KENT (geographic level 7), a maritime county; bounded on the N, by the Thames and the German ocean; on the E, by the straits of Dover; on the SE, by the English channel; on the S, by the English channel and by Sussex; on the west by Surrey. It is separated, by the Thames, from the metropolitan part of Middlesex, and from all the S border of Essex; and, by the river Rother and headstreams of the Medway, from parts of Sussex. It projects eastward, from the main body of the SE of England, in the form of a horn, corner, or cant; and it thence took its ancient Iberian or British name, Romanized into Cantium, and modernised into Kent. It is supposed to have anciently extended some miles further up the Thames than at present, and to have included there the site of the original London, which Ptolemy and Ravennas indicate as on the S side of the river; and it may, not improbably, in remote times, have been united on the E to France, from which it is now about 24 miles distant. The county contains 423 parishes, parts of 2 other parishes, and 18 extra-parochial places and villes.

Canterbury, the city, is in East Kent. Kent is the south easternmost county in England. It is bounded on the north by the River Thames and the North Sea, and on the south by the Straits of Dover and the English Channel. The continent of Europe is a mere 21 miles across the Strait. In Kent there were separate courts of Quarter Sessions (at Maidstone and Canterbury) until 1814. A weald once meant a dense forest, especially the famous great wood once stretching far beyond the ancient counties of Sussex and Kent, England, where this country of smaller woods is still called "the Weald". Wooded areas other than those which are situated between the Downs and which have the name Weald are North Weald Bassett in Essex, and Harrow Weald in northwest London. Now that most English forests have been cut down, the word may refer to open countryside or to the special clays found in the Weald. The geological anticline which caused the Weald extends 62.5 km = 37.5 miles further south-south-east under the Straits of Dover and includes the Boulonnais in France. Hampshire's coast line is very inregular, the principal indentation being Southampton Water. From Surrey and Sussex, north-east to Wilts and Berks, two ranges of chalk hills, known as the North and South Downs, traverse the county. In the west is the New Forest, and in the south-east are the Forests of Bere and Waltham Chase. The Avon, Exe, Test, Itching, and Hamble are the chief rivers. Upon the Downs are reared large flocks of the variety of sheep known as "Hampshire Downs," or "short wools." Pig breeding, and the curing of bacon, have long been large and lucrative branches of the county's industry.

The Roman Watling street (Rochester) crosses the county from London to Dover; had branches to Reculver and Richborough; and had another branch, called Stone street, to Lympne. Roman stations were at Vagniacæ or Southfleet, Durobrivis or Rochester, Durolevum or Sittingbourne, DuroVernnm or Canterbury, Dubris or Dover, Regulbium or Reculver, Ritupæ or Richborough, and Portus Lemanis or Lympne. Rich Roman pavements, such as those found in Sussex and Gloucestershire, have not yet been discovered here; but great quantities of Roman pottery have been found at Upchurch and Dymchurch, and a large aggregate of Roman coins, swords, spears, and other relics, have been found in numerous places. Roman camps also are at Ospringe, Barham, Trenworth, Bonning, Folkestone, Stutfall, and Keston. Saxon remains have been identified with a camp at Coldred, with ancient cemeteries in Ash parish and near Ramsgate, and with numerous barrows; but they consist chiefly of pottery, glass, weapons, and personal ornaments, preserved in museums.

Danish camps or earthworks are at Blackheath, Canterbury, Kemsley Downs, Swanscombe, Walmer, and near Milton. Specimens or remains of mediæval military architecture exist in Canterbury castle, Rochester castle, Dover castle, Allington castle, Leeds castle, Hever, Tunbridge, Westonhanger, and Saltwood. Specimens or remains of mediæval domestic architecture are very numerous, yet aggregately not so fine as those of some other counties; and they are best exemplified in Eltham Palace, Cobham, the Moat, Penshurst, Chilham, Knole, Sore-Place, Battle Hall, Boughton-Place, and East Sutton Place. Remains exist of 7 abbeys, 20 priories, 6 nunneries, 2 commanderies, 5 ancient colleges, and 15 ancient hospitals; and the most notable of them are Malling Abbey, Horton priory, St. Martin's priory in Dover, the remains of an abbey, a priory, and a convent in Canterbury, and the remains of a commandery at Swingfield. Part of a Saxon church is in Dover Castle; parts or specimens of Norman churches are at Barfreston, Darent, Patrixbourne, St. Margaret-at-Cliffe, Rochester, Davington, Bapchild, Harbledown, Paddlesworth, Dover, Minster, Walmer, Betshanger, and Sutton

Rochester cathedral, and in the churches of Bridge, Northbourne, Ash, Great Mongeham, Sandwich-ST. Clement, Wade-ST. Nicholas, Canterbury-St. Martin, Minster, Herne, Westwell, Folkestone, Hythe, Lenham, Graveney, Faversham, Chalk, and Horton-Kirkby; good specimens of decorated English churches are at Chartham, Barham, Chilham, Stone, Hever, and Sandhurst; and good specimens of later English ones are the nave of Canterbury cathedral, and the churches of Maidstone-All Saints, Chislehurst, Sevenoaks, Nettlested, Cranbrook, Tenterden, Ashford, Aldington, Wingham, and Bishopsbourne.