Faversham Tourist Information
Faversham makes a great Kent holiday base for families, and with so many family-friendly attractions in the area you're bound to have a superb holiday there. Faversham is one of the most historic towns on the North Kent Coast, being home to the oldest brewery in Britain, Shepherd Neame. You can take tours around the brewery to learn more about the brewing process, which has been a part of Faversham's industry since the 17th century.
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One of the oldest surviving gunpowder manufacturers in the world is also based in Faversham. You can visit the Chart Gunpowder Mills to learn more about this industry and see how gunpowder was made in the 18th century. Faversham is famous for its wealth of great pubs, many of which are run by the Shepherd Neame brewery and serve food as well as having a fully stocked bar.
The Shepherd Neame Brewery
The Shepherd Neame Brewery was first set up in 1698 and is still a working brewery today. The brewery produces a number of cask ales and beers that are supplied to a lot of the pubs around Faversham. The Shepherd Neame Brewery is one of the most popular attractions in Faversham, with lots of visitor attraction awards under its belt.
The brewery is located close to Faversham town centre and you can book a tour with them on their official site now. Tours can last up to 2 hours and involve a full walk through of the brewery. Your tour guide will explain to you how brewing works, the ingredients that would have been used in the 17th century and what's used now. Tours are only available on certain days of the week though, so you should book in advance to make sure that there are spaces available.
Your tour will finish with a chance to taste a selection of the brewery's expertly crafted ales and beers, where you'll be taught the proper technique for tasting beers and ales. Before you leave the brewery you should pop into the gift shop to pick up some souvenirs of your visit.
Things to do in Faversham
You'll find all kinds of heritage attractions in Faversham, including the Chart Gunpowder Mills. The gunpowder industry in Faversham used to be huge, with gunpowder from the Chart Gunpowder Mills being used in two of the most important battles in British history - the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo. This attraction has been fully restored to its former glory and you can marvel at all of the ancient equipment housed inside the original building.
If you want to know more about the town in general you can visit the Fleur de Lis Museum and Gallery on Preston Street. The museum is located within three of the town's listed buildings and has a selection of interesting exhibits and displays of Faversham's history all the way from the Iron Age to present times. The art gallery has both visiting and permanent exhibitions of art, modern and historic. You can find other museums & galleries in Faversham on iknow-kent now.
There are lots of family-friendly attractions in Faversham, but possibly the best one is Farming World. This animal attraction, just off from Canterbury Road, is home to loads of different animals, including some rare breeds. You'll find horses, pigs, chickens, pheasants, rabbits and more. There are a number of kids' play areas as well, with areas for all ages of children. You can go for a tractor ride or watch one of the birds of prey flying displays, or you could go for a walk in one of the beautiful gardens.
Pubs in Faversham
There are loads of pubs in Faversham thanks to the town's flourishing history in brewing. A lot of the pubs are owned by the Shepherd Neame Brewery, although there are some independently owned ones too.
The Anchor Inn, a Shepherd Neame pub, is situated on Abbey Street, which is recognised as one of the best preserved medieval streets in England. The Anchor Inn has been a working pub for over 300 years and serves many of the real ales and beers brewed in the town, as well as ones from further afield.
Just up from The Anchor Inn is the great Phoenix Tavern. This is one of the many pubs in Faversham that serve food, and you'll find some gastro pub classics on their lunch and dinner menus. You can enjoy your meal with one of their drinks from the bar, which is stocked with all of your old favourites.
Photo Credits
Preston Street image contributed by Ron Strutt. Almshouses image contributed by Pam Fray. Stone Chapel Ruins image contributed by Mat Elliott. All images are copyrighted but licensed for further reuse under the Creative Commons License.
