, coastal glimpses, and the White Cliffs country that has defined Kent's identity for centuries.
The journey is as much about what happens inside the train as outside it. Each of the eleven meticulously restored 1920s and 1930s Art Deco carriages — all inlaid marquetry panels, mosaic floors, brass fittings, and crystal glassware — provides an atmosphere of golden-age glamour that sets the scene perfectly for a five-course seasonal lunch. Kent's celebrated produce — from its vine-ripened fruits and award-winning English sparkling wines to its world-famous hops — inspires a menu that changes with the seasons, curated to reflect what passengers can see rolling past their windows.
For travellers seeking a single indulgent day out from London, the Garden of England journey is without equal: impeccable silver-service dining, storied carriages that have carried royalty and heads of state, and a sweep through England's most abundantly beautiful county. Booking and enquiries: Palace Trains, toll-free 1-800-724-5120 or travel@palacetours.com.
- ✦Five-course seasonal lunch celebrating Kent's finest produce
- ✦Champagne welcome in restored 1920s Art Deco Pullman carriages
- ✦Panoramic views of hop gardens, orchards, and White Cliffs country
- ✦Platform stop at Dover with Channel and cliffs in sight
- ✦Sommelier-paired wines including English sparkling wine from Kentish vineyards
- ✦Carriages with royal heritage — the Queen Mother's favourite and a Wes Anderson redesign
- ✦A complete five-hour escape from London with no overnight packing required
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Departure — London Victoria Station
Passengers board at London Victoria, one of Britain's great railway termini, shortly before the 10:55 departure. A uniformed steward greets each guest at their table and presents an ice-cold glass of British sparkling wine as the train glides out of the station and through the South London suburbs, the city giving way to Surrey and then Kent within the first thirty minutes.
Morning — Into the Weald and the North Downs
As the train crosses into Kent the landscape opens into the North Downs — a broad chalk escarpment that frames the county to the north. Passengers settle into the five-course lunch service, beginning with canapés and the first wine pairing, while the view shifts to rolling farmland, ancient woodlands, and the oast houses that punctuate the Kentish Weald. These distinctive conical-roofed kilns, built to dry freshly harvested hops for the brewing industry, are among the most recognisable landmarks of the Garden of England and have shaped its silhouette since the sixteenth century.
Through the Orchards and Hop Country
The train skirts through the orchards and market gardens that have made Kent the larder of England. Apple, cherry, pear, and cobnut crops line the route, while hedged hop gardens stretch toward the horizon. This agricultural tapestry directly inspires the lunch menu — guests may find a Kentish apple velouté, locally smoked trout, or a dessert featuring seasonal soft fruit while the very fields that produced the ingredients roll past the window. The sommelier moves between tables presenting wines chosen to complement each course, including, on many departures, a glass of Kent's own award-winning English sparkling wine.
Canterbury and the Weald
The route passes through the Canterbury corridor — the ancient city's medieval skyline dominated by the soaring tower of Canterbury Cathedral visible in the distance. The cathedral city has drawn pilgrims since 1170 when Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered at its altar, an event that inspired Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and established the Pilgrims' Way. The train does not stop here but the proximity to one of England's greatest UNESCO World Heritage Sites adds historical depth to the journey's narration.
Dover and the White Cliffs
The train descends toward the Kent coast and arrives at Dover, where a brief platform stop allows passengers to step briefly onto the station platform. Dover has commanded the shortest sea crossing to France since Roman times — the legions landed near here in 55 BC — and its great castle, known as the Key to England, crowns the cliffs above the town. On clear days the chalk headlands and, beyond them, the outline of France are visible from the carriage windows. A short burst of platform entertainment makes this stop a memorable interlude before the return journey begins.
Return — Folkestone and Paddock Wood
Heading back toward London, the train swings through Folkestone — an elegantly revived coastal town with a thriving Creative Quarter and cliff-top Leas promenade — before curving inland again through Paddock Wood, the heart of Kent's hop industry, and back across the Weald. Coffee, tea, and petit fours are served as the Kentish countryside gives way once more to the outskirts of London. The train arrives back at London Victoria at approximately 16:10, leaving passengers with a full afternoon ahead and a day they are unlikely to forget.
Destinations & Highlights
Kent — The Garden of England
Kent's title as the Garden of England is one of the oldest in English tourism, traceable to the reign of Henry VIII. According to tradition the king was so delighted by a bowl of Kentish cherries presented to him at court that he ordered the establishment of England's first commercial cherry orchard at Teynham, near Sittingbourne. The county's geology — chalk downs, rich clay soils, and a warm, sheltered climate moderated by its proximity to the coast — made it uniquely suited to the cultivation of fruit, vegetables, hops, and now English sparkling wine. Apples, pears, cobnuts, and soft fruits have been grown here for centuries, and the distinctive conical oast houses built to dry hops for the brewing trade remain the county's most iconic architectural feature.
Canterbury
Few English cities carry more historical and spiritual weight than Canterbury. St Augustine arrived here in 597 AD to begin the Christian conversion of England, establishing a monastery whose ruins still stand. The Cathedral, begun in its present form in the eleventh century, became one of the great pilgrimage destinations of medieval Europe after the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chaucer immortalised the pilgrimage route in the Canterbury Tales, and the city's medieval lanes, Roman walls, and timber-framed buildings make it among the best-preserved historic urban environments in England.
Dover and the White Cliffs
Dover has guarded England's shortest crossing to continental Europe since at least Roman times. Julius Caesar landed on the Kentish shore in 55 BC and the Romans established their port of Dubris here. Dover Castle, perched dramatically above the town, has been continuously fortified from the Iron Age through the Second World War, when its labyrinthine tunnels housed the command centre that coordinated the Dunkirk evacuation. The White Cliffs themselves — up to 110 metres of dazzling chalk — are one of England's most potent symbols, visible from the French coast on a clear day and greeting returning travellers since the earliest sea crossings.
Folkestone and the Kent Coast
Folkestone has reinvented itself in recent decades as a centre for contemporary art and creative industries, anchored by the acclaimed Folkestone Triennial public-art festival and the regenerated Creative Quarter in its Old Town. The Leas — a sweeping clifftop promenade laid out in the Victorian era — offers panoramic views across the Channel, and the town's Victorian and Edwardian architecture recalls its heyday as a fashionable resort and cross-channel port. Together, Dover and Folkestone frame the south-eastern tip of England and embody the county's long role as both gateway to and guardian of the nation.